Glasses other than oakley?

[kronin323]

It may be a small thing, but it made me excited to get the contents.

TWSS

 

[NiGHTSx2]

And did she ever!

 

[Rcga32]

After being Oakley exclusive for the past decade, I've finally decided to branch out, because 1) there aren't many new Oakley models coming out that I like and 2) I don't like Luxxotica. After watching the Olympics, I noticed a lot of Rudy Project frames in the cross country skiing events, and was curious enough to buy a pair. I ordered some (aka all) of the Oakley Harmony Fade collection, and also Rudy Project Fotonyk and Noyz.

First impression: damn, that new Oakley construction paper packaging is garbage. I expected something special for the Harmony Fade collection, especially considering the $30 premium. In contrast, the Rudy's came in a nice thick box with color printing. It may be a small thing, but it made me excited to get to the contents.

O-Matter in the past few years has started feeling really cheap. I know part of that is weight reduction in the frame...but they don't feel anything like classic Oakley frames. The Rudy frame feels solid and heavy, however, they weigh around one ounce. They are also really flexible in comparison to the more rigid Oakley frames. I like the idea of Rudy's adjustable nosepads, but it's sort of annoying in practice, since you have to take the frames on off a ton of times to dial in the correct fit. Oakley nosepads may be one-size-fits-all, but they seem to work for most people. I think the Rudy airflow vent on the nosebridge and the cutout eastems are pretty ugly as well, but they do serve a purpose. As for styling, I think Oakley wins. I would take a Flak or Half Jacket over the Noyz any day, but I think the Fotonyk looks amazing. The Rudy designs are more Euro looking, and some of the offerings in their catalog are pretty horrid. But I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The Rudy microbag feels like the Oakley bags from the 90's - nice and thick. The Rudy plastic case looks cool, but feels a bit thin and has a plastic hinge; so I don't know how well it will hold up to repeated openings, so I would say that the Oakley zippered case is superior. Too bad not all Oakley frames come with one (every pair of Rudys does).

As for the lenses - I can't discern much difference between the brands, in terms of clarity. I think the Prizm lens tints are a bit nicer to look through, but not by much. In comparison to standard Iridium, Mutilaser Orange is similar to Fruby, but without the "looking through swamp water" effect that Fire Iridium has. Multilaser Blue craps all over Ice Iridium, from both the interior and exterior views. I also noticed that the Rudy lenses are a bit thicker than Oakley.

Just wanted to share some of my impressions from the world outside of Oakley.

My cycling team got discounts from Rudy back in 2009-2011. I had a few of their glasses, and also helmets.
The glasses I had were the Rydon, Genetyk and Noyz.

Rydon and Noyz are split lense so similar to Flaks and Half Jackets while Genetyks were shield like (think Radar and Radarlocks).

Rydon to me were a bit on the fragile side and felt more like eyeglasses than sport sunglasses. Didn't use them much. I LOVED the Genetyks... When they didn't break. The nosepiece was riveted to the shield lens itself which tended to cause stress cracks and eventually you would have to replace the lens.
The Noyz were fantastic as well. Felt reasonably sturdy and comfortable.

Looking through the lenses I had no issues. Excellent clarity.

Rudys overall were pretty good and if you got them with a discount (not hard to do) then even better.

 

[Chris A Hardaway]

I prefer my glasses made in the USA (not assembled in the USA) or Italy (rudy project) whenever possible. Thank you Luxottica for making more and more in China and Hong Kong. Pffft.

 

[Ventruck]

A bit more than a week with the Fotonyk..

Definitely my favorite Rudy experience, albeit said experience is limited to the Hypermask Performance (manufactured ~2011-present) and Freeon (2006-2009?). The Hypermask ran way too loose for me. Like think Zero EV but without the hammer stems. Those were meant to slip under a TT helmet. The Freeon had Rudy's trademark alloy stems, and that just hurt over the ears imo. The lens swapping system was also pretty crude in my experience. By design the nosebridge area was prone to getting stress cracks.

The Fotonyk falls more in line with the Oakley's I've been wearing; main element being different is the adjustable nosepiece. In theory, yes it's should yield a better fit, but I don't like it. It doesn't feel solid, and I say that as I like to press my sunglasses against my face before I go about. Like @Rgca32 said, Rudy Project eyewear can feel like eyeglasses more-so than sport sunglasses.

Stems are pretty straightforward. No cams (I don't think Rudy ever does this) The cut-outs are merely a weight reduction measure. However, the profiles are slimmed strategically for helmet straps. The Fotonyk does without earsocks and achieves backside hold with a narrower opening and longer stems. For a daily versatile pair, I really like this. It doesn't pinch either.

The selling gimmick of this design is the options it offers. Un-vented and vented, in both full and half frame options. I go full frame vented because it just works out better in everyday handling, and there is that slight increase in vertical viewing range. I never saw a need to switch to a different setup, but at least if that time came, I may save myself from needing a different pair of glasses altogether. While the Flak 2.0 was intended more for ball sports, the Fotonyk has the edge for cycling. Coverage surpasses the regular 2.0 cut, and maybe matches the XL. The peripheral range is better regardless. Advantage is also there vs. the Jawbone.

(Vented on the left, non-vented on right)

Optics....it's really hard to argue who does it better anymore. More and more brands have access to advanced manufacturing methods so they can taper profiles and apply coatings more properly. Rudy has long touted to have been on top of this for a while. I've tried Rudy's regular mirror coating lenses. Multilaser Blue and Black. Those didn't have the same pop in color like Oakley's Ice and Black Iridium. Rudy's Racing Red was decent, but showing age vs. Prizm Road when it comes to contrast performance. Said Racing Red was an Impact X example, which photochromic properties.

(yes, it's dirty)

We're now at Impact X-2 on this Fotonyk. Said to be stronger and have quicker tint transitions.I don't have many comparisons to work with, but yeah, it's fast. 9% to 74% LT. It generally has worked hassle-free. While I like mirror/Iridium finishes, I feel like Rudy's trademark is dat dentist/IT geek look with clear lenses. I wear these at the computer and the design isn't so overly aggressive for the environment.

Also marketed with Impact X-2 is "HDR" clarity. In my experience, there is indeed some tuning of shadows to help with contrast even at the lightest setting. Nothing mind-blowing, but it is there. I actually never tried Oakley's clear/black transition lenses, so I can't speak on an apples-to-apples comparison. .

Overall I can say the Fotonyk is pretty good. While I wish the nosepiece was beefier, it hasn't given me problems. The execution in not needing earsocks is a major plus.

Only thing to rag on is value. Rudy Project items tend to hit discount frequently, especially in-store. You're less likely to see the Fotonyk resurge as a retro/vintage premium in resale. Rudy Project cycles through a lot of designs and I'm not sure if there are true gems in their history. So while there can no doubt be good designs, you're likely buying something that's going to be a giveaway once you're done with it.

 

[htrap2294]

Picked up these...BNIB.

 

[flyer]

Picked up these...BNIB.

View attachment 447075

Sweet!
I just picked up my first Persol.
Yup, a wire.

 

[htrap2294]

Sweet!
I just picked up my first Persol.
Yup, a wire.
View attachment 461793

Nice! I love Persol, the quality is there just like Oakley.

 

[Chris A Hardaway]

Not surprised at all @flyer although I've never seen those style. I always see the "Bond" style more. Or Steve McQueen!

 

[flyer]

... I've never seen those style.

I believe it's a Mod. Pc354 Trend(?) circa 80's...

We Oakley Folk are fortunate to have vast research information available through our Forums ( ).
I've found trying to research Persol models is quite challenging, by comparison.