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For those of you who have yet to encounter this problem: progressive/vari-focus lenses have a narrow field of view at the intermediate distance, so you have to keep moving you head to scan a whole page, which you cannot do when you have a tuba stuck to the front of your head. I have a pair of glasses with progressive-focus lenses, and they are superb for driving and reading, but suck big-time for music and computer work. The "Executive" lens is just the dynamic new-speak marketing name for the Franklin bifocal lens; Benjamin Franklin made the prototype by cutting two lenses in half, and gluing them back together with "distance" correction at the top, and "intermediate" or "near" correction at the bottom. Executive lenses have a straight join right across the full width of the lens, which is ideal for music.

I finally had to replace my "intermediate" glasses (for music and computer work). Having read about "Executive lenses" here on TN, I asked the optometrist at Lenscrafters if they could make me a pair. The answer was yes, they can make executive lenses with scratch-resistant coating, but not with anti-glare coating because that machine can't handle the ridge where the two parts of the lens are joined. If you must have coatings, the best alternative is the 40mm flat top bifocal.

Having described all the options, he suggested I should go for the "Executive" lenses, since that was recommended by the panel of experts on TN. He experimented with the height of the dividing line (by drawing lines on a pair of plain-glass lenses) and confirmed the TN opinion that the line needs to be at the top of the pupil. There is very little demand for these lenses and they have to be custom made, so there is a wait of about ten working days. The lenses are currently (March 2013) priced at $220 CAN, unless you wait for a half-price sale.

I now have the new glasses and have tried them out at several rehearsals and a concert, and they are pretty much ideal for the job - set the stand height so the join in the lenses lies along the top of the page, and you're good to go. The field of view is the full width of the lens, which easily covers a page of music. Same thing with the computer screen - put the join at the top of the screen, and I can read the whole screen without moving my head.

Many, many thanks to the TNFJ for putting me onto this option, and kudos to Lenscrafters for still being able to supply these, even though the demand is so small (only one or two pairs per year at the branch I went to).

AGREED - they are good! Unfortunately, I was told they were not available here anymore so now must keep changing glasses and the conductor is a blur in the distance with the reading specs.

Might have to get blanks ordered from US next time

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After I started this thread, an advert for on-line ordering of eye-glasses started appearing in the right-hand side-bar. They claim to supply prescription glasses (frames plus lenses, complete) from as little as $6.95, which is cheaper than OTC glasses at my local drug store. Only a limited range of mass-produced options, which doesn't include "executive" lenses or wide-field bifocals, but they look good for standard D28 bifocals, prescription progressives, reading glasses, and sunglasses. If I'd known about this option, I could have saved a bundle on my last pair of progressives.

I guess I shouldn't link to their advert, but here's a Google search that will get to them if you are interested:

http://www.google.com/search?q=online+e ... tnG=Search

Ken Herrick wrote:AGREED - they are good! Unfortunately, I was told they were not available here anymore so now must keep changing glasses and the conductor is a blur in the distance with the reading specs.

Might have to get blanks ordered from US next time

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Bummer for you. The optometrist I spoke to mentioned "D40" flat-top bifocals, which have a 40mm-wide reading area instead of the standard 28mm. Not quite the same edge-to-edge clarity, but probably a pretty good second-best that may be worth a try, if you can get the flat-top set high, the way you can with the Executives. May even be better, given that the lens is probably thinner and lighter, and can have an anti-glare coating. Good luck.

For some the alternate, larger "reading" area lenses would work but, didn't work for me.
The mail order cheapies are also out as I need astgmatic corrections as well and my next set will have to allow for cataracts on top of it all.

SERIOUSLY considering the homemade "Franklin" option.

Like Jake told me, "you won't enjoy growing old" !

Shame he never told me how to avoid it!

I have a pair of bifocals for driving, but found that my music stand was just a little farther away than the standard reading distance, and not far enough for the distance setting.

