transition lenses

Does anyone have experience with transition lenses for spotting fish? Thanks.

Transitions is just one brand of photochromatic technology eye wear. I have been using photochromatic lense sunglasses almost exclusively for 15 years now. Brands I have used include Habervision, Smith Action Optics, and Hobie. I don't find the photochromatic lense any better or worse than standard lenses for spotting fish. I do find color for the lense to be more important preferring amber, copper lenses, or brown in most situations. So if I have a photochromatic copper lens and a standard copper lens I do not find much difference whereas I find a big difference between say grey and copper lenses.

I prefer photochromatic lenses over standard lenses because they adjust to variable light conditions whether the variation be due to partly cloudy skies , working along a stream from shade to sun, or just dawn or dusk.

I do find that most photochromatic lenses do not get as dark as some standard lenses so I prefer standard lenses in very bright conditions such as may be encountered on saltwater flats on a cloudless day or high in the mountains where you get a lot of bright light reflected off of exposed granite or snow.

For seeing below the surface of water polarized lenses is what you really want. Having polarization added to prescription glasses is expensive (at least in my mind) costing $80 or more for a pair of glasses in addition to the other cost. I have been told photochromatic lenses has progressed since I quit using them because the earlier versions did not darken when driving because the windshield filtered out the needed rays to make them change.

The "Transitions" brand lenses go from clear to shaded where most of the photochromatic lenses from sunglasses specialist companies (Smith, Costa, Habervision, etc) are not completely clear so are still tinted when indoors and thus still tinted when driving. Depending on model of lense light transmission tends to vary something between 10% and 25% and are better for driving but not as useful indoors. The Transitions photochromatic polarizes lenses ("Vantage") line do not activate inside a car and so not ideal for driving and are only available in grey tint so not optimal for spotting fish compared to amber, copper, bronze colors.

RX photochromatic polarized glasses start around $250 and go up from there.

Check out DriveWear transition lenses. They're one of a kind, and all I wear any more. Flats, rivers, lakes, cloudy, sunny, snowing, driving, whatever. I think of them as my "magic glasses." They're polarized, of course. The ones I currently have (two pairs) are from Habervision, and are bi-focal prescriptions. $265ish each, due to the prescription, and worth every penny. I can even wear them at night to reduce glare from traffic and/or city lights! The same lenses I wear at hight noon on a bright June day on the Henry's Fork, or a tarpon flat.

All I do is sight fish. Ever. My glasses are the most important peice of ishing equipment I own. Drivewear is unreal.