Subject: Re: birding with contact lenses?
Date: May 08 08:36:09 1996
From: Peter D. Logen - pdl at whidbey.net


Contact lenses and binoculars are VERY compatible, just like using your eyes
alone. Soft lenses are better tolerated than hard for new users. If you
are below the presbyopia age (45-50) you will still be able to read with the
contacts. If your eyes cannot focus close enough for reading while you are
wearing contacts, you will need to get some reading glasses. In that case,
you might as well get some no line bifocals and get resigned to wearing
glasses. Another thought--if your unaided vision is still reasonably
good-say 20/30 or 20/40--and if your problem is truly myopia--your binocular
view should still be perfect, as the focus on the binoculars will correct
for the myopia.

Dan Logen
Stanwood, wa
>Tweets,
>
>I am wondering if any of you have first-hand experience birding with
>contact lenses. I recently acknowledged that I am becoming a tad
>nearsighted and purchased eyeglasses (gulp). With glasses on, distant
>things *are* sharper, and I can ID some quasi-distant birds that I had
>to usethe bins on before. But using bins with eyeglasses is just not
>going to work -- the view just isn't as good (even having good eye
>relief) as having your eyeballs jammed right up next to the oculars.
>
>But what about using contact lenses when out in the field all day (I see
>better for reading, close work without the glasses, so full-time contacts
>are impractical)? Do contacts in any way compromise the view through
>bins? (It is at least conceivable that the optical quality of contacts
>is less than perfect.) I am wondering if I will be better off using my
>naked eyes in the field and squinting at the distant stuff, or using
>contacts and having better distance vision (with the condition that
>any compromise of quality of view in bins is unsatisfactory). If
>contacts do work well, is any particular kind (e.g., hard vs. soft) best
>(or worst) for this application? Insights of anyone having experience
>with this would be a major help (by direct e-mail if you think this is
>not a question of general interest).
>
>David Wright
>Seattle, WA
>dwright at u.washington.edu
>
>
>
>