Ever since I was a kid, I'm already fascinated with sunglasses. As a 90's kid, I witnessed that phase where sunglasses were not just prolific, but also prominent in TV/movies/sports icons. A lot of people would agree that one of the best brands from that era was Oakley.
The designs of Oakley's sunglasses lineup were so "cool" that you'll see high profile athletes like Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, and Kobe Bryant wearing them regularly. With features in movies like Mission Impossible 2 (Ethan Hunt), Fight Club (Tyler Durden), and X Men (Scott Summers), the popularity of Oakley shades was through the roof during the 90's and 00's.
**as usual, click on the image to enlarge
At the height of Oakley's popularity, I was still a teenager without enough money to buy them because they were really expensive here in the Philippines. My mom was able to give me a pair of first gen E Wires when I was 12 years old but someone took it from my bag while I was playing basketball so she never bought me another pair again...
So the very first thing that I bought with my first paycheck back in 2006 was an Oakley Straight Jacket Ducati Edition, LOL!
It is still in very pristine condition up to this day with only one problem that is very familiar for Oakley collectors... The lenses are starting to peel off! You can see in the image above if you enlarge it that there are a couple of spots that have peeled off on the right lens. I stopped using it for the fear of a peeling intruding my eyes. I am thankful that a friend of mine introduced me to Linegear Japan (click the link to go to their site) in one of our conversations.
The very first time I have visited their website, it was unfortunate that I did not find available lenses for my Straight Jacket. BUT, I have probably spent at least an hour browsing through their site as their lineups catered to a lot of X Metals and provided a lot of information about the whole X Metal line.
Linegear's site alone re-ignited my love for Oakley Shades and I have started collecting classic Oakley O Matters and X Metals since then. What I love about Linegear lenses is that their products are very comfortable on the eyes and I have yet to purchase a pair of lenses from them that cause dizziness and they don't distort the view.
So far, I have tried their Regular Non-polarized Lenses, NXT, NXT Varia, and the latest one that the good folks at Linegear sent for me to try out, NXT Polarized lenses.
I have told the Linegear team through Boss Max that I stopped wearing Polarized lenses because of a bad experience with other brands where I get nauseous and headaches. Max sent me a pair for review anyway to see if this product can change my mind about Polarized lenses.
I got curious and happily accepted it but I was a little skeptical because the polarized sunglasses I have bought before is a well-known brand. I have accepted the fact that maybe polarized lenses aren't for me.
For this test, I brought out my favorite lenses from their lineup which I regularly use depending on the occasion or situation. Here's my lineup:
A.) XX TiO2 with Photochromic Titanium NXT Varia
I use this regularly as this lens is very versatile. I wear this a lot during the rainy season where it is still bright during daytime even without direct visibility of the sun. I do not use this when it is hot and sunny outside. I can wear this while driving at night!
The most affordable line in Linegears roster. It still gives high-performance on sunny days and I use it a lot while driving inside a medium-tinted vehicle. And yes, Linegear does etching services for a minimal added cost.
To make things interesting, I have also tested them side by side with an Oakley OEM Polarized lens
E.) Romeo 2 with Black Polarized Lenses (notice the factory etching and sticker lol)
I haven't used this one since acquiring it and brought it out just for this experiment!
I have used my trusty Canon G7x MarkII in Manual mode for the tests with the same settings for each shot in different situations. Our human eyes have a wider dynamic range than what these camera sensors can give but at least you'll have a slight idea on what it's like. I will also provide my commentary on how it actually feels when wearing it.
So I brought with me shades A,B,C,D, and E for a couple of weeks and tested them in situations where I usually find myself in.
First Test
**click image for full resolution
Situation (RAW): Around noon, very sunny day inside a medium-tinted vehicle
A: This lens, as I have mentioned, is only ideal for days that are not that sunny. The picture shows blown up highlights and that's almost how I felt when I wore this one. I find myself squinting even if I'm inside the truck.
