Cataract lens question

[itchyTF]

I searched quite a bit and saw quite a few responses but couldn't find what I'm looking for.
Looks like I'm up for surgery for my shooting eye. Been told that most people go for the long distance lens. How does that affect being able to focus on the reticule? If you have to wear glasses for that, then that would mess up long distance. ????

 

[nmkid]

I went for the long distance with my lens on my shootin eye. BIG, BIG, BIG mistake. I feel I can never really crisp up the crosshairs no matter what I do. Also, the adjustment on the eyepiece is at its end for adjustment on all my scopes. Wish I had gone with close for shootin eye and long distance with the other

 

[drover]

I went for the long range vision and am completely happy with it, I can see the reticle as clear as a bell. I suspect that there are other eye factors at work besides just the lens replacement though. I have been blessed with 20/20 vision all of my life though.

If you go for the long range lens then you will only have to wear glasses for reading and close work, if you go for the close vision lens then you will have to wear contacts or glasses all of the time in order to see distance objects.

I spent quite a bit of time visiting with my doctor about which way to go and his advice was that folks who are used to wearing glasses can go either way with no problem, for folks like myself who have never had to wear glasses that the long range was probably the better option since I could get by with only the occasional use of ready glasses. I can't remember exactly what they are called but there is a "multi-focus" lens which is supposed to let you see both far and near but he said no one was really happy with them because like most things made to be a compromise they were not very good at either one.

I also asked about going the far for one eye and near for the other and said some individuals have an issue adapting to that, I have a friend who did the far/near thing and after about a year had one of them replaced because she never could adapt to the difference.

I would say a good long visit with your doctor about the pro's and con's is in order.

drover

 

[Fred Bohl]

The long distance interocular lens is the correct choice for use with telescopic sights. The only problem with focus on the reticle is the interocular implant lens is fixed focus and does not accommodate for focus as the natural lens did. Thus, setting your eye at the correct eye relief distance will be more critical.

 

[rkittine]

I am almost ready to do this. I will be going with the long range. I have had better than 20/20 vision all my life and did not need reading glasses until 60, but then at about 68 I had some eye muscle fatigue that caused me to not correctly converge and I need some Prism Adjustment in my current glasses. So, when my eyes are back to normal for far distances, I am still going to need lenses to correct for that, though they will not have any magnification. Since I still fly commercially, the FAA will not allow the use of one eye with short reading and one long as it hinders depth perception, so I will still need to have my reading glasses. So probably progressives are still in my future though clear tops and reading bottoms as I hate the lock of the line on normal bifocals.

Bob

 

[dannyjbiggs]

I took long distance lenses for both eyes. My shooting (safety) glasses only have a minor astigmatism correction and a small bi-focal on each lens for near reading. I'm very pleased with them.

I can perfectly see a front post rear aperture combination or telescopic reticules without the shooting glasses, but I'm unwilling to shoot without safety glasses.

Dan

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

I took long distance lenses for both eyes. My shooting (safety) glasses only have a minor astigmatism correction and a small bi-focal on each lens for near reading. I'm very pleased with them.

I can perfectly see a front post rear aperture combination or telescopic reticules without the shooting glasses, but I'm unwilling to shoot without safety glasses.

Dan

 

[Walt Schmidlin]

I was fortunate to have very good vision in both eyes, no glasses. As I got older I went to contacts but NOT for shooting eye. For 15-20 years before cataract surgery I wore 2 contact lenses, a reading lense in the left eye and a slight distance correction lense in the right.
My surgeon offered all 4 options (2 close, 2 distance, 1 of each or multi focus). He was not enthusiastic about the multi focus, said they were more expensive and had mixed results.
I asked his opinion about 2 distance lenses and then using a contact lense in the left eye. He asked how long I had been using the 2 contact lenses, one for reading the other for the slight distance correction. When I told him 15-20 years he said let’s do it.
Results: Left eye came out 20-15, right eye needs +.50 to be 20-20.
I shoot iron and scopes w/o any correction in the right eye, everything is sharp and clear. It upsets me to put +3.00 in my left eye but is needed to see the sight and scope settings as well as a score book.
Not everyone can adapt to the 2 lense approach, I fortunately had no issues from day one.
While I do have reading glasses as well as progressive bifocal glasses I rarely use either.

 

[varget204]

Make SURE you have your Eyes checked,Within a week of surgery,depending on how bad your cataracts are,your vision can change,especially if its 2 to 3 weeks before surgery.

