Fluid lenses with electrostatic (IIRC) control? Neat tech... but at $700 I'm afraid my unassisted poor vision will remain unassisted. :-}

Futuristic Harry Potter glasses?

Man those things are ugly, but hey, if they work, you need them, and you have $700 to spare then who am I to say no?

These could work with a steampunk outfit

They better transition when you need them too.

BTW, what is this dude wearing them so high up? His ears must be massive.

Eh, I wear no line bifocals and they do the same thing once you get used to them. Except you don't have to mess with a slider to make them work.

I'm actually considering buying a pair, but I need to do more research. From what I understand, they base the lenses on your prescription, but the lever on the nose lets you adjust focus out to infinity...

My current reading glasses (which cost me $200) only work at a precise distance (eg. the distance to my computer screen), which means if I want to read a book comfortably, my arms aren't long enough.

And soon I'll need a new prescription! Rather than pay $400 for two new pairs I might go for the Superfocus. If they're more convenient than bifocals and the adjustability saves the cost of getting new glasses year after year, the $700 price tag might be worth it.

If they work, I couldn't care less how they look. I have regular glasses & contacts for when I'm not reading & just want to look good.

If you decide to get them, please report back here. I'm surprised the traditional glasses industry hasn't come down hard on Superfocus, considering what a money-grubbing ripoff the traditional glasses industry happens to be...

Maybe that's a clue that they don't work?

you'd be better with a pair of these


or, as Buda suggested, some steampunk ones...

Wow, that's a high-sell website. Anything with that big a come-on makes me think twice about the product...

I went to the site & chatted with a superfocus "specialist". Here's the transcript.


Michael: Allow me to introduce myself as your Superfocus chat representative... My name is Michael. How can I help you?
Me: Hi Michael.

Me: I have a question about the superfocus glasses.

Michael: Sure, how can I help?

Me: I want to be sure that I understand how they can help me correctly.

Me: Let's say I get one based on a prescription for reading, that is something at book's length away... Would I then be able to adjust them for computer screen's distance away?
Me: And then movie screen distance away?

Michael: Yes and No, we'll ask for you distance prescription, that will be contained in the fixed lens

Michael: the adjustable lens will compensate for your near and intermediate distances,

Michael: generally less than 20 feet

Michael: So Yes, you can adjust for reading, computer work, and movie watching, all with one pair of glasses

Me: How about if I get a new prescription, because of a small change in my vision, will that adjustment mechanism generally be able to compensate for that change?

Me: Can these save me the price of a new pair of glasses that way?

Michael: If the change is up close or at intermediate distances

Me: Right -- within the 20 feet you mean?

Michael: It's if your distance vision changes or astigmatism changes is when you'd simply need a new front lens

Michael: Yes, that's correct

Me: Oh I see, so the front (distance) lense is interchangable? How much does that cost?

Michael: Yes, that's correct

Me: Also, what if you don't really need a distance prescription?

Michael: Pricing starts at $700. View our options online.
Michael: Go to: Superfocus home, select SHOP, then GET STARTED (red button).
Michael: OR
Michael: To go straight to our SHOPsection, CLICK HERE

Michael: That wouldnt factor into the pricing

Michael: We can still make a pair of adjustable readers

Me: Adjustable readers will still adjust out to 20 feet?

Michael: It really depends on your vision and what type of correction you need

Michael: The adjustable range of the back lens is between 0 - 2.75

Michael: like the over the counter reading glasses

Me: So I can save the cost of a new pair as long as I don't have astig or anything and my distance prescrip doesn't change?

Michael: Yes, quite possibly

Me: hmmm... okay thanks

(end)

I kinda like the idea of being able to adjust them as your vision worsens. 0 -2.75 sounds like decent range of adjustabilty... Still, I'll probably wait for the price to go down...

They also come in black:

Buda, you about changed my mind with that photo! I never needed glasses until about 10 years ago......when I was 44, my vision used to better than 20-20. I now interchange between my computer glasses..18", Bifocals, and driving glasses. I wear them around my neck and only put them on when needed. As wordnerd stated, If you can eliminate a pair or two and have one pair for a good duration then it could be worth it. I've posted this thread on other sites with 10s of thousands of active members with a lesser response than GD. By the way I first got wind of these glasses from a commercial on the tube using a few celebs. Apparently these glasses are used on the International Space Station for those 40+ astronauts.

I also read that Superfocus provides a $50 coupon to go towards having the glasses adjusted to one's noggin.

There's another brand that uses special liquid crystals that electronically alter their refractive index. The controller is a touch sensitive strip on the temple portion of the frame 'legs', but they also have an 'auto' mode where the focus changes depending on head angle (uses micro gyros). These glasses need to be 'charged' overnight for use. Not sure many could afford to buy a backup pair though.

The other thing is that the frames themselves come in much more 'normal' a selection of frame styles.

Here's a kind of review to start your searching:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencete...al-frames.html

For info on Superfocus, be sure to search their name before they rebranded: trufocals. You'll find more reviews, plus other good stuff, like this youtube video by trufocals inventor Stephen Kurtin: http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/11/t...nsive-reality/

The more I read about these, the more I'm inclined to get a pair. They have pretty good reviews both under the Superfocus and Trufocals brand names... I don't think the company is doing a great job of marketing them though. For such a pricey product, people are going to need a lot more handholding, guarantees and other reassurance than the superfocus site seems to offer...

My big question is this: as my vision worsens can I just compensate using the superfocus adjustment mechanism? If these glasses mean I don't have to run back to the eye doctor for a new "fixed distance" reading glasses every couple years, that's a big plus.

I also want to be able to focus at every distance from two or three inches away from my nose to twenty feet or so. Even with my current reading glasses, I can't read things well if they're closer than a foot and a half away, so if superfocus allows for infinite adjustment from up close to twenty feet, that's another big plus.

I also want to be sure they're not super-fragile. If they meet those three criteria, I'm sold.

...Anyway, just thinking out loud, getting my questions down for when I visit a distributor...

Jim -- hope you'll update this thread as you find new info...

Cool Broacher, that means more competition expecially if both these glasses are what they say they are.

wordnerd, It would seem to me these glasses would be the kind that you could slowly adjust as your eyes change, up to a certain point of course. Another words if you provide Superfocus a prescription, those lenses are made to focus of a much wider range to suite your eyes, the ability to fine tune over time until your eyes drop out of your head perhaps.
As far as advertizing I did see a Superfocus commercial here in the DC area about two weeks ago which drew my attention immediately.

FWIW, I attended a design conference in Toronto in the fall where the headline speaker, George Lois (the original 'madman' of advertising) actually mentioned (and adjusted) his Superfocus glasses he was wearing -- when he was switching from viewing a video screen to reading some notes. "Ever see these? They're the best thing ever!" (or something to that effect)