Oakley Prizm v Photochromic lenses

mrb123

Thinking about a new pair of Oakleys to replace my old Flak Jacket XLJs which are starting to show their age.

I'll probably be looking as some Jawbreakers or EV Zeros depending on which look best/least ridiculous on me.

So the question is, which lens? Is the photochromic the best lens for our changeable British conditions? Or is the Prizm good for the vast majority of days, and is the lens quality sufficiently superior to make it the best choice?

I should add that I have some clear lenses for my current pair which are still in good condition so I'm already covered for night rides and very low light conditions.

Any advice gratefully received!

prhymeate

I haven't tried photochromic but I have Prizm Road lenses which I use for all my riding unless it's night time. There has been the odd occasion when it's been very overcast and I've cycled down country lanes with a lot of tree cover and it's become tricky to see. I just move them down a bit and look over the top when that happens as it's usually only for a very short stretch of road and hasn't been enough to make me consider changing lenses. Obviously at night you want clear lenses, but you already have those.

There is a post here that discusses both. It seemed like most people liked Photochromic as a 'do it all' lens. viewtopic.php?t=13041294

Anonymous

They are both great lenses but I would have photochromic if could only have one in the UK.

EV Zero's are cheaper and better looking than Jawbreakers.
As they are not interchangeable lenses, how about getting two pairs of EV Zero's?

I have Radarlock in both Prizm and Photochromic, but since getting Prizm EV Zero's I now fancy Photochromic EV Zero's.

mrb123

Carbonator wrote:

They are both great lenses but I would have photochromic if could only have one in the UK.

EV Zero's are cheaper and better looking than Jawbreakers.
As they are not interchangeable lenses, how about getting two pairs of EV Zero's?

I have Radarlock in both Prizm and Photochromic, but since getting Prizm EV Zero's I now fancy Photochromic EV Zero's.

I get the impression you like your Oakleys then!

Do you have the Path or Range EV Zeros?

Captain Fagor

I got the photochromic ev zeros recently and wore them on what was really quite a sunny day, half expecting to be slightly dazzled. However, to my surprise, I largely forgot about lighting conditions which I suppose in itself is an endorsement. My only criticism is the neutral effect on colours.

One unexpected bonus was that when flies hit the lens, they turn into coloured hexagons with numbers in the middle, greeted with cheery points accumulation noises like in Sonic the Hedgehog, before floating off into the background.

cougie

Out of those two lens I'd go photochromic. Couldn't see any difference in my normal dark lens and the pryzm.

Elfed

How do the photochromic lenses act with the Garmin display?
I've Oakley Sliver photochromic everyday glasses which I use in the car and it's difficult seeing the radio display and dash messages, apart from that they're amazing lenses.
I use EV Prizm on the bike, they've been trouble free, and would highly recommend.

cougie

Isn't that with polarised lenses? Not necessarily photochromic?

paulc33

I have both lenses for my jawbreakers and find in the U.K. I mostly use my photochromic lens. As they are great for the fact that mostly we have some cloud cover even when it's sunny.

Also if you ride in the evening at all means as the sun goes down the lens doesn't become too dark.

The Prizm lens is amazing though and great if you are out in very bright sunlight but can some times feel a little too dark if in a tree covered country lane and therefore make picking out a line / seeing pot holes a little tricky at speed.

So if your buying just one lens I would go photochromic.

Elfed

cougie wrote:

Isn't that with polarised lenses? Not necessarily photochromic?

Damn yes, ignore my stupidity, my Sliver glasses are polarised not photochromic.

Thigh_burn

I have prescription photocromic on my Flak's and they're great. I went into the Oakley store all ready to buy the Prizm's but the optician talked me out of it and convinced me that for UK riding, even in the height of summer, photocromic was the way to go. I think she's right.

Anonymous

MrB123 wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

They are both great lenses but I would have photochromic if could only have one in the UK.

EV Zero's are cheaper and better looking than Jawbreakers.
As they are not interchangeable lenses, how about getting two pairs of EV Zero's?

I have Radarlock in both Prizm and Photochromic, but since getting Prizm EV Zero's I now fancy Photochromic EV Zero's.

I get the impression you like your Oakleys then!

Do you have the Path or Range EV Zeros?

Path, I think they look much better than Range, but it's personal preference.

mrb123

Carbonator wrote:

MrB123 wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

They are both great lenses but I would have photochromic if could only have one in the UK.

EV Zero's are cheaper and better looking than Jawbreakers.
As they are not interchangeable lenses, how about getting two pairs of EV Zero's?

I have Radarlock in both Prizm and Photochromic, but since getting Prizm EV Zero's I now fancy Photochromic EV Zero's.

I get the impression you like your Oakleys then!

Do you have the Path or Range EV Zeros?

Path, I think they look much better than Range, but it's personal preference.

I may be missing something but from what I can see they don't appear to do the EV Zero Path glasses in photochromic, just the Range.

