Best Lenses For Cloudy/night Baseball Games

[CarGuy]

Remember night games are typically well-lit but depends on the level of play.
Rec parks lighting is one thing, minor league / college lighting is another.

 

[Swing-man24]

The lighting is highschool lights

 

[CarGuy]

What frame?
Radar? RadarLock? M?
Frame kinda dictates availability.

 

[Swing-man24]

I have radars but I'm looking into m frame and possibly flak jacket

 

[Rustpot]

You're using a white ball, correct?

What's the main reason you feel you need a pair at night or during cloudy days? Are you looking to cut the glare of the lights, increase contrast, maintain safety eyewear, etc?

 

[Swing-man24]

Yes a white ball and to mainly try and see it better on cloudy days and sometimes to cut down glare from the lights

 

[Rustpot]

try and see it better on cloudy days

Contrast lenses will be your best option. Transmission choice would be the biggest sticking point.

G30 Iridium (30%) - This has been mentioned a few times, I would tend away from it. The tint was designed as a golf lens. And while gold and baseball might be very similar in the colors involved, the end result you're looking for from the lens differs. G30 is meant to increase the contrast of the greens, to better read the course. I'm not saying you shouldn't use it, it just wouldn't be my first choice.

HI Yellow (86%) - This lens would be good for a darker game, but when you get too dark I assume the lights would come on. Some people don't like the heavy coloring of the lens, and it feels strange when you take them off after using them for a while. They are iridium coated, which cuts down on glare.

Persimmon (61%) - A nice orange lens, highlights everything equally however. It is a contrast lens, but I feel it doesn't add much to the perception.

VR28 (28%) - This is my personal favorite contrast lens, but it's targeted more toward highlighting warm colors (red, orange, yellow). If you used a yellow or orange ball I'd recommend this hands down, but with a white ball you're not going to see much benefit. It does the best job, in my mind, of creating the most color contrast however. The dirt track and infield will stand out better against the green grass.

VR50 (50%) - Same as VR28, but a lighter transmission and less contrast effect.

cut down glare from the lights

Iridium coatings are about all you can do to help with the lights. Some people get ghosting when they use a very light lens such as yellow or persimmon, and iridium helps remove that.

 

[kronin323]

Contrast lenses will be your best option. Transmission choice would be the biggest sticking point.

G30 Iridium (30%) - This has been mentioned a few times, I would tend away from it. The tint was designed as a golf lens. And while gold and baseball might be very similar in the colors involved, the end result you're looking for from the lens differs. G30 is meant to increase the contrast of the greens, to better read the course. I'm not saying you shouldn't use it, it just wouldn't be my first choice.

HI Yellow (86%) - This lens would be good for a darker game, but when you get too dark I assume the lights would come on. Some people don't like the heavy coloring of the lens, and it feels strange when you take them off after using them for a while. They are iridium coated, which cuts down on glare.

Persimmon (61%) - A nice orange lens, highlights everything equally however. It is a contrast lens, but I feel it doesn't add much to the perception.

VR28 (28%) - This is my personal favorite contrast lens, but it's targeted more toward highlighting warm colors (red, orange, yellow). If you used a yellow or orange ball I'd recommend this hands down, but with a white ball you're not going to see much benefit. It does the best job, in my mind, of creating the most color contrast however. The dirt track and infield will stand out better against the green grass.

VR50 (50%) - Same as VR28, but a lighter transmission and less contrast effect.



Iridium coatings are about all you can do to help with the lights. Some people get ghosting when they use a very light lens such as yellow or persimmon, and iridium helps remove that.

Rustpot's the man, he knows his stuff and says it great.

I haven't tried tracking a baseball with them but otherwise I've been pleased with VR50 in comparable conditions.

 

[Rev]

If you get a couple of lenses you'll get much better results. My baseball kit consists of 4 lenses, which covers me for any condition. I've got fire polarised for full sun, g40 transitions for cloudy days or just when the sun is coming and going, hi intensity persimmon for particularly dark days (our field doesn't have lights, and they come in handy when games/practice goes late on days that are overcast to begin with), then hi intensity yellow for when we do play under lights. I've tried clear photochromic lenses in low light but since they transition to grey they don't help with contrast when you need it most.

I've never tried vr50 transitions for baseball, but they might be a good compromise (I've only got them in for Jaws/RJ's and the frame doesn't work for baseball). Like others have suggested, vr28's are well suited to baseball, but I always found they were never quite dark enough for particularly bright sunny days, and just a little too dark late in the afternoon on an overcast day

 

[Supero100]

@Rustpot as a side question - what optical benefit do the clear lenses give? Like the Clear / Ruby for example?