Quote:
Originally Posted by Willy
I used to know a guy that would only use $600+ fly rods. He seemed to think it made a huge difference in his casting and he simply couldn't fish with the $100 "crap" rods from Cabelas. Then a guy at the fly shop challenged him to cast an expensive rod and a cabela's rod (with tape over the labels) and tell them wich was which and he couldn't do it.
The point is, some people don't feel good about their stuff unless they spend as much as they can afford on it, and people saying things like "better optics" always makes me raise an eyebrow. What does that mean?
IMO with a pair of oakleys you're mostly paying for marketing that they have done to get the perception of "cool". Stuff like UV protection, polarized lenses, etc can easily be found in much cheaper glasses, but you don't get that big elongated "o" on the side that lets everyone know you spent a lot of money on your glasses.
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I personally like Ray Bans and my optomestrist approves of the ones I use. That's probably the best test: ask your eyecare providor. They will tell you if your lenses are up to the job and share the downsides as well.
Better optics means your eyes are treated better. That includes the bad light spectrums that are filtered out and how hard your eyes have to work to overcome the distortions of lens you are looking through. When it comes to eyes the money is worth it. Simply stated, Optical Quality means the lens is free from distortion. Lines reflected in the lens will follow in straight lines the even contours of the lens, versus wavy, eye-straining distortions found in non-optical lenses.
Price is not always an indication of quality, but, in general, good optics do cost more. And it's definitely worth it, if seeing clearly and comfortably is important to you! Some specialty lenses, like polarized and photochromics add some additional cost. The quality of the frame is also an issue. Better quality frames hold the adjustment and fit better and last much longer than lower quality materials. Sometimes, you do get what you pay for, but in some cases, you're just paying for a brand name or this season's latest fad. It is important to consider the comfort and health of your eyes when considering the purchase of sunglasses.