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Oakley SI Split Jacket - VR28/POL Question?

keptman

Oakley Expert
292
683
Noneyah
I on the fence on this lense. My lens tint sheet say it is a 16% lens. What I'm wanting to know is how is the lens compared to other VR28 units. I have a VR28 black Iridium, VR28 Black IP, and have seen through an older VR28 lens.
So is this lens about the same as a plain VR28 just a little darker. I just want some input before I jump on a frame with a lens I won't like.
 
If you like VR28 lenses you shouldn't be disappointed. Handles differently than VR28BI, in that the contrast feels more like a standard VR28 lens, but it's polarized instead of iridium. So it doesn't feel quite as dark at other 15-16% lenses that are iridium, especially since it doesn't kill glare from a lot of different surfaces that iridium would help with, but it's polarized so it will still knock out road or water glare.

Edit: I would say it looks more like Blue Iridium (current gen with VR28 base, obviously) to look through, over VR28BI.
 
So is this one that you would say use, when it's cloudy - slightly overcast. Would it be a good one for being in the woods hunting or just shooting.
Do you mean straight Blue iridium or Vr28 Blue IRD.
 
What is currently marketed as Blue Iridium. Which is a VR28 lens, for all intents, with an HI blue iridium coating.

Cloudy and overcast, and/or in the woods? I'd think it would work better than an iridium of similar transmission for clouds, but I'd opt for a straight up VR28 in either instance. Sunny in the woods is a tough call. In my mind you want as little lens (as bright of a lens) as possible for a given condition. If a 28-30% lens works without squinting anything darker is going to start hindering you when shadows start to play, which either instance will.

VR28 is a superb lens, and once you adjust to it there's no reason you can't wear it on a bright, sunny day. Hey, it's better than nothing. People poo-poo plain ol' grey, but I'll tell you having grey or having nothing? I'll still take grey.

I'm reminded of having a pair of VR28 Half Jackets out on the ice for an outdoor pond hockey tournament 2 years ago. I misread the weather and picked them over all my dark tints. Nothing but ice and snow and sun. They were rough going for a short time, but after adjusting they rocked. Luckily glare wasn't a big deal, so I didn't have a lot of need for polarization, but having a lighter tint on was an enjoyable time.

Forgive me as I begin to rant. I'm as guilty as anyone else of loading my collection with BIP, VR28BIP, Tungsten Polar, Ice, BI, and nothing much lighter than +Red. But there are a whole bevvy of lenses to be enjoyed. In my mind there are some that are just wretched and never need to be used, or are so niche I can't blame people for not investing in them, but in my mind a collection should have polarized and non-polarized up through 30% transmission.




err... yeah, VR28 polarized is a good lens. I might be thinking into it a little too deep.
 
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