Choosing a Near-Monofocal (-2.50) over EDOF for design/illustration work. Anyone with a similar setup?
- Started
- Last post
- 7 Responses
- oey_oey
Hi everyone,
I’m facing cataract surgery on my left eye (Left: -8.00 / Right: -7.50). My doctor pushed for EDOF or Multifocal lenses, but I am rejecting them. I absolutely cannot risk the loss of contrast, soft image clarity, or glare/halos around my screens.Instead, I’m opting for a Monofocal lens set to the near range (targeting -2.50 Diopters).My goal is a completely glasses-free workspace for my immediate drawing area (30–45 cm). To handle the 5.00 Diopter gap between my eyes until the right one needs surgery down the road, my workaround is:
At the Desk: No glasses. I’m putting a vertex-corrected -5.00 contact lens in my unoperated right eye. This brings both eyes to a synchronized -2.50. I’m test-driving this right now, and it creates a blended zone that keeps my work crisp at 35 cm and lets me read my 4K monitor at 70–80 cm.
Away from the Desk: I keep the contact lens in and put on a symmetrical pair of -2.50 distance glasses to bring both eyes to Plano (20/20 vision).Most standard advice says to target distance and use reading glasses, but I want my native, surgical focus locked into my hands and my screen without a frame on my face all day.
Has anyone here chosen a near-focused monofocal lens? How does your brain handle UI elements on high-res monitors with this setup? Would love to hear any similar experiences or thoughts.
Thanks!
- cannonball19780
Wat
- cannonball19780
I'm a reading glasses guy who is genetically predisposed to macular degeneration (no signs so far). Sorry to hear about cataracts and the surgery. I know glasses frames can be annoying, but strangely they do help me get "into the mode".
- oey_oey0
Honestly it would be nice to be able to see far properly but:
Multifocal or EDoF lenses don't guarantee that glass frames won't be needed, specially the latter where the sharp range starts at 60-80cm and i would have to put glasses to wirte something and take them out to look at the bildscreen, and the possibility of glare and halos isn't nice, specially in the first option.
Plus you are at home playing in a short distance with your kids, in bed with them, kissing your partner and it's just a blur...
- OBBTKN0
I’ve had surgery on my left eye to implant a monofocal intraocular lens (it was a lazy eye that went untreated in childhood); I don’t have great vision in that eye, but it keeps me from bobbing my head around like a pigeon as I go about my day.
In my right eye, I have myopia—4.5 diopters—which is very stable... I use contact lenses for daily life and sports, and glasses for work.
For now, I’m managing just fine. I’m not considering any further surgeries; hopefully, it won’t be necessary ;)
- OBBTKN0
If I were you, I’d go for the monofocal, without a doubt.
- oey_oey0
I read from a guy that does lots of close up tinkering...guitar electronics, mountain bike maintenance, home appliance work...that he did the same and just wears glasses to drive and contacts for sport.