As inspired by Nicky T's thread, I booked a trip to Flint and Partners to try and sort out some issues with my eyes - I have for a while suspected that my eyes have caused me to struggle with some specific targets. I have also been trying to find the right pair of shooting glasses to wear, given that prescription lenses can be quite expensive I thought it would be good to get some expert opinion. I have been burnt with some cheap shooting glasses and a cheap prescription insert before (we'll come back to those later).
Before I get into the coverage of my visit - and the recommendations from Ed Lyons - I'll summarise the issues with my eyes:
Maybe I should just give up and get a white stick
... but those are the facts. I wear pretty expensive glasses to keep the glass thin, and prescription sunglasses on top mean I can spend £300/£400 on each pair of glasses every 18mths to 2yrs.
So - to the visit. Ed Lyons had advised me to bring me shotgun as well as any shooting glasses I had and it did feel a bit strange to be sitting in the waiting room with my gun, but my appointment was on time and Ed sat me down and started walking through what was a normal vision check initially. He measured my existing specs, and then we went through a really thorough eye-exam. Nicky has covered most of the key tests in his review, but as someone VERY experienced in eye tests, this was an extra level of thoroughness. Throughout the examination, Ed explained the reasoning behind the tests and gave me some insight into what he was looking for. Beyond standard 'reading the text', he also looked at how my eyes worked independently, as well as together - using prisms and polarised filters to test the muscles that drive the eyes.
Then came the surprising part. Ed wanted to see if contact lenses would work for me - and had taken a chance of ordering up some soft, day wear lenses that approximately matched my prescription. I was pretty hesitant to try lenses, I hate touching eyes and am pretty nervous when anything/body gets near my eyes, but Ed assured me how easy these could be and explained what advantages they could give me for shooting.
In for a penny, in for a pound - I tilted my head back and tried not too blink too much or screw my eyes up as Ed put the lenses in. An eye watering 30 seconds later, I was done - and for the first time in 35 years I could see properly without my glasses. Not perfect, but remember - these were approximate lenses - if I decided this was for me then a more accurate prescription would be provided.
Whilst we waited to see if my eyes were OK with the lenses - Ed took a number of pictures to asses my eye dominance. Asking me to mount and shoot at the camera lens of an iPad was pretty strange, but Ed was able to completely confirm my STRONG left-eye dominance. However, Ed outlined that he could help with this, giving me a number of strategies to help train my eye, he showed me one drill which I can use, as well as using tape or shot spots.
Finally, the conclusion of the visit - and the recommendation for me.
I've selected the contact lenses - and I'm heading back at the end of September to get my first supply and then start looking at the right shooting glasses.
If you have issues with your eyes, or are thinking about prescription shooting glasses - I'd HIGHLY recommend visiting Ed Lyons - the initial assessment is one of the most thorough I've had and the recommendation and advice so far has been excellent.
I'll report back on the next stage after my second visit.
Before I get into the coverage of my visit - and the recommendations from Ed Lyons - I'll summarise the issues with my eyes:
- Have worn glasses since aged 7 or 8 - shortsighted in both eyes (-5.5 in one / -5ish in the other)
- Am reaching an age (40-cough) where my eyes are starting to 'come back' a bit - so one optician has recommended varifocals (I have no grey hair so these will wait)
- Left Eye Dominant - Right Handed
- Colourblind - some reds, greens and browns give me trouble - specifically in bad light
- Diabetic - so extra care needs to be taken about the care of my eyes, I have regular retinopathy tests
- Astigmatic
Maybe I should just give up and get a white stick
... but those are the facts. I wear pretty expensive glasses to keep the glass thin, and prescription sunglasses on top mean I can spend £300/£400 on each pair of glasses every 18mths to 2yrs.So - to the visit. Ed Lyons had advised me to bring me shotgun as well as any shooting glasses I had and it did feel a bit strange to be sitting in the waiting room with my gun, but my appointment was on time and Ed sat me down and started walking through what was a normal vision check initially. He measured my existing specs, and then we went through a really thorough eye-exam. Nicky has covered most of the key tests in his review, but as someone VERY experienced in eye tests, this was an extra level of thoroughness. Throughout the examination, Ed explained the reasoning behind the tests and gave me some insight into what he was looking for. Beyond standard 'reading the text', he also looked at how my eyes worked independently, as well as together - using prisms and polarised filters to test the muscles that drive the eyes.
Then came the surprising part. Ed wanted to see if contact lenses would work for me - and had taken a chance of ordering up some soft, day wear lenses that approximately matched my prescription. I was pretty hesitant to try lenses, I hate touching eyes and am pretty nervous when anything/body gets near my eyes, but Ed assured me how easy these could be and explained what advantages they could give me for shooting.
In for a penny, in for a pound - I tilted my head back and tried not too blink too much or screw my eyes up as Ed put the lenses in. An eye watering 30 seconds later, I was done - and for the first time in 35 years I could see properly without my glasses. Not perfect, but remember - these were approximate lenses - if I decided this was for me then a more accurate prescription would be provided.
Whilst we waited to see if my eyes were OK with the lenses - Ed took a number of pictures to asses my eye dominance. Asking me to mount and shoot at the camera lens of an iPad was pretty strange, but Ed was able to completely confirm my STRONG left-eye dominance. However, Ed outlined that he could help with this, giving me a number of strategies to help train my eye, he showed me one drill which I can use, as well as using tape or shot spots.
Finally, the conclusion of the visit - and the recommendation for me.
- Prescription shooting glasses are going to be a challenge - the prescription I need will not work with some shooting glasses - which limits me to a smaller selection. Making those glasses light enough will be quite an expensive process, so I would need to think really carefully.
- Contact Lenses would enable me to choose whatever shooting glasses I like - giving me an element of flexibility. I'd need to get used to putting lenses in and out, but changes in prescription over time would just mean changing lenses
I've selected the contact lenses - and I'm heading back at the end of September to get my first supply and then start looking at the right shooting glasses.
If you have issues with your eyes, or are thinking about prescription shooting glasses - I'd HIGHLY recommend visiting Ed Lyons - the initial assessment is one of the most thorough I've had and the recommendation and advice so far has been excellent.
I'll report back on the next stage after my second visit.
