Hi,

If anyone knowledgeable (this excludes you,gato) feels so inclined to
answer some questions I have, it would be appreciated.  First a little
history.

I'm 50, and have gotten by up til now without bifocals due to slight
myopia and slight presbyopia.  I thought it was time to finally bite the
bullet and try progessive bifocals.  My Rx is :
OD -1.25
OS -1.25 -0.50 x 75
Add +2.00

My last pair of several years ago were virtually the same, but no add in
the glasses.  They were perfect for distance; I would need to take them
off to read.  For tiny print or detailed work, I would use some cheap
readers.

Well my optometrist put me in Varilux panamics, and of course, not being
used to progressives, I initally thought it was outrageous, no way.
After several weeks of adaptation, I notice that they are very nice for
driving (where my vision is concentrated along the central axis) or
watching television, but still find them less than ideal in other areas
for 2 reasons:
1.  When shopping or just going about my business, I have to deal with
the usual peripheral distortions at distance, but for close up, I find
the continual necessary head bobbing (horizontal and vertical) just so
annoying that I end up just taking them off.  If I'm going to do that...
where's the benefit over my old glasses?  In particular, this is because
I find the reading area just too narrow.  My question here: Is there
something intrinsic in the panamic design that might be bothering me
that I might find less annoying in comfort or some other design?

2.  I notice chromatic aberration everywhere off the centerline.  These
are lightweight glasses, and I found the chromatic aberration so
annoying that I assumed they were polycarbonate.  But after checking the
engraving marks, I see they are ormex.  My optometrist tells me this is
the lowest index (though I'm really interested in the highest abbe)
material that varilux panamics are available in.  He suggested I try
varilux comfort, which are available in a lower index material.  My
question : Can anyone verify what materials (and their index or abbe #s)
are indeed available for panamic and comfort; and is it possible I might
find the comfort design less annoying, or are they all pretty much the same?

Sorry for my babbling, but these things are driving me nuts.  Oh, and to
anyone who suggests going to conventional lined bifocals.... I slapped
on some +2.0 stick-on plastic lenses to my old glasses and have
effectively converted them into what seem like decent bifocals!

Thanks,
Bob