But that’s only the beginning! After you have chosen a frame, the TrueSight Dispensing Tower takes images of you wearing your frame of choice and with the help of a small reference jig clipped to the frame, it takes extremely accurate measurements of your frame and lens positions, providing us with all required facial measurements to manufacture individualised glasses for you.

The TrueSight Dispensing Tower then uses 3D animations to illustrate the advantages of different lens materials and lens options. This includes animations to demonstrate various progressive lens designs, from the budget versions to the modern high end designs.

Selecting of your new glasses will no longer be guess work. It is lots of fun! When you are in town, come in and experience it yourself, the experience is free!

Visiting optical fairs is fun. Typically we visit at least 2 of those fairs worldwide per year. Of course all the big names are there, like Gucci and Armani. We try to avoid these stands. They are run by big, big frame manufacturers, who make frames, purchase licenses from well known fashion designers and stamp their names all over these frames. The real innovations, the real fun and the real groove happens somewhere else. Typically there is a small section at every optical fair reserved for small frame designers. These designers are not interested in mainstream or gold-plastered frames. These guys are driven by the actual fun of creating something new and exciting.

It’s funny, you feel a real sense of family and belonging when you meet with these small frame designers and admire their latest creations. “Anne et Valentin” and “Jean-Francois Rey”are just two of the designers we regularly meet. Both have optical shops themselves, and like many of us independent opticians, are always looking for something different, something exciting that is fun to wear and special in every way.

Just this morning we received 2 new models from “Anne et Valentin“. We visited their small stand at a fair back in November last year and were once again impressed by the strong character these frames from the south of France. The range boasts colour and character. Anne et Valentin are not scared to use risky colour combinations and the result is, in our opinion, a fun, fresh, young and cheeky look.

The two frames received this morning are made from 2-ply acetate (opaque black with transparent green and semi-transparent tortoishell with opaque red), are wonderfully polished and incredibly comfortable to wear. We currently have a small selection of acetate, titanium and combination frames in the shop. All very different and with what we would call a very “European Flair”.

Models featured below cost – NZ$629

For 2011 we are looking forward to continue bringing you one of the most exclusive and exciting eyewear collections in the country and providing you with the best modern lens technology has to offer. If you have a special visual requirement, say at work, for your hobby, or in general, come talk to us. Together we will more than likely find the ideal solution for you.

During the coming year, we are expecting some new lens designs to be released and will introduce those when they become available. In any case, please do call in when you are walking past and say “Hi”. It’s always nice to catch up!

Another year is almost over and we would like to take the oportunity and say a big “Thank You” to all our  friends, customers and readers. We wish all of you a wonderful time over the Christmas Holidays with many hours to relax and reflect on the really important things in live, as well as health and happyness for the coming year!

The practice will be closed between December 25th and January 9th. Looking forward to seeing you all back in the new year!

Always The Best!

Claudia & Reiner

There are many options available to address the special requirements for computer users and the final lens choice should be made after taking the wearer’s expectation and requirements have been carefully analized. For example – using progressive lenses for computer and near vision tasks can provide a wearer with a fantastic everyday solution, however, these lenses usually do not give the wearer the widest field of view they require for near and intermediate vision tasks. Progressive lenses provide extended vision for near, intermediate and distance tasks, however, the narrowest field of view on any progressive lens is in the intermediate, followed by the near distances.

Computer and laptop monitors are becoming larger and larger as technology advances meaning in most cases a wearer will not receive clear and wide vision whit the narrow near and intermediate area of a progressive lens.

Also, computer use is a far more dynamic activity than, say, the act of reading, and therefore requires the correct lenses to compensate for this motion. A wearer will have continuous eye movement between the monitor, keyboard, mouse and general desk area.

Lens designs specifically for computer use are nothing new. They have been around for a number of years. Modern manufacturing techniques and ever improving lens technology however, allow us now to provide computer users with a wonderful new lens type, the “PC Pro”. The lens has just been introduced onto the New Zealand market by Hoya Lens one of the world’s leading lens manufacturers, that will not only allow it’s user to reduce eye strain due to extended computer work, but also provide a solution for reading books, doing embroidery, sewing, knitting or any other activity that requires good and comfortable vision close up and in intermediate distances.

*Internet usage statistics in Australia (2007 – “Search Engine Guy” on behalf of the International Telecommunication Union”)

Enjoy!