17-03-2012, 09:22 AM
:It's a good point that you make Gary.
I've had vaifocals for years and get on really well with them for most puposes - look ahead for distance, and look down through the lower portion of the lenses for reading. I think think that those who can't get on with varifocals can't get used to glancing down through the lenses, but instead tilt their head to look down at what they're reading, so their eyes are still looking through the distance part of the lenses rather than the lower (reading) part.
Of course, with a desktop computer we're looking right ahead at the screen, more or less at eye level, so we're looking through the upper (distance) part of the lens, which is the wrong focal length for such close-up work. Untill about five years ago I still had a CRT monitor which was a bit 'in your face' about 12" in front of my nose, so I had a pair of 'computer specs' from my optician with that focal length. However, if I got up from the computer I had to put on my normal varifocals or I'd be stumbling around, bumping into furniture! As a consequance, I tended not to wear my 'computer' specs.
For some years now I've had a flat screen monitor pushed right at the back of the desk about 2ft from my eyes, so I manage to get by with my varifocals, given that much of the time sat at the PC is spent looking down at the keyboard as I peck away at it typing. My seating position is such that my eyes are about 12" above the centre of the screen, so I need to glance down slightly, through the reading part of the lenses. Not such an issue with a laptop as I'm looking down at the screen through the lower (reading) part of the lenses anyway.
I usually keep my old specs for working in when I get new ones, but get into the sloppy habit of not wearing the old ones when I'm in the workshop, so inevitably, before long, I end up scratching the new ones with wood dust or whatever, even though I wear safety specs over the normal specs. As my well-intentioned wife says when she nags me for my own good when she catches me misbehaving in this way, 'it's like having a kid in the house' and I guess she's right - she usually is on most things.
I've had vaifocals for years and get on really well with them for most puposes - look ahead for distance, and look down through the lower portion of the lenses for reading. I think think that those who can't get on with varifocals can't get used to glancing down through the lenses, but instead tilt their head to look down at what they're reading, so their eyes are still looking through the distance part of the lenses rather than the lower (reading) part.
Of course, with a desktop computer we're looking right ahead at the screen, more or less at eye level, so we're looking through the upper (distance) part of the lens, which is the wrong focal length for such close-up work. Untill about five years ago I still had a CRT monitor which was a bit 'in your face' about 12" in front of my nose, so I had a pair of 'computer specs' from my optician with that focal length. However, if I got up from the computer I had to put on my normal varifocals or I'd be stumbling around, bumping into furniture! As a consequance, I tended not to wear my 'computer' specs.
For some years now I've had a flat screen monitor pushed right at the back of the desk about 2ft from my eyes, so I manage to get by with my varifocals, given that much of the time sat at the PC is spent looking down at the keyboard as I peck away at it typing. My seating position is such that my eyes are about 12" above the centre of the screen, so I need to glance down slightly, through the reading part of the lenses. Not such an issue with a laptop as I'm looking down at the screen through the lower (reading) part of the lenses anyway.
I usually keep my old specs for working in when I get new ones, but get into the sloppy habit of not wearing the old ones when I'm in the workshop, so inevitably, before long, I end up scratching the new ones with wood dust or whatever, even though I wear safety specs over the normal specs. As my well-intentioned wife says when she nags me for my own good when she catches me misbehaving in this way, 'it's like having a kid in the house' and I guess she's right - she usually is on most things.
Regards, David.
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
BVWS Member.
G-QRP Club Member 1339.
'I'm in my own little world, but I'm happy, and they know me here'