Thanks for all the responses so far. The consensus seems to be that both lenses are great, but if you could only have one for British conditions then the photochromic might be the way to go.

My current thinking is to order the Jawbreakers and EV Zeros in photochromic and see which I like the look of more. If I stick with the Jawbreakers I could then get the Prizm lens as an additional lens to go with them. If I prefer the EV Zeros then I could either get another pair with Prizm lenses in due course if I think I need them or get some of the Prizm lenses to go into my Flak Jacket XLJ frames.

bigmitch41

Have you looked at the Oakley Prizm Radars, just another option to throw into the mix.

Anonymous

That saves me a few quid then if no EV Zero Path Photochromic

mrb123

Carbonator wrote:

That saves me a few quid then if no EV Zero Path Photochromic

Looks like they may exist in "Asia fit" (whatever that may be) although don't seem to be widely available.

mrb123

BigMitch41 wrote:

Have you looked at the Oakley Prizm Radars, just another option to throw into the mix.

Yeah, not ruling anything out at the moment. Really just trying to decide on the type of lens and see what deals are available at the moment. I'm well aware the Jawbreakers and EV Zeros may look hideous when I actually come to try some on!

fenix

Jawbreakers are only ever acceptable in full cycling mode. They look awful in shops.

Radars look more 'normal' - dont rule them out.

mrb123

Are there any major advantages or disadvantages between Radars, Radar EVs and Radarlocks?

Anonymous

MrB123 wrote:

Are there any major advantages or disadvantages between Radars, Radar EVs and Radarlocks?

Radarlocks look the best, are super easy to change lenses (Although I just bought another pair to simplify further and add colour variation) and you can push them up onto forehead with a helmet on.
Down side (compared to other two) is that the lens is not as high for when (if) you are on the drops and have your head down.

Jawbreakers have nice high lens, but look ridiculous IMO.
I nearly got a pair (would be great for off road with Prizm Trail lens) but thankfully EV Zeros came out.

Love the EV Zeros, nice big high rimless lens, v light and fit my face well blocking out light from edges.
Cheaper than the others.
No interchangeable lens, but I like that.
They feel a bit cheap though and some people have said the wind can catch them.
As they are bigger (probably applies to jawbreakers too) I could not seem to push them up onto my forehead with a helmet on.

My wife cycles so Oakley extravagance is not as bad as it seems.
One reason I would have got Photochromic EV Zero Path was that it would free up the Radarlock Photochromic's for her.

londoncommuter

MrB123 wrote:

Are there any major advantages or disadvantages between Radars, Radar EVs and Radarlocks?

Not quite what you asked but I found Radar EVs to fit just a tiny bit more securely on my very narrow face than the EVZeros. Both lovely glasses but, as you say, do try them on once you've chosen the lenses you want.

mrb123

Carbonator wrote:

MrB123 wrote:

Are there any major advantages or disadvantages between Radars, Radar EVs and Radarlocks?

Radarlocks look the best, are super easy to change lenses (Although I just bought another pair to simplify further and add colour variation) and you can push them up onto forehead with a helmet on.
Down side (compared to other two) is that the lens is not as high for when (if) you are on the drops and have your head down.

Jawbreakers have nice high lens, but look ridiculous IMO.
I nearly got a pair (would be great for off road with Prizm Trail lens) but thankfully EV Zeros came out.

Love the EV Zeros, nice big high rimless lens, v light and fit my face well blocking out light from edges.
Cheaper than the others.
No interchangeable lens, but I like that.
They feel a bit cheap though and some people have said the wind can catch them.
As they are bigger (probably applies to jawbreakers too) I could not seem to push them up onto my forehead with a helmet on.

My wife cycles so Oakley extravagance is not as bad as it seems.
One reason I would have got Photochromic EV Zero Path was that it would free up the Radarlock Photochromic's for her.

Radarlocks might be a good option. Some reviews of the Radarlock Prizms seem to suggest they also come with a Persimmon lens which would be useful if I got those rather than the photochromics.

stueys

I've a pair of photochromic and prizm's. Love the prizm's, I actually got a pair of general prizm's as my normal sunglasses on the back of the road ones. I tend to use the photochromic ones 95% of the time in the UK and use the prizm's in bright sunshine (Ie abroad or the 2 days of summer we get in the UK....). Both are great but the photochromic are more versatile.

Anonymous

MrB123 wrote:

Radarlocks might be a good option. Some reviews of the Radarlock Prizms seem to suggest they also come with a Persimmon lens which would be useful if I got those rather than the photochromics.

When would you use it?

Persimmon is the only lens I have never used.
Keep meaning to stick it on ebay!

You kind of need Prizm (Road) and Photochromic because they do such different things.

I stupidly first tried the EV Zero Prizms on a changeable day with intermittent heavy showers.
They were rubbish and I really needed the Photochromic's.

Fast forward to last weeks sunny spell though and it was genuinely exiting to be able to ride with the enhancement of Prizm Road. Especially in the EV Zero form.

