I finally got around to loading the App and testing out the Eyeque Personal Vision Tester then using the prescription it gave me ordered a pair of progressive glasses from Zenni. The prescription was slightly different from the recent one I had from the optometrist. I now have two new pairs of glasses to compare (each costing just less the US$50 plus US$10 for delivery – several pairs will fit in one package).
I have been wearing them alternately. Though they are slightly different I cannot say that there is anything ‘wrong’ with the ones I got the prescription for from my phone. In fact the optometrist’s pair seem to cause me a bit more eye strain if anything.
I had some difficulty using the Eyeque device because my eyes are very deep-set and particularly in my left eye due to arthritis, but I got the hang of it after a while. The App requires you to do multiple tests (three I think) before it will come up with a prescription. I tested my eyes half a dozen times and used a ‘consensus’ script to order from. I should have done the tests at different times of day (Read the Instructions) to get a more accurate result!
They now have a new device which is a little more convenient to use and apparently even more accurate.If you live in a remote place where it is difficult to visit your ‘local’ optometrist, or if you have had some ‘issues’ with them, this method is worth a try. This device will be available on Kickstarter in just a few days for US$25.
You would have to admit that US$85 for the eye test and a pair of progressive lenses in flexible metal frames is pretty good value. I have been using these frames for a number of years (across a few different prescriptions as my eyesight deteriorated). I have never had one break or come apart, though I have subjected them to simply awful treatment as you can imagine!
If you only need single vision the lenses are free (I pay US$25 for progressives) and the cheapest frames are US$7 (I pay US$25 for mine), so you can get a pair of glasses for US$17 delivered – usually takes a couple of weeks to Australia. My frames apparently weigh 9 grams and the finished glasses (as you can see) weigh 12 grams!
They have lots of different frames which you can ‘test out’ by uploading a photo of yourself. There are also many ‘hidden’ frames for some reason (the Zenni website is not all that user-friendly). If you don’t see what you want, message them and they will send you a link to some more (I had to).
PD (Pupillary Distance): I have recently realised that this has been wrong on every pair of glasses I have ever owned (Still, today). Too narrow. The new device now on Indiegogo has a PD testing tool. This should be useful. In the meantime Try this: Hold a ruler in as close to your eyeballs as you can get and have someone take a photograph from as far away as they can get (on full zoom), then zoom in on the photograph to see how far apart the centres of those pupils really are. This method should overcome most of the parallax error though the measurement will still be a little under as you can’t get the ruler touching the eyeballs. For me this method adds approx 5mm to my PD.
It is no wonder the progressive glasses do not focus properly. I have taken a pair of glasses apart so I could move the lenses apart until they focused properly whilst Della observed the distance on a plastic ruler. This confirms I need a PD of about 5 mm more. Specsavers would not believe this (or that they could be wrong) and pretty much threw me out of the store (but not before they refunded me the $289 for their glasses which did not work! For years I had been thinking successive optometrists had been getting my left eye wrong (I am right eye dominant – handy when you shoot right-handed!) but it really it is the pupillary distance which is wrong! I will order a new pair of glasses to see how this goes.
I also have a number of lightweight ways of carrying spare glasses when hiking/hunting/canoeing, etc: https://www.theultralighthiker.com/ultralight-glasses-case/
You will probably notice I also wear hearing aids. There is advice below on how to order cheap hearing aids – and how not to lose them!
http://www.theultralighthiker.com/zenni-the-hearing-company/
https://www.theultralighthiker.com/eyeque-personal-vision-tracker/
