Ask The Instructor: Lens Color?

Question:  With all the different lens colors available for shooting glasses, which are the best ones for shooting most targets?

Answer: Choosing lenses among the dozens of options offered can be daunting. While we don’t need twelve pairs of lenses, there is a strong justification for having multiple lenses from which to choose on any given day of shooting. Assuming that you’ve already settled on the brand of glasses, lens selection boils down to three factors: transmittance level, color and coatings.

Think of “transmittance level” as the lightness or darkness of a lens, irrespective of the lens’ color. The darker the lens, the more light it refracts. This makes a darker lens more appropriate for brighter light conditions such as direct sunlight. A lighter-colored lens lets more natural light pass through the lens into your eye and is therefore more appropriate for overcast days or for shooting during the hours of dawn and dusk. I recommend that a shooter wear the lightest lens possible without causing any squinting. This ensures the maximum visual depth-of-field and best visibility of the target. I also recommend that a shooter carry a minimum of a three-lens assortment: a lighter lens for low-light conditions, a darker lens for bright sunlight, and an in-between for medium light conditions.

The second major factor to consider is color manipulation. Irrespective of the transmission level, manufacturers offer different colors of lenses in order to either enhance or neutralize a particular color range based on the two factors of target color and background color. As just one example, Pilla offers a purple-colored lens (19CIN) that neutralizes green and boosts orange. This lens is a great choice for shooting orange targets against a background of green trees or other vegetation on sunny days.

Lastly, the specific type or types of coatings applied to a lens is also critical. A UV coating protects the eyes against UV rays, an anti-glare coating reduces the potential for “ghost images,” where the light reflecting off your face is visible on the lens. Which assortment is right for you will depend on the light conditions, backgrounds and target colors you most frequently encounter.