What's everyones preferred sunglasses?

I've tried a coupla different pair, both pairs i tried took too much color out of my vision, made it too easy to lose the orientation of the plane. I need something that cuts glare but don't take so much color out.

Maybe I just need some glasses?

Zurichs seem very popular but I have never tried them. I wear prescription and had mine made with amber lenses which are really working out well for sun and clouds. I have read that pink is good for clouds but I am not going to get more than one pair. Some will suggest Polarized lenses but in my opinion they are more practical for driving or boating because actual glare is a reflection and the only thing to reflect in the sky is your plane.

Get the Zurichs. You won't regret it. They are worth the fifty bucks. They are crystal clear and bring out the colors. I wear them over my regular glasses. I have prescription sunglasses that I wear when the sun is behind me but when the sun starts creeping around to the front, the Zurichs come out. You can practically fly through the sun and recover within a second or two. I've tried others and there not as good.

marty

zurichs herer also. I have rose colored for cloudy days and grey for clear days and they work fantastic. Do get them polarized as it really does help a lot. I also like yellow as that's what I used as a sniper in 'Nam and it really cut the green colors for me and made other colors stand way out. You have to protect your eyes at all costs.

I just ordered my first pair of Zurich's and am impatiently waiting for them to arrive. However, in the last couple of years, I have bought mine at the drug store. You can find a cheap pair of sunglasses with gray plastic polarized lenses that seem to work fine. They have a wriap around frame and do a good job of keeping the sun out. I wear prescription glasses and the sunglasses fit right over them. They aren't a real fashion statement, but who cares as long as you don't lose your plane in the sun.

If you need sunglasses that fit over your regular glasses, look into "Fit Overs". They are comfortable, polarized, and don't make you look like 'Atomic Man", or like you've just had cataract surgery. I've had other "over the glasses" sunglasses, but they tended to drive me nuts after a while. "Fit Overs" do not. I can wear them all day, almost without knowing I've got them on.
Glen

I wear only Armani sunglasses. Problem is they are a US$2 pair bought in Ho Chi Minh City. They are good lenses though, and never had a problem.

As was mentioned above pink polarized lenses are great for clody days, really bring the color back other wise you are flying a 2 deimensional silhouette. On sunny days I just use a good pair of polarized lenses. They really help with cloud glare.

Cloud glare on a sunny day? Oh well, just use a blindfold...

You guys with polarized lenses ought to do a little research. Polarized light is a reflection ususally off water or roadways. When looking up at the sky the only thing that will reflect light is your plane and that is not for very long at any given time. Much more important when selecting lenses for flying should be 99 or 100 percent UV filtering, large enough not to let light around the edges and a color that works best for you. I like amber (or brown) because I think it gives the best contrast to see a plane in the sky.

Save your polarized lenses for fishing.

The best I've found are from Costa Del Mar in West Palm Beach Florida. Living in Florida you have to deal with the bright sun constantly. I use the amber glass lens. They enhance color and I've never lost site of my planes in any sky conditions. They are pricey around $150.00 but have a lifetime warranty against breakage. Find them at http://www.costadelmar.com/ They are also great for fishing as they cut all the glare and are 100% UV resistant.

Here in northern scandinavia we don't have that luxourious problem debating sunglasses.
However I bought a pair of 3M protective glasses after getting a thrown prop in my face when starting an engine.
Keep it safe!

I prefer amber lenses as well, and have been able to find decent 100% UV sunglasses with amber lenses at pretty reasonable prices; in the $15.00 range.

They work very well for me, and certainly preclude shelling out $50 for Zurich's.
Dennis-

I have NYXs and love them!! They came with 3 different colored lenses.

I think you should get some of them really cool looking sunglasses that all the old people in iowa seem to wear (the ones they get after eye surgery). seriously i prefer the amber lenses like some other people have also said.
did you know the toothbrush was invented in iowa?
if it was invented anywhere else it would have been called a teeth brush

I heard one like the toothbrush. What color are the license plates given to Iowans that fail their drivers test? Blue and White ones.

BB I have to disagree with you about polarized light. I am also an avid photographer and have been published so I know a bit about lighting. When you look at the sky the light is hitting you direct and by using a polarizer you are deflecting that light, same as if you were in the snow or fishing. I used a polarizing filter a lot for a more dramatic effect with sky and clouds and a red filter if using B&W film. The other thing that you want is to have your glasses get rid of UVA and UVB as that's what will really damage your eyes. If you go to the zurich page he has a good explanation on how his works and why he developed them.

From the Zurich website:
Are Zurichs polarized?
No. They are better! Zurichs will cut glare off the water so you can see fish, objects, and debris in the water just like polarized lens. In addition, Zurich will block glare in direct sunlight better than a polarized lens. Polarized lenses only work on reflective surfaces. Zurichs block both reflective and direct sun glare. Polarized glasses don't have Zurich's exclusive contour design that eliminates glare coming in from the sides, top, and bottom.

Polarized lenses will block or distort (by screening out image content) visual clues, making it difficult to read most electronic screens or scopes. Zurich sunglasses will not block or distort the vision on instrument panels, digital readouts, and LED screens; you'll see clearly.

Ignoring the marketing hype for a minute, I will also say that polarization works on more than just reflections. I am not a professional photographer, and I've never been published. However, I have used polarizing filters quite a bit. If you have any doubt that polarization works on more than just reflective surfaces, find someone with a polarizing filter. Preferably you want a linear (not sure I have the right term here, this is the kind for manual focus cameras) rather than circular filter (the kind used for autofocus cameras) so you can see the difference as you change the filter alignment. Have them take a picture of the sky, with and without the filter, on a partly cloudy day. The difference is obvious to even the most casual observer.

I didn't mention in my post about "Fit Overs" that they do give great UV protection. I didn't know the price, since they were a gift, but I'm told that they retail for about $40. That doesn't seem to bad for glasses that are very comfortable when wearing them over regular glasses. I've tried several "over-the -glasses" sunglasses, and these are the best, hands down!
Glen

Well if you guys are taking pictures of airplanes than a polarized filter is in order.

I don't know if the proper term for prescription lenses is polarized or what. My regular bifocals turn dark outside whether or not the sun is out. They turn darker when it's cold. When I first got them they told me to put them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to activate them. They turn perfectly clear inside a building. Keeps me from having to carry an extra pair of glasses.

Oakley Square Wire 2.0

http://www.technical-gear.com/sungla...are_wire20.htm
http://www.oakley.com/catalog/colors..._spring_hinge/

in my conversations with an eye doctor he told me it is not neccesary to spend big $$ on sun glasses . anything that cuts glare for you will work.the idea that sunglasses cause your pupil to expand and admit more damaging light is false.I have gotten to using a medium lens for most light conditions , a light amber lens for overcast days.

As a full scale pilot and an rc pilot,I have been wearing Rayban Aviators.