My solution was to get another pair of glasses optimized for a 2-foot distance. They turn out to be not only ideal for the music stand (no line in the middle!) but are also good for my computer screen (about 18" away) and general use about the house. I tend to wear them much more than the bifocals.

Ken Herrick wrote:For some the alternate, larger "reading" area lenses would work but, didn't work for me.
The mail order cheapies are also out as I need astgmatic corrections as well and my next set will have to allow for cataracts on top of it all.

The order-online (not actually mailorder) cheapies have full prescription lenses (you have to supply the prescription details on their on-line order form), including cylindrical correction (cyl) for astigmatism. They might be worth another look for reading glasses, progressives, or monofocal lenses, but the company I looked at only sells bifocals in the D28 style, which apparently don't work too well for music; On the other hand, cheapie monofocal lenses with the correct cyl are still streets ahead of drug-store readers.

My local Lenscrafters in Canada had a set of Executive lenses made for me at their central whatever in Toronto; If there is a Lenscrafter near you, it may be worth talking to them. If they still offer Executive lenses, make certain they order "distance plus intermediate" lenses (NOT "distance plus near") and make absolutely sure they order lenses with the dividing line set high, at the top of the pupil - those requirements are unusual, and it took a little while to get them sorted out. Also consider waiting for a half-price sale - they seem to come along once or twice a year.

Bummer about the cataracts: Scary, eh ? They tell me my prescription is likely to change fairly rapidly due to "second vision", and may change again after I get surgical implants (Intra Ocular Devices - new lens for old). Lenscrafters gave me a deal that because I have been diagnosed with cataracts, I could buy a set of glasses with my current prescription, and as long as I get surgery within six months, then if my prescription is different after the surgery they will give me a set of lenses for my new prescription, free. I think this is their regular deal - Don't know if there is any time limit on how long you can wait after being diagnosed before buying new glasses, I ordered mine the same day (I'm scheduled for surgery in a couple weeks).

By the way, I'm not shilling for Lenscrafters, just giving credit where I think it's due for good service - there may well be other suppliers that offer the same kind of deal, it's worth asking around (for starters, you can ask your optometrist about local deals).

About the Franklin lens: I stumbled onto a website that says the "Executive" lens was actually invented in the fifties, and it immitates the Franklin lens, looks a lot like it, but is actually ground from a single piece of glass, which makes it a whole lot stronger.

Saw an optometrist yesterday in process of trying to get Veteran Affairs to accept the cataracts as a "service related" condition due to all the time spent staring at music next to a shiny tuba in brilliant sun with no UV protectio. ( Same as for the skin cancers). That would make keeping prescription up to date and eventual surgery a paid for thing. Might even be enough to get me over the line for total health care, including optical and dental. Both are hard asks on age pension.

The cataracts are making music reading harder, though at this stage some correction is possible.

Thinking it would be nice to buy aused body that hasn't done the hard miles this one has.

Stryk wrote:A friend swears by this place - I am going to try them soon. Not sure if they carry what you are talking about.

http://www.zennioptical.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

For monofocals (including reading glasses) or progressives, their lenses and frames look pretty much like other on-line suppliers - I guess you need to compare prices, styles, and extras.

The ad doesn't specify what kind of bifocals they supply, so they will probably be flat-top D28 lenses, with a reading area a bit smaller than a man's thumbnail; it is shaped like a capital D lying curved-side downwards at the bottom of the lens, with the straight side at the top, and 28mm long, or about an inch and an eighth. These seem to be pretty much the default standard for bifocals, and are ok for reading normal text close-to, but a lot of people find the reading area a bit small for reading music at arm's length.

