Long Term Report - Smith Axis Sunglasses, Interchangeable Series

Initial Report

Field Report

Personal Biographical Information
Background
Product Information
Introduction
Field Information
Field Testing Impressions & Considerations
Lenses & Optics
Fit
Storage
Areas of improvement
Summary
Pro
Con

Personal Biographical Information

Name	Pascal Deschênes
Age	30 years old
Gender	Male
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight	88 kg (195 lb)
Head circumference	57 cm (22.5 in)
Forehead width	13.5 cm (5 3/8 in)
Email	pasde at yahoo dot com
City, Province, Country	Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Date	5 October 2005

Background

Long since I was young, I've always been an outdoor enthusiast: sea or white river kayaking, rock climbing, long and short distance hiking, classic and backcountry skiing, mountain biking.

I can describe myself as being a hiker with a paradoxical style. On one side I tend toward fast tracking while on the other I halt frequently, gazing at various points of interest, fauna and flora. I'm also geared toward lightweight backpacking but wouldn't let my solo percolator home.

Product Information

Manufacturer	Smith Sport Optics (http://www.smithoptics.com)
Manufacturing Country	U.S.A. (Clearfield, Utah)
Product Category	Sunglasses
Frame Color	Graphite
Lens Color	Dielectric Blue
Additional Lens Color	RC36 (Rose Copper), Yellow, Clear*
Case Color	Black
Year of Manufacture	2004
Listed Weight	n.a.
Measured Weight:
Sunglasses (frame + lenses)	25 g (0.9 oz)
Case	45 g (1.6 oz)
Lenses (pair)	10 g (0.4 oz)
MSRP
Sunglasses	$124.00 US
Clear lens	$20.00 US
Material
Frame	Grilamid TR90 Nylon (plastic-like)
Nose/Temple Pad	Hydrophilic Megol (rubber-like)
Lenses	9 base TLT Carbonic Lenses
Case	Synthetic leather + Velour type fabric

* The clear lens is not part of the Axis Graphite package but was provided for the purpose of this test.

Introduction

During the long-term timeframe, I have continued to be an avid Axis user. I am still pleased with the overall performance, especially the fit and the optic, but the lenses now shows some signs of wear and tear following six months of quite intensive use.

Field Information

Again, because of their rather intensive use, I will try to summarize below the various terrains and conditions in which the Smith Axis sunglasses were involved during this long term testing period, focusing on illumination aspects rather then the weather or location themselves.

In seasonal order,

• Several days a week of rollerblading around Montreal late during the evening while light was low.
• Mount Washington's Presidential Range. Big shiny days with clear blue sky. Hiking above tree level, in the alpine area (above 4000 feet (1200 meters)).
• Adirondacks High Peaks Region. An even mixture of sunny and cloudy days. Some of which were in dense foliage while others were above tree level.
• Hautes-Gorges-de-la-Rivière-Malbaie National Park. Mostly overcast with lots of wind on dusty trails.
• GR20 Corsica, France. Everything Corsica could offer: bright sunny days, fogbound, thunderstorms, high velocity wind, and light rain. Elevation ranged between sea level and 7200 feet (2200 meters)
• Lots of day hikes in the Laurentiens or the Monteregiens with an even mixture of bright sunshine, overcast sky, and some rain;
• Daily, a 45 minute walk to my office in various late spring and summer conditions including a mix of rainy, sunny, and cloudy days;

Moreover, I have been using the Axis sunglasses casually on an everyday basis since the beginning of this test series.

Field Testing Impressions & Considerations

Lenses & Optics

As mentioned in the field report, I have been pleased with the excellent durability of the lens, which remained scratch-free at that time. However, the last months have been rough and now the lenses are showing minor signs of wear and tear. Not to the point where the vision would be affected but it remains apparent still.

Concerning the lens set, during the summer days I have mostly been dealing with either the Dielectric Blue (DB) or the Yellow lens. I would have really liked a better way of carrying both the DB and the RC36 (Rose Copper) while hiking during that time frame but was better off leaving the RC36 back home, expecting a dramatic lost without an appropriate carrying pouch.

The Yellow lens was simply just perfect while rollerblading during the evening when light is low. It accentuated the existing light while minimizing glare around spotlights.

Fit

In my field report, I have mentioned a particular occasion where I had sweat like mad. But to be honest, that was nothing compared to what I have endured during my Corsica thru-hike! Nevertheless, both the Hydrophilic Megol™ temple pads and nosepiece were definitely up to the challenge. Indeed, the grip rubber is very efficient at keeping the sunglasses in place.

During the testing period, I have been wearing the sunglasses for as long as 12 hours a day. Thanks to its very light weight: the sunglasses come to the point where they are barely noticeable.

During strenuous ascents on hot summer days, I have noticed some fogging on the lenses near the nosepiece due to limited body movement and wind.

Storage

I am still unhappy with my storage system. Even the third-party sunglasses pouch made of satin-like fabric shows some limitation. In fact, my main concern is about the fact that it becomes cumbersome to bring a lens set along with me while multi-day hiking. On the other hand, I am unable to provide Smith a better solution…

Areas of improvement

• Lens holes for improved ventilation.

Summary

Pro

• Comfortable and lightweight
• Optic (no distortion whatsoever)
• Wide solar spectrum coverage (with featuring lens set)

Con

• No cleaning cloth
• No small form-factor carrying pouch.