Anonymous

MrB123 wrote:

Are there any major advantages or disadvantages between Radars, Radar EVs and Radarlocks?

Just realized that you asked for comparison with Radars/Radar EV'S and not EV Zeros (as in original post).

Radars are the original ones which I did not think existed any more.

Radar EV's are just a cheaper non lock Radarlock with a slightly different design.
They are kind of like the original Radars I suppose which is funny as Radarlocks were such an improvement I thought.

The only time I actually use the easy lens change of Radarlocks is to put a clear lens in, but its worth having Radarlock IMO, and personally I prefer the design.

mrb123

Carbonator wrote:

MrB123 wrote:

Are there any major advantages or disadvantages between Radars, Radar EVs and Radarlocks?

Just realized that you asked for comparison with Radars/Radar EV'S and not EV Zeros (as in original post).

Radars are the original ones which I did not think existed any more.

Radar EV's are just a cheaper non lock Radarlock with a slightly different design.
They are kind of like the original Radars I suppose which is funny as Radarlocks were such an improvement I thought.

The only time I actually use the easy lens change of Radarlocks is to put a clear lens in, but its worth having Radarlock IMO, and personally I prefer the design.

Thanks.

From what I can gather the Radar EVs have a higher/deeper lens shape so I suppose that is the advantage of those, although I haven't seen any reviews of the Radarlocks which have complained of the lens being too low/shallow so it's probably a non issue.

greasedscotsman

Carbonator wrote:

Radar EV's are just a cheaper non lock Radarlock with a slightly different design.
They are kind of like the original Radars I suppose which is funny as Radarlocks were such an improvement I thought.

The Radar EV has a bigger lens, particularly between the nose piece and the frame.



I don't think they are quite a big (or high) as the Radarlock XL, but they do go some way to solving the problem you refer to with the low frame blocking vision on the Radar and Radarlock.

Camcycle1974

Anyone have the Flak XL 2.0's in either Prizm or Photochromic? Was going to get the Prizm but comments on here have made me think otherwise. I have very light sensitive eyes and wear glasses in all conditions. Currently have Flak 1.0's with a dark tint which is fine in bright sun but too dark in low light conditions.

mrb123

Thanks for all the responses on this.

My plan is to get to a shop at the weekend and try some of the different frames on.

At the moment, I can see that the taller lenses of the Radar EVs, Jawbreakers and EV Zeros could be a positive for cycling glasses.

The Jawbreakers and Radarlocks appear to have the best systems for swapping lenses, although the lenses in the Radar EVs can be swapped though the system looks a bit more unsophisticated. The EV Zero lenses can't be changed at all.

As far as choice of lens is concerned, the photochromic does seem to be more versatile for UK conditions, but the Prizm is clearly well regarded and I suspect would be fine for the majority of conditions. Like Carbonator said, the ideal situation would be to have both! I'll have to look what deals are available once I've decided on the frame...

Anonymous

greasedscotsman wrote:

Carbonator wrote:

Radar EV's are just a cheaper non lock Radarlock with a slightly different design.
They are kind of like the original Radars I suppose which is funny as Radarlocks were such an improvement I thought.

The Radar EV has a bigger lens, particularly between the nose piece and the frame.



I don't think they are quite a big (or high) as the Radarlock XL, but they do go some way to solving the problem you refer to with the low frame blocking vision on the Radar and Radarlock.

Yeah, good call
Does EV stand for Extra Vision?

Radarlock XL are probably a no no for most people. Especially with newer models out.

If I started again at this point and wanted Radars I would Possibly get 3 pairs of Radar EV's (Clear, Photochromic and Prizm Road) as I don't need to change lenses anyway.

The Radarlocks might be a nicer design though, and I like the EV Zeros the best (at the moment from initial few wears) anyway.

greasedscotsman

Carbonator wrote:

Yeah, good call
Does EV stand for Extra Vision?

Radarlock XL are probably a no no for most people. Especially with newer models out.

If I started again at this point and wanted Radars I would Possibly get 3 pairs of Radar EV's (Clear, Photochromic and Prizm Road) as I don't need to change lenses anyway.

The Radarlocks might be a nicer design though, and I like the EV Zeros the best (at the moment from initial few wears) anyway.

The Radarlock (and Radar) XLs are great, I like them a lot (I have 4 pairs) as I'm not so keen on the low frame of the Radar and Radarlocks. I swap over to the thicker nosepiece which helps a little, but the XLs solve the problem completely for me. Not really an option anymore as Oakley aren't making them anymore. You might find some somewhere on the interweb, but then then lens options were always a bit limited.

Interesting 3 pair selection. In the same situation I would probably go for Photochromatic, Prizm and maybe Black Iridium. The Jawbreaker, Radar EV and EV Zero are all good though. Think I might have trouble picking one of those. Still, none of them are as good at the Pro M. 8)