Many of you know me primarily as a frame expert, but in my heart I am also a Lens Technology geek as well, and the recent announcement of Transitions Optical’s Vantage lens is a huge accomplishment in the world of photochromic (color-changing) lenses. The Transitions Vantage lenses present a new, unique proposition—offering both variable tint and variable polarization! With variable polarization the lenses not only adapt to changing light by darkening, but also by increasing in polarization. This means that the lenses will have a variable level of polarization efficiency depending on the amount of UV exposure—the darker the lens, the more polarization efficiency there is!
The ability to have a clear lens indoors that changes to a polarized sunglass outdoors is game-changing. Up until now polarization has always been accomplished using a colored film sandwiched between two clear lenses. There were options for darker or lighter variations on this lens, but the lens was always a constant color, with darker lenses offering more glare reduction.
This new development will mean that the molecules not only change color, but self-align to eliminate more blinding glare the darker they get. Lenses that both darken AND polarize upon UV exposure will deliver noticeably crisper, sharper vision, even in the brightest outdoor glare.
Transitions Optical has planned a major announcement about the release of this lens on March 1—click http://www.transitionsvantage.com/ for a link to the announcement, and a video describing this exciting new lens.
We at Eye Elegance think that this is a lens that EVERYONE will want to have—we are certainly looking forward to trying it ourselves. As soon as it is available to order, I will let all of you know.
Tim