B: This lens in this situation is comfortable enough and I can wear this inside the car up to where the sun's bottom is inching down towards the horizon.
C: This lens is almost the same with B when it comes to brightness. It doesn't show it that much in the photos but the scene looks "crisper" somehow when I wear this lens.
D: You can definitely see the improvement on this lens when it comes to pacifying the whites around the scene. You'll notice the clouds are more defined around the edges. The picture shows dark shadows but in reality when you wear it, it is not that bad and you can still see great detail across the scene. I am happy to report that even if there is a "rainbow effect" when inside a tinted glass, it did not bother me and I did not feel nauseated at all when I used it for a 45-minute drive! Good job!
E: This one also provided better definition but I found it giving more light transmission so the white clouds in actual view can be uncomfortable if you stare at it for a while.
Second Test
Situation (RAW): It was very sunny and I am now outside of the vehicle. I accidentally deleted the full raw scene but I was able to save the "marker frame" so you'll have an idea how bright it is if you'll look at the pick up truck as basis.
A: As in the first test, it was not ideal to use this lens in that situation. It will shield and minimize glares but it will be uncomfortable staring at whites/shiny surfaces for extended periods of time.
B: It was actually comfortable after I put these on. The whites are not that uncomfortable to look at anymore and I think the brightness in this situation was well-managed already.
C: It is still the same comfort with B and once again, the rocks in actual view somehow appears to be sharper.
D: I am not sure if the photo did it justice but these are perfect for this situation! Comfortable as hell! I actually kept the Romeo 1 in my truck after this test so that I can use it when it's bright and sunny outside :D
E: The OEMs are also comfortable to wear but somehow, I liked how D managed the whites better in this situation.
Third Test
Situation (RAW): I took this test as the sun sets and did not bring the NXT Varia and NXT as the brightness levels of the Varia vs RAW is minimal and the the NXT vs Non-polarized are almost identical. I wanted to do this test as quickly as possible as we all know the sun dips quickly at this time and brightness levels can strongly vary in a matter of seconds.
B: Looking straight directly to the partially shown sun is manageable at this time of the day using this lens. I would not recommend doing so, though. The shadows in actual view are more detailed.
D: The clouds definition and colors are better and pleasing to the eyes compared to B for my taste. The shadows have more detail in actual view compared to the pictures but it is darker compared to B.
E: This lens had more cloud definition than B but lesser than D. The shadow details are slightly better than D but slightly less than B. So this OEM lens is the perfect balance between the two in this situation :)
Fourth Test
Situation (RAW): It was a cloudy but bright day. The kind of day where it is early afternoon and just about to rain soon as the clouds build up. I chose to pick a spot where there's a huge body of water that can reflect the glare of the sun. It was a head to head comparison between the Linegear Polarized NXT vs Oakley Polarized lenses
D: The retained details in the shadows and clouds in actual view were well-balanced. The lens handled the reflected light from the body of water pretty well and again, everything was sharp as a tack! It is like watching stock 4K videos in appliance centers!
E: I like how this lens rendered the green colors. The reflected glare from the body of water got significantly reduced but not as well as D handled it. The NXT's clarity made a huge difference compared to this.
This review wasn't meant to determine who's the best among the lineup as it will make no sense to do such. Just like our clothes, we choose our sunglasses depending on the weather, lighting, occasion, and other factors. You wouldn't want to wear the same coat whether it is cold or hot outside, just like you wouldn't wanna wear the same sunglasses whether it is bright and sunny or cloudy :)
One thing is for sure - I am now convinced that not all Polarized lenses are created the same and I am keeping this NXT Polarized lenses in my arsenal. Thank you Boss Max and Linegear Japan for this opportunity to try out your great products!
Linegear has also extended their lineup and can accommodate lens requests for any frames that you have. Just reach out to Boss Max and he will happily accommodate your request.
Keep safe and wear 'em Oakleys in good health!
Chewy
**you can click on the links to know more about the products mentioned in this post.
