I tried the progressive the last time I got new glasses. They drove me nuts. I actually got seasick wearing them, and I did give my eyes time to adjust. I went back to bi-focals. My day job, when I was working was hell on the frames so I got titaniam frames. They were expensive but I can almost tie them in knots without breaking or deforming them. They have been thru several lens upgrades and still are great.
If I used the view finder, I found it easier to just re-adjust the focus and didn't use the glasses. With the lcd, I had to use glasses.

Lynn

I periodically do studio camera work in addition to field shooting.
After my first sore neck from tipping my head too far back to see it, I had a pair specially made for that distance.
It does mean that when I look away, things are a bit fuzzy but, as a cameraman, my eyes are supposed to be on the viewfinder anyway :-)

Mike

I now wear the progressives and it did take a while to get over the seasickness. Other thing of course is they're not right for getting up close to the LCD screen and judging focus. Advice my optometrist gave me was to simply buy a pair of the cheap off the rack glasses.

One other thing I really need to get is something to hold my spectacles securely onto my head. Too many times I find myself having to fish them out of kit bags etc.

Bob.

There are at least six shapes available for the near portion of progressive lenses, this to deal with the "seasickness" problem some people experience with some lens near field shapes.

I got the "volcano" shape, which is characterized by the near file part being wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. Works great for me, others may differ.

Zeiss Tital lenses have amazing optical quality, and the AR-coating is impervious to even years of daily drying with regular Scott non-velvet toilet paper. Their refractive index of 1.7 means thin lenses that weigh little (if you're wearing Coke-bottle bottoms, they even have refractive index 1.9 Lantal lenses). A bit pricey but you appreciate this quality every single day.

They are also just about indestructible, my optometrist said it could take at least a .22 without flinching (although I might :O).

Be sure to get double-jointed frames (where the temple arm hinge can flex both in and out, with spring tension of course). These are much stronger than the old kind with simple hinges.

One other thing I really need to get is something to hold my spectacles securely onto my head.

Bob, I've got a strap/testrainer (for lack of a better word) that I use when I go windsurfing or white water rafting.
It looks like an oversize shoe lace.
Each side slides onto the arms of my glasses and hugs them tight due to the elastic in the tips.
There's a hollow plastic sleeve at the back that slides against my head to hold my glasses on snug.
I know this is a really poor description of it but they should be available at most sporting goods stores.
I think my last one cost me less than $10 Cdn.

Mike

Thanks guys, some good advice and tips.
Time for another eye test so I'll look into all the suggestions, thankfully my eyesight isn't too bad and my hearing is still excellent.

Bob.

well bob, i'm the opposite, sad to say. hearing f'd, eyesight shot.... and i've just got a bill for $650 for new progressive, scratch resistant (HA! there's an oxymoron), lenses.

however, i bought my frames through 'framesdirect.com' in the states, good range, and compared to the prices here.....

i now have, regular progressive for every day, fixed for pc, and am looking at bifocals for the camera.

but i doubt any of them will make my out of focus shots sharper though.....

"but i doubt any of them will make my out of focus shots sharper though..... "

Be thankfull you don't own an EX1!

Bob.

Due to lose or damage always take a second backup pair.

Grazie

Is this what I have to look forward to? Progressives...
I am pretty sad that after 34 years of having great vision, I had to invest in a pair of glasses. Mind you they are very mild but glasses non the less.
I found a big difference when I went to the LCD screens, my eyes just got too strained. It's only a stigmatism but I'm not liking having to wear glasses.
I hope it doesn't "progress" to progressive...

I found that cheap over-the-counter reading glasses work well for me in situations where I don't want to damage a good pair. I also found that setting the corrective eye-piece in the view finder allows me to work without glasses (except when I have to interact with the LCD screen for adjustments/settings).

Peter

The seasickness thing with the progressives is driving me a bit mad. I think I still like slightly underpowered readers for working on the computer. My frameless glasses already feel a little loose at one of the joints on the lens. I went back to have them try to tighten it but it didn't really help. They're under warranty for a year and I bought two pairs, so I guess I'll just have it fixed when it actually breaks all the way. I'm seriously wondering if I should have just got bifocals.

The other thing that absolutely amazes me is how much these things cost. I spent $600 for two pairs, and that was after shopping around. Yeah I know that they're custom made but wow is that expensive!

For computer work, I bought cheap reading glasses from Sams Club. They are 1.25 magnification and Sams used to sell a 3 pack for 19.99.
My problem with the progressive lenses, I think, is the the bi-focal part was ground across the bottom to the edges and partly up the outside edge. Moving my head caused everything on either side to seem to float back and forth. When driving, cars at a distance were clear, but as they got to a few hundred feet, they were a big blur. Part of the problem, which they were supposed to compensate for, is my peripheral vision being extremely good - over 180 degrees.

Lynn