Eyewear

Smith Optics started many years ago making high-quality polarized glass lenses for outdoors sports. In fact Action Optics, which Smith acquired, was one of the first companies to offer products specifically for fly fishermen, and their commitment remains strong. (By the way, you may find a wider variety of frames and lens colors on the Action Optics site; Smith is in the process of merging the two sites.) Smith specializes in polarized and photochromic lenses and puts them in a wide variety of stylish frames. They also use a unique tapered lens technology, which in simple terms means that the lenses are thicker near the center and thinner near the edges, a shape that helps control refraction and produce a more accurate image. Not a whole lot changes for eyewear companies in lens design year over year, but Smith did roll out a new interchangeable lens frame series this year, enabling wearers to change lens color on the fly for different light conditions. They also built a brand new Web site to help customers learn about lens color and manufacturing features: go to www.OpticallyDelicious.com and see an excellent representation of, for example, how a brown polarized lens provides entirely different color contrast than a gray or copper lens. As for frame styles, the Maverick has been a favorite of anglers for some time now, but the new Method, which we tried to walk away with at the show, has our vote for most stylish new frame.

I'm always surprised at the way Orvis seems to get access to technology in eyewear and other accessory-type gear a year or two ahead of everyone else. This year it's in their new Tri-Spectrum G Sunglasses. Tom Rosenbauer drew a graph for me at their booth showing how the lenses (which Orvis has a year-long exclusive arrangement with the Japanese supplier on) allow a broader range of light in the three basic colors to enter the eye, producing much greater contrast between adjacent colors. (Most polarized sunglasses permit a flat amount of light — usually 10-17% — across all colors to enter the eye.) I tried them on and could see a definite improvement in color contrast between distant objects at the show. I also like the way Orvis and other companies have moved to a larger, stronger hinge to stand up to putting on and removing sunglasses many times a season.

Costa Del Mar continues its 20-year tradition of developing fine sunglasses for fishermen and has even managed to lower costs in one of their most popular lines this year. They are now able to imbed the mirrors in their patented Costa 580 Glass Lens, something they hadn't been able to do until this year. Together with that new process the company experienced a 20-30% drop in manufacturing cost, which they are passing on to the consumer. Non-mirrored 580 sunglasses are now $189 to $249 and mirrored versions range from $209 to $269. At the show we also tried out Costa Del Mar's new C-Mates Polarized Reading Sunglasses, which as expected were extremely comfortable. C-Mates bifocal style glasses will be available September 1, 2006 in +1.75 and +2.50 reading lens magnification and range in price from $149 to $189.

Other notable eyewear: Carson Optical's MagniFly and TyMate magnifiers, Flying Fisherman's new Marquesa, Belize and Oceana styles, Kaenon's "Luxury Performance" sunglasses, and Panoptx Inc.'s Speed Series.

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