 

[hogpatrol]

I searched quite a bit and saw quite a few responses but couldn't find what I'm looking for.
Looks like I'm up for surgery for my shooting eye. Been told that most people go for the long distance lens. How does that affect being able to focus on the reticule? If you have to wear glasses for that, then that would mess up long distance. ????

The ocular/reticle is adjustable to suit your lens. I have one lens for reading and one for long distance.

 

[FeMan]

I had the lens replacement surgery done at 50 years old due to extremely poor vision. My uncorrected vision was 20/450 (i.e. to the bearded man, "Mom, is that you....?"). Lasik was a no-go because I had a bad case of shingles in my optic nerve and they said Lasik was not an option. I went with distance and am elated with the results: 20/15 left and 20/20 right. The only issues I have is seeing my turrets well enough to dial my dope (I shoot tactical) so I wear progressive readers for shooting. Anyway, that was the best $10k I ever spent!!

 

[itchyTF]

I believe the ophthalmologist said medicare won't cover a different lens in each eye and I don't have the funds to do anything beyond insurance. Not sure I could get used to it anyway. May not be a good comparison but I couldn't stand progressive lenses (eyeglasses).

He said "infinity" starts at about 6 feet, so the distance lens covers a good range. Reading glasses are for close up but what covers the distance between reading distance and 6 feet?

The reticle is physically about 10"-12"? from the eye (don't have one handy so I'm guessing). I've never had to think about this before, so how can you have enough focus adjustment to bring the reticle in focus using a distance lens? Does my question make sense?

 

[hogpatrol]

I believe the ophthalmologist said medicare won't cover a different lens in each eye and I don't have the funds to do anything beyond insurance. Not sure I could get used to it anyway. May not be a good comparison but I couldn't stand progressive lenses (eyeglasses).

He said "infinity" starts at about 6 feet, so the distance lens covers a good range. Reading glasses are for close up but what covers the distance between reading distance and 6 feet?

The reticle is physically about 10"-12"? from the eye (don't have one handy so I'm guessing). I've never had to think about this before, so how can you have enough focus adjustment to bring the reticle in focus using a distance lens? Does my question make sense?

I would go for long distance lenses and use cheapo Walmart cheaters for reading. The diopter on the scope will take care of the reticle.

 

[Comrade Terry]

My experience with a long distance lens in one eye, and a close distance lens in the other is that combination destroys your depth perception.

As usual, your mileage may vary.

 

[hogpatrol]

My experience with a long distance lens in one eye, and a close distance lens in the other is that combination destroys your depth perception.

As usual, your mileage may vary.

That's interesting. I haven't found that with mine. Did you have good vision beforehand or wear glasses?

 

[SBS]

When I had mine done, the surgeon would not use one near and one far unless the patient had been successful in previous years with contacts of that type. However, when I explained about shooting and wishing to see the front sight a little sharper, the surgeon suggested (being RH) that I get the right eye fitted with a lens that moved the focus back a little from infinity (about 4%) and then the left eye fitted for infinity. Apparently it's not either/or -- there's a little wiggle room on focus distance. Mine have worked well for me almost 10 years. Multi focus lenses were available, but the surgeon who specialized in this said she only advised it for vain females who valued looks above all and wanted to avoid wearing glasses at almost any cost. She said those lenses were multi-faceted and increased glare and the halo effect around light, making night driving difficult. There was no talk or discussion of any increased cost.

 

[Trophied]

I've never had a problem with night driving with my lenses and they are the type that focus with your eye muscles by way of 4 little "fish hooks" on each lens. Scope reticles are crystal clear, distance vision is good, and halos are nowhere near what they were with cataracts before the surgery. I do find I have to look up from a computer or magazine occasionally and focus on something in the distance due to my eye muscles not be as strong at 72 as they were at 35 before I even had to have glasses. Downside for me and most everyone? Terribly expensive. I just remembered 20/20 uncorrected (prior to 38 and bifocals) and wanted that back, and I got it. I'm sure newer technology is much better, mine are 10 years old.

 

[Comrade Terry]

That's interesting. I haven't found that with mine. Did you have good vision beforehand or wear glasses?

Glasses.

 

[10at6]

The long distance interocular lens is the correct choice for use with telescopic sights. The only problem with focus on the reticle is the interocular implant lens is fixed focus and does not accommodate for focus as the natural lens did. Thus, setting your eye at the correct eye relief distance will be more critical.

What Fred said. Will add I can see front sight with irons very well. Have had to refocus all my scope way back to see the reticule clearly

 

[itchyTF]

Thanks guys, looks like I'll go with the long lens and keep my fingers crossed. A friend spends most of his time in his home machine shop so he got lenses for that distance. Don't think I want to go that way.