The advert doesn't mention Executive lenses - not really surprising, one or two people have mentioned that these are getting harder to find. You can imagine the Executive lens (if you can find a supplier) as a flat-top bifocal with a much bigger D, so the straight line goes right across the lens, and the curved side is outside the frame so the reading area covers the whole area below the line (that's probably not how the lens is actually made, but it gives you a rough idea of what it looks like); the advantage is that you can have the lens cut with the line way up high level with the top of the pupil, so you have to look slightly upwards to see through the distance section. With your stand set so the line is at the top of the page when your head is in the right position for playing, the reading section covers the whole page, and you can see the conductor by just glancing over the top, without moving your head. I find my pair pretty much ideal for music (kudos to the TNFJ for discovering this), and good for computer work and close-to work around the house; not at all good for reading, driving, watching television, or for more distant chores like leaf blowing, lawn mowing etc.(for those I still have a pair of progressives).

I got a pair 4 or 5 years ago. They are wonderful for tuba playing but absolutely essential for trombone. That slide amplifies the head movement something fierce 4 feet out in front of you. I could not play without them now. The distance lense at the top allows me to actually see what the conductor is doing and if he speaks to me I can read his lips. Everything with a price unfortunately.

Ken Herrick wrote: Like Jake told me, "you won't enjoy growing old" !

Shame he never told me how to avoid it!

I suppose you've already discarded the obvious solution.

I've been using the 'exec level' bifocals to read music for about 7 years now. It's the only way to go for this old guy. When not reading music I wear progressive bi-focals — which are great for everything but reading music. The corrective reading channel has gotten wider with recent improvements (I now have 'Varilux Physio Enhanced'), but this channel is still not wide enough to read music without having to move your head left and right to keep the notes in focus (see progressive example at bottom of post).

As Mike noted, there are different types or shapes of bi-focal lenses. Here's an image of the different types of bi-focals offered:



My Dr. wrote the script for the reading portion so I could read at a 3 foot distance — the distance I set my music stand. Then I had the technician raise the height of the line so I could see more music. I just need a small area of distance correction to see the director in focus. Here's a picture of my glasses showing the height of the line:


_______________

When wearing progressive lenses you can't just move your eyes left to right to read the music -- because you'd be looking outside of the corrective reading channel. You have to move your head to keep things in focus. This is hard to do while playing a wind instrument.

Progressive bifocal lenses:

bloke wrote:- Seeing a director/conductor "in focus" is just too confusing...period.

Ha ha, very true. For awhile I wore single-vision reading glasses to see the music and the director was out of focus. I could still see the stick but not the look in his eye when I missed a note.

Rick F wrote:When not reading music I wear progressive bi-focals — which are great for everything but reading music. The corrective reading channel has gotten wider with recent improvements (I now have 'Varilux Physio Enhanced'), but this channel is still not wide enough to read music without having to move your head left and right to keep the notes in focus...

I find the progressives are also inadequate when working on a computer screen - another area where the Executive lens is invaluable.

I guess the D40 (I have also seen mention of a D45) is like the illustrated D35, but with a bigger D

As I was trying to describe (picture, thousand ...) the Executive looks a lot like a flat-top D, where the D is so big it covers the whole of the lower part of the lens (possibly akin to something like a D70 or D80 ?) .

I'm guessing that the D is offset from the vertical centre-line of the lens because the "distance" part is designed for eyes looking straight ahead into the far distance, but the D is set up for eyes looking somewhere closer (a foot or so for reading, maybe two or three feet for intermediate) so the pupils will be turned in towards each other; the D is thus positioned where the pupil will be looking straight through the middle of it. I'm curious to know whether the straight edge of the D on a D40 can be set level with the top of the pupil, the way we do with the Executive lens, and whether this would give us a big enough intermediate reading area for music ? Any expert opinion out there ? please ?

bloke wrote:
- Seeing a director/conductor "in focus" is just too confusing...period.

a fallacious fallacy - we're in danger of going recursive, ouslum style.

For those of us with astigmatism, leaving the director blurred results in the eye muscles continually hunting, trying to resolve the image, which over the course of a rehearsal can produce a fearsome headache. Much better to focus him, so you can ignore him properly (or not, when you're desperate for a cue).