Spectacles for Coin Collectors

[Andrew McCabe]

I don't think I ever recall reading a discussion topic about spectacles for coin collectors, but having had an eye test today, I wanted to share some insights whilst I still recall them. The main point is to clearly explain to your optometrist that your daily work involves a lot of close up work such as collectors of small antiques, coins or jewelers do, and to show the physical distance that you hold a coin as illustration. As a result, the optometrist told me that in view of the close work, he would adjust the reading end of my varifocals towards much finer text and closer reading distances - and did some further test at the very tiniest lettering size - at the expense of the 0.5 metre to 1 metre distance where most computer-user or manual work spectacles are optimised. He also asked whether I routinely take off my reading glasses for the very closest view of a coin, or to use a loupe. I confirmed I did indeed do that. He said that that's not ideal as it can strain the eyes to use them without correction. Instead he said I should slide my glasses down my nose as far as necessary to give the sharper focus needed to view a coin in hand or use a loupe, and showed me how this works. This has the equivalent effect  in terms of focal length of looking at a coin very close without glasses, but with the benefit of still correcting for other anomalies such cylindrical effects. Whilst this was advice specifically tailored to my eye correction, my generic advice for those who wear glasses is to explain very clearly to your optometrist that you want them optimised for close work as little as 0.2 metres rather than the 0.5 metre + range that reading glasses or the reading end of varifocals are normally optimised for.

[dougsmit]

Whatever the hobby, it helps a lot if you have an eye doctor that will listen and adjust.  In my case, my doctor said he had several photographers who found the varifocal or continuous hard to use.  Instead, I still use the old fashioned lined trifocals.  The problem I discovered with these is that the available lenses required a specific ration between the close and mid range offset so I could not have what I wanted in super close without losing the correct placement of my computer/midrange correction.  Taking off glasses worked poorly because of my severe astigmatsm in one eye.  My answer was to wear a cheap pair of +3.25 reading glasses over my regular glasses.  I selected a larger than normal pair which rides lower on the nose and works well for what I wanted.  I really value being able to use both eyes close up providing good 3D detail.

My wife had cataract surgery which replaced her nearsighted since childhood lenses with perfectly good - but only for infinity since there is no accommodation in a plastic lens (most had gone away with age anyway).  She misses being able to take off her glasses and see well really close for things like threading needles and reading tiny print on pill bottles.  We now have half a dozen pair of reading glasses all over the house so she will have what she needs for what she does in that room.  We adapt.  If you don't have an eye doctor who listens, change doctors.

[orfew]

I will definitely have a chat with my eye doctor at my next appointment. I had cataract surgery in my 30's and have used no line bifocals ever since.

[SC]

Thanks for the tip Andrew.  Been on my To Do list for months.

Shawn