WANTED: The perfect perfect all-conditions polarized sunglasses for driving (incl. cloudy weather)

[GRFMotorsports]

I'm old school.... VR28BI and add the polarized if you want it. Best all around lens.

 

[Tom.]

I really think this is something that you need to go and try in-store.
While everyone's opinions are great and it's one thing to read things on paper, everyone's eyes react differently to lenses.
For sunny days, I would avoid any bronze based lenses, so scratch out Prizm Tungsten or Prizm Shallow Water Polarized, it may be too overwhelming in boosting the contrast.
I would second the Prizm Daily or even Prizm Deep Water Polarized. Reason being is the rose-based lens would be good for both sunny and lower light conditions, as well as them being polarized.

agree... although i think Prizm Deep Water Polarized is too dark for driving on a cloudy day.

To OP, there is a reason why Oakley have 20 different lenses.
You can't get one that fits all conditions...... well, photochromatic comes close , but it's not polarized

 

[Monkey]

agree... although i think Prizm Deep Water Polarized is too dark for driving on a cloudy day.

To OP, there is a reason why Oakley have 20 different lenses.
You can't get one that fits all conditions...... well, photochromatic comes close , but it's not polar

Yeah, I figure that the rose based lens of the Deep Water Polarized may help a little with slightly boosting color as opposed to the gray based on the Prizm Sapphire and the Prizm Jade.
Will it make a difference between 12% and 13% on the Sapphire to the Jade? It may or it may not...
That's why I always say to go to check because everyone's eyes react differently.
But you are 100% correct in saying that you cannot get one lens to fit all conditions, there has to be come trade-offs.

 

[Tom.]

Yeah, I figure that the rose based lens of the Deep Water Polarized may help a little with slightly boosting color as opposed to the gray based on the Prizm Sapphire and the Prizm Jade.
Will it make a difference between 12% and 13% on the Sapphire to the Jade? It may or it may not...
That's why I always say to go to check because everyone's eyes react differently.
But you are 100% correct in saying that you cannot get one lens to fit all conditions, there has to be come trade-offs.

Exactly........ Oakley probably could make a polarized photochromatic lens that even works behind windows, but why the hell would they?
........ they don't want to go out of business.

Selling a lens for every setting is profitable
And besides, what the hell should we collect, if Oakley only made one lens, stamps?


Speaking of "works behind windows"
Rudy Project photochromatic lenses actually do that!

Another bonus to the new material is that it’s sensitive to light outside of the UV spectrum, letting it partially darken even behind windows

Rudy Project gets clearer and darker and does it faster with new ImpactX-2 lenses

 

[Oakley_enthusiast80]

Thank you very much for the good discussion.
I am absolutely aware of that the perfect lens for all conditions between cloudy to extremely bright does not exist.
Important to me is, that the lens increases safety, by tackling the most „dangerous“ situations. To me, these are in particular extremly reflecting roads (sunshine after rain), and also wet/foggy situations in combination with some sun. In both situations the polarized is helping a lot.
And in extremly bright light, even the brightest lens still improves the situation, because it cuts at least some light.
Prizm Road polarized would be the absolute perfect driving lens to me, with a VLT fo 25%.

Until today, „OO Red Iridium Polarized“ is doing the job for me. VLT is OK for me - However, I don‘t know the exakt VLT. Do you know?
What I do not like about the OO Red Iridium Polarized is the color base. It does not really increase the contrasts. If I switch to the pink based Prizm Roads, colors and contrast really pop, and I can see the structure of the road way better. OO Red Pol unfortunately does not have this high contrast.

 

[Lopaka KaMars]

Mars

 

[Tom.]

Mars

A planet that do wonders for your vision

-

 

[MicahS]

Thank you very much for the good discussion.
I am absolutely aware of that the perfect lens for all conditions between cloudy to extremely bright does not exist.
Important to me is, that the lens increases safety, by tackling the most „dangerous“ situations. To me, these are in particular extremly reflecting roads (sunshine after rain), and also wet/foggy situations in combination with some sun. In both situations the polarized is helping a lot.
And in extremly bright light, even the brightest lens still improves the situation, because it cuts at least some light.
Prizm Road polarized would be the absolute perfect driving lens to me, with a VLT fo 25%.

Until today, „OO Red Iridium Polarized“ is doing the job for me. VLT is OK for me - However, I don‘t know the exakt VLT. Do you know?
What I do not like about the OO Red Iridium Polarized is the color base. It does not really increase the contrasts. If I switch to the pink based Prizm Roads, colors and contrast really pop, and I can see the structure of the road way better. OO Red Pol unfortunately does not have this high contrast.

OO Red Iridium Polarized is a 18% VLT lens with a G40 base meant for increasing contrast and medium light levels

 

[Oakley_enthusiast80]

Hi there, I did some color testing with the oakley lens I have at hand.

I took a photo of an 'x-rite Color Checker Passport', with each Oakley lens in front of the camera lens.
Exposure, aperture, ISO, whitebalance fixed. I shot in RAW, so that I was able to adjust whitebalance and brightness in PS Lightroom afterwards.

order of the lens:
1. without
2. clear
3. PRIZM Trail Torch
4. OO Red Iridium Polarized
5. PRIZM Road
6. PRIZM Ruby Iridium Polarized
7. PRIZM Tungsten Polarized
8. Tungsten Iridium Polarized
9. PRIZM Snow Saphire Polarized
10. PRIZM Deep Water Polarized
11. VR28
12. VR28 Polarized

First, I took the black and white chart, to compare lens colors and VLT.
1. picture: White balance fixed, brightness fixed
2. picture: White balance adjusted, brightness fixed

 

[Oakley_enthusiast80]

Then I took the color chart.

Picture 3: White balance fixed, brightness fixed
Picture 4: White balance fixed, brightness adjusted

What you can clearly see here: There is no lens which is separating the colors as good as PRIZM Road.
PRIZM Ruby and PRIZM Tungsten have a hard time especially in separating the blue tones. Hence I assume it is not ideal for road environment.