 Poster: A snowHead
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As the title asks. I have great difficulty in seeing the changes in terrain when there is flat light. Can anyone suggest the correct colour or make of lenses to rectify this.
Cheers in anticipation.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The one's which I bought in Whistler before Christmas, sold primarily on their ability to help in flat light (the salesperson told me they sell huge numbers of the lense in Whistler, for that reason; and that the lense is often referred to as 'the Whistler lense', again for that reason). I believe they are called High Intensity Yellow (from Oakley). Excellent light transmission, and the bright yellow lense helps with contrast.
Anyway, regardless of the sales pitch I was given... I can confirm that they are exceptional in flat light - nothing's going to be perfect, but I really felt much more comfortable and confident that I could see what I was skiing.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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JP, you mean you don't enjoy the adrenaline surge generated by suddenly finding yourself airborne because you couldn't see the bump or the lip your skis found 2 seconds earlier?? Strange. 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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JP, do a search as there's been loads of posts on this subject.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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JP, This year I found the Alpina Quattroflex ... not sure if they are extensively available in the UK. I bougt mine in Switzerland
I think they are stunning and 'illuminate' in flat light.. they come in several sizes and with a couple of lens coatings but none are as expensive as the 'Big Brands'. A few other  have tried them and they are magnificent -- although one ( Fenlandskier I think ) didnt like the colour.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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The best advice I got from a thread last year was to spend time trying them on comparing for comfort and illumination. I was prepared to spend serious cash on the right pair but in the end bought Decathlon own brand for €24 after comparing them with another name brand.
They made a big difference for me a couple of days this season so for me have already earned thier keep
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JP, trust the Force 
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JP, I struggled with flat light and I have yellow lenses. However, the more I ski, the more I don't worry about the flat light. Trust your legs.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I have pink lenses for flat light and find them excellent. They do some odd things to colours, especially immediately after you put them on, but they enhance contrast very effectively.
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Brown lenses tend to be best for flat light but the Oakley Permision lenses are great for all round
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I've tried pink ones and didn't like them at all, or find them useful in flat light. Interesting. I wonder if it's something to do with one's vision prescription?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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i have been told many times that 'yellow is best for flat light', but this site recommends 'persimmon' 
"That's why most ski goggles have a yellow tint. Yellow allows good light transmission—about 70 percent—while increasing contrast. But sometimes even that isn't good enough. So lots of goggle makers also offer reddish or "persimmon" lenses. These jack up the contrast even more in low and flat light, helping you see previously unseen variations in the terrain."
Are there any optometrists (sp?) or other experts on here that can say WHY Yellow or pink tints are better than other colours to 'enhance contrast'? I understand that reducing glare and 'overload' is helpful, but when visibility is poor I'd have thought no filter (i.e. clear, or possibly polarised) lenses that allowed '100%' light through would be best?
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Axsman, isn't 100% light what one gets not wearing goggles or specs at all? I had to wear clear goggles once (borrowed cos forgot/lost mine), and they were terrible. I guess that the alteration in light is what allows one to see contrast - in the same kind of way that one doesn't cast a shadow at midday in full sunlight, but does when the sun is in a different position, which alters its intensity?
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You know it makes sense.
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I'd say a yellow tinted lens that lets in as much light as possible. The tint helps with definition.
I've not tries polarised lenses though, so can't say whether they'd help.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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| vetski wrote: |
| I've tried pink ones and didn't like them at all, or find them useful in flat light. Interesting. I wonder if it's something to do with one's vision prescription? |
Could be; I have recently started wearing specs for distance vision, but don't normally need them. Pink lenses are a bit odd, but they work for me. I even have a pair of sun specs with pink lenses and brown lenses which fit over the top for normal use. Very snazzy, but I suspect that they won't last long.
In a couple of shops I visited looking for flat light goggs, they offer you a picture to look at with and without the pink lenses. Without, just a grey rectangle; with, a lovely (monochromatic) picture of a skier. The picture colour is no doubt finely tuned to the lenses, and the demo almost certainly worthless, but it passes 30 seconds in a ski shop.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| richmond wrote: |
| In a couple of shops I visited looking for flat light goggs, they offer you a picture to look at with and without the pink lenses. Without, just a grey rectangle; with, a lovely (monochromatic) picture of a skier. The picture colour is no doubt finely tuned to the lenses, and the demo almost certainly worthless, but it passes 30 seconds in a ski shop. |
Yes, that sounds like 'Alpina Quattroflex' ... now go and try them in 'Real' flat light and discover that they are much better than the shop 'simulation'. I guess you haven't .... otherwise you would not knock them.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Agenterre, calm down, calm down, I'm not knocking them, I'm a pink lens fan; it's vetski who isn't. I was merely pointing out that the demo is a con. I can't remember what make my pink goggs are, not Alpina. The specs are Alpina. Both perform well in flat light, although the Alpina specs in particular do odd things to colours.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Agenterre wrote: |
| richmond wrote: |
| In a couple of shops I visited looking for flat light goggs, they offer you a picture to look at with and without the pink lenses. Without, just a grey rectangle; with, a lovely (monochromatic) picture of a skier. The picture colour is no doubt finely tuned to the lenses, and the demo almost certainly worthless, but it passes 30 seconds in a ski shop. |
Yes, that sounds like 'Alpina Quattroflex' ... now go and try them in 'Real' flat light and discover that they are much better than the shop 'simulation'. I guess you haven't .... otherwise you would not knock them. |
I bought a pair of these on a whim 3 weeks or so ago - it was a dull day so could try outside as well as the simulation. Agree that they are superb, the only problem I had was one day when the temp was fluctuating and they fogged up between the double lenses Only happened once, so I don't know whether it was just a fluke due to conditions or an inherent fault...
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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As Axsman has asked, I also want to hear more on polarised lenses. I bought some Briko wrap-around shades several years ago that were polarised and seem to remember that despite being quite dark they were as useful in flat light as anything else I had. Only stopped wearing them due to the continual p*ss taking...
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eng_ch, They seem to several models ... I have the 'coated-lens' ... never fogged since December when I bought them... each to their own ....  RachelQ has bought a different model , not sure what she thinks.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Agenterre, you haven't paraphrased my post, have you, you naughty boy? I wrote that pink lenses work for me and pointed out, as an aside, that the demo in the shops is worthless (it irritates me when I'm treated like a gullible moron, especially when the perp. is using a con to try to flog me something).
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Agenterre wrote: |
| richmond, I paraphrased one of the 2 paras ? |
Possibly, but selective paraphrasing is the devil's work.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Oh wait a minute, Alpina say some of the Quattroflex goggs have polarised lenses. Maybe that's their trick.
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richmond, Iam 
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FAQ
). I only wore them in bright sunlight and they certainly do reduce reflected glare. 
work their magic 
