Dark Bronze Vs Bronze Polarized Vs Ruby Iridium

[topspin70]

I'm looking for a new set of lens for my frogs. Anyone compared any of the above lenses before? I spend a lot of time in the sun and near water so priority goes to cutting out glare. Any feedback is welcome.

 

[Frogskins]

For water, i would def go with Black Iridium Polarized ...

 

[one2gofst]

Of the two you listed, I would go with the polarized for water use. I am a big fan of the dark bronze lenses, for the tint and contrast. The bronze polarized will allow a bit more light transmission, but will reduce more glare due to the polarization, which, on water, would be beneficial.

All that said, if you don't need contrast lenses I agree with BIP. For contrast, if available in your frame, might check out OO BIP.

 

[topspin70]

My preference for contrast came from having owned both bronze polarized and grey polarized. Somehow things look more detailed through the bronze. I'll give OO BIP a try. Seems like it's got quite a few fans here.

 

[topspin70]

Out of curiosity am I correct to say polarized lenses are designed to be worn near water? Is there any visual difference between polarized and, say iridium, when looking at everyday things on a bright day?

 

[one2gofst]

Polarizing cuts down on vertical wavelengths of light, which is what you get off water and other reflective surfaces, to what extent depends on the angle between you, the reflective surface and the light source. So on a bright day on the water, polarizing makes a huge difference. Driving is variable and in a wide open grassy field, you'll notice very little, if any, difference.

To the op, the difference you notice Los likely due to the fact that bronze lens types are contrast lenses, while gray based lenses are neutral.

 

[topspin70]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. So now I know the science behind it. No wonder I see great when driving on a rainy day. I look right through the rain splatter on my windshield. While without my polarized frogs, the droplets are a real distraction.

 

[kronin323]

Polarization can be oriented to block light from any specific angle; the polarization in polar Oaks is oriented to block light reflected up at you i.e. from the ground / surface below you.

A neat effect sometimes is looking (through polar lenses) at a car or something with a curved surface (like looking at my truck head-on) with the light reflecting off it at the proper angle. You see the flat surfaces (center of hood & windshield) with no glare (blocked by polar) while the curved outside edges have glare. And if you tilt your head back and forth, you see the blocked zone move back and forth.

Another trick is to hold your polar Oaks up to a LCD screen, then rotate them around. LCD displays are polarized, too, and when you rotate your Oaks to line them up so the blocking is matched to the light coming from the screen, the screen blacks out. That's also a simple test to see if your lenses are polarized.

As far as recommending lenses goes, there are two lenses specific for water. Shallow Blue is a contrast tint and Deep Blue is a neutral tint. They're both polarized. The main difference between these and other polarized lenses is the iridium tint is designed to cancel out the blue of the water, letting you see underneath the surface. I have no idea if they are available (or can be custom cut) for frogs.

 

[one2gofst]

Very true. Polarization can be in any orientation. I was simplifying for sunglasses, as that's what we're discussing here. Indeed there are water specific lenses, but any polarized is going to be better on water than non polarized.

As another aside, don't wear polarized shades when wearing a full face motorcycle helmets for the reasons ronin stated. A lot of guys don't like them for skiing/snowboarding either, as they can make it harder to spot ice, as there is no classic glare signature.

 

[topspin70]

Polarization can be oriented to block light from any specific angle; the polarization in polar Oaks is oriented to block light reflected up at you i.e. from the ground / surface below you.

A neat effect sometimes is looking (through polar lenses) at a car or something with a curved surface (like looking at my truck head-on) with the light reflecting off it at the proper angle. You see the flat surfaces (center of hood & windshield) with no glare (blocked by polar) while the curved outside edges have glare. And if you tilt your head back and forth, you see the blocked zone move back and forth.

Another trick is to hold your polar Oaks up to a LCD screen, then rotate them around. LCD displays are polarized, too, and when you rotate your Oaks to line them up so the blocking is matched to the light coming from the screen, the screen blacks out. That's also a simple test to see if your lenses are polarized.

As far as recommending lenses goes, there are two lenses specific for water. Shallow Blue is a contrast tint and Deep Blue is a neutral tint. They're both polarized. The main difference between these and other polarized lenses is the iridium tint is designed to cancel out the blue of the water, letting you see underneath the surface. I have no idea if they are available (or can be custom cut) for frogs.

Amazing information. I know about the the angle test for polarized lens but never knew Oakley's cut away bottom up glare. But does make perfect sense now that you mention it. Tint options are indeed limited for frogs. Don't see shallow blue (I prefer contrast) anywhere. Pity.