Anyone using "transition lenses" for their glasses to shoot?


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Priscilia

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I would like to seek an opinion here....

Does any of you wear transition glasses to shoot? The ones where they will change to a darker shade when you are out in the sun.

Was wondering if they impede or make it more difficult for you to take pictures cos everything looks darker. Would like to make a pair for myself but not sure... (I know even when I am out in the sun to shoot, it's quite difficult to look thru the viewfinder wearing sunglasses.)

Thanks!
 

I have transition lenses, and they're great for the eyes! Although the glasses turn darker, the wearer do not actually feel that what he/she sees becomes darker, just that the eyes feel a lot more comfortable and you don't squint at the bright sunlight. It is very unlike sunglasses.

I do not feel that it is more difficult looking through the viewfinder.

Hope the above is helpful to you.
 

Using transitions here. No problems whatsoever, even through the tiny viewfinder of the canon 400D.
 

unless you use your eyes for metering... I dun see any problem with using transition lenses... :)
 

Thanks guys.

But when reviewing your images on the LCD, is it difficult? Unles you use the histogram?

And when you move from a sunny outdoor place with UV to indoors, will it take some time for the glasses to be clear again?
 

Thanks guys.

But when reviewing your images on the LCD, is it difficult? Unles you use the histogram?

And when you move from a sunny outdoor place with UV to indoors, will it take some time for the glasses to be clear again?

Less than 5 minutes to return to clear... :)
 

Thanks guys.

But when reviewing your images on the LCD, is it difficult? Unles you use the histogram?

And when you move from a sunny outdoor place with UV to indoors, will it take some time for the glasses to be clear again?

Reviewing images on the LCD is not a problem. For me, the view through the VF is a little darker than usual but not that bad.

It turns to clear quite fast (1 - 2 min).

Note that it works only when there is UV light. This means that it gets darker in countries which are further from the equator e.g. Japan, OZ land, etc. It also doesn't turn dark in the car as practically all cars have some sort of UV shielding.
 

Are there any types of transition lenses that can turn as dark as sunglasses? I always find the "power" not enough and still use regular sunglasses.
 

I think the darkness corresponds to the amount of UV light hitting on the lens.

Having said that, I know of a friend's transition lenses turned almost totally dark when he was in Australia.

In Singapore? Highly unlikely.

Are there any types of transition lenses that can turn as dark as sunglasses? I always find the "power" not enough and still use regular sunglasses.
 

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I would like to seek an opinion here....

Does any of you wear transition glasses to shoot? The ones where they will change to a darker shade when you are out in the sun.

Was wondering if they impede or make it more difficult for you to take pictures cos everything looks darker. Would like to make a pair for myself but not sure... (I know even when I am out in the sun to shoot, it's quite difficult to look thru the viewfinder wearing sunglasses.)

Thanks!
I am using transitions too, nut overhere no problems with the glasses getting darker and looking through them to the finder........

BUT, when I went to northern India to Ladakh in Dec, and since it was so high the amount of UV is so much higher that it DID impede my viewing of the landscape in such that looking through my transition glasses everything looked very nice darker! But when I looked over the glasses and not through the transition, I realised the light was actually MUCH brighter! Transition glasses turned much darker up high in the mountains than here in the full sunlight in the tropics.

If you use polarisers in the mountain, it may give you false readings ( I didn't use this filter BTW)

HS
 

Depends on UV. Like many others have pointed out, not much issue if you are shooting in Singapore. But if you are overseas (e.g. Australia, USA, etc.), where the UV is much, much stronger, then... it becomes a problem, because you cannot accurately gauge exposure & color.
 

I'm wearing transition lens, in singapore it doesn't really affect me at all due to the lack of strong UV ray.

However, when i was in the mountains in NZ a few mths back, it kinda affect me as the transition lens act as a "polarizer" and what i see is darker/more contrast compare to the real scene. Had to peer over my spec once in a while. The UV rays there are super hiong!
 

I wear Transitions as my regular glasses (never adapted well to contacts so don't wear them) but usually when I'm out in bright sun I shoot behind my black iridum polarized Oakleys. Of course I only use them when the sun is VERY bright so I have no problems seeing the viewfinder.

The only problem with my 5Dmk1 is that when I shoot in portrait orientation, then look at the camera (without turning it back to landscape) the LCD appears completely black. This is due to the polarizers in my sunglasses ;)

I think the 5DMk2 solves this, I did not notice this issue happening with the 5D2.

The Transitions lenses are not polarized and should not experience this issue. Also my Oakleys are MUCH MUCH darker than the Transitions. I have no problem shooting with either glasses.
 

I just bought and collected my Transition glasses today.

Feeling excited, I went out into the sun hoping to see some effect. :)

Guess what, I didnt see any effect, I wanted to go back shop complain.

But before I did that, I took off my glasses and saw that its already black. haha

Means the color changing is not obvious at all, I didn't even realised it had already changed colour.

So after a whole day of photoshoot in the hot sun today, I can safely say it does not affect your photography in any way :D
 

As you rightly pointed out, it is a very subtle effect. It does darken, but your eyes automatically adapt to it. It saves your eyes some fatigue as your eyes are now more relaxed and you don't squint as much when your eyes adapt - that is the whole point. So the world looks more or less 'normal'. It doesn't quite behave the same way as sunglasses nor does it get as dark.. which is the reason why I wear sunglasses when I know I'll be outdoors for an extended period of time anyway - when I WANT it dark ;)

And even then, our sun is so strong that some days I wear sunglasses and it feels like I'm wearing ordinary glasses anyway.....
 

The effect is subtle, but if you pay attention to it you will realise it, its like looking thru a polariser, ie more contrast, sky is slightly bluer, colours slightly richer,
always reminds me of the idom "looking thru rose tinted glasses" hehehe, anyway did not affect my reading of the exposure level using the lcd though.
 

my understanding is for proper and effective protection against uv rays, proper sunglasses like 'big' goggles type frame eg. aviator sunglasses. currently popular, such as small and rectangular frames does not offer protection to the eyes. in this respect, is effectiveness of transition lenses independently vertified?
 

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