COSTA DEL MAR – LENS MATERIAL OPTIONS

Yup…another costa forum.

Looking for opinions on the 580G vs. 580P.

I’ve owned 3 pairs of Costas all in 580G. Looking to save a few bucks and go with the 580P but am wondering if the money savings will be a benefit or not. My latest pair is the Harpoon in 580G blue mirror. They don’t fit my face to my satisfaction so will be selling them when I decide what pair I want next. They are less than a year old…..

Anyone here own the 580P and wish they would’ve spent the extra $$ on the glass? According to the Costa website “Polycarbonate & Trivex are your lightest and most durable lens material options”

Are they really more durable than the glass?

Looking for thoughts on the glass vs. poly

You’ll get opinions on both I’m sure. I did just purchase 580 Trivex and believe they may be the best of both worlds. Problem is that you need to have a prescription for Costa Trivex – at least for now.

Rumor has it that Oakley is trying to catch up to Costa and Maui Jim in terms of clarity and is working on Trivex for non-prescription. Maybe Costa goes that direction eventually too, but for the time being you’ll have to decide between glass or plastic.

Given the potential for breakage in fishing and other sports I would opt for polycarbonate over glass personally. Maybe give up some clarity, but a safer route IMO. Costa polycarbonate is regarded as best in class for plastic lenses so shouldn’t be a huge drop off.

I have 6-7 pairs of costas all 580P. My main pair I wear for fishing(3-4 days a week) barely have a scratch in them. I have a couple pairs of Oakleys and they don’t even come close in clarity. A few buddies have 580G and Maui Jims and the 580P is just as clear in our eyes and I have 20/20

I would just go with glass, that is all I have ever had in my Costas, how much lighter can the plastic really be and is it that much of a difference? Whether Costas or not I have had glass lenses in my glasses for over 30 years.

I’ve had the Fathom frames with both plastic and glass and I think the glass is much better. If cost is a concern don’t buy them retail, there are reputable dealers on ebay that sell the glass versions for about the same as what plastic costs in a store.

Ive had Blackfin frames and 580G blue leneses for the last few years and love them.

I’ve got Hammerheads with 580G and Blackfin with 580P. Both are awesome lenses and I would be perfectly happy owning just one of either. The 580P’s are not mirrored, so I tend to use them for driving instead of fishing. The 580G’s are amber blue mirrored and works great on the water. I think lens color is more important than lens composition with Costa’s. You will not be disappointed with either.

404 ERROR wrote:

I’ve got Hammerheads with 580G and Blackfin with 580P. Both are awesome lenses and I would be perfectly happy owning just one of either. The 580P’s are not mirrored, so I tend to use them for driving instead of fishing. The 580G’s are amber blue mirrored and works great on the water. I think lens color is more important than lens composition with Costa’s. You will not be disappointed with either.

What kind of difference do you see on the blue mirrored vs the non-mirrored. I am looking at Costas right now (never had them) but really don’t care for the blue mirror for normal every day wear and am leaning towards just the black (grey?) lenses.

Glass has the BEST clarity, although trivex is a close second. Glass is also the MOST scratch resistant but is a bit heavier and can shatter if dropped to concrete or has severe impact. Trivex and Poly are lighter than glass, and extremely impact resistant, but clarity not quite as good and scratch a little easier.

311hemi wrote:

What kind of difference do you see on the blue mirrored vs the non-mirrored. I am looking at Costas right now (never had them) but really don’t care for the blue mirror for normal every day wear and am leaning towards just the black (grey?) lenses.

I’ve had both grey and green mirror and I’ll never buy grey again. The grey is just dark and has really poor color definition for me. I realized there was a problem when I couldn’t see the flags we were placing for dog training. With green colors really pop and I have no trouble at seeing those same flags. I believe blue would be better for very bright situations but green is close and also lets you see in dimmer conditions. I wear the green mirror for everything; fishing, hunting, driving, I don’t go outside without them.

I emailed Costa a few years ago about lens colors and this is what they told me:

The Blue Mirrored 580 Glass lenses are made for the open water and have a gray base.

The Green Mirrored 580 Glass lenses offer enhanced visual acuity for fishing inshore, flats, rivers, and streams. They have a copper base.

The most popular choice for all aroung sports activities is the Green. I hope this helps.

Reef W wrote:

I’ve had both grey and green mirror and I’ll never buy grey again. The grey is just dark and has really poor color definition for me. I realized there was a problem when I couldn’t see the flags we were placing for dog training. With green colors really pop and I have no trouble at seeing those same flags. I believe blue would be better for very bright situations but green is close and also lets you see in dimmer conditions. I wear the green mirror for everything; fishing, hunting, driving, I don’t go outside without them.

I emailed Costa a few years ago about lens colors and this is what they told me:

The Blue Mirrored 580 Glass lenses are made for the open water and have a gray base.

The Green Mirrored 580 Glass lenses offer enhanced visual acuity for fishing inshore, flats, rivers, and streams. They have a copper base.

The most popular choice for all aroung sports activities is the Green. I hope this helps.

X2 on grey base vs amber base. Grey is way too muted for me too as I wear my shades whenever the sun is up. I believe you’d surprised the first time you wear good shades during a daytime rain or snow storm, it’s incredible how much more definition and clarity they provide.

I prefer mirrored lenses and I feel they cut down on glare more than non-mirrored lenses but YMMV.

Glass vs plastic has trade offs both ways. Glass is more clear, more durable than plastic yet is IMO noticeably heavier and of course, costs more. I believe you’ll be happy either way you choose, good luck with what you decide.

You can tell the difference in the weight of the glass vs poly.. I have both glass and poly in blue mirror for fishing.. cant say I can tell the difference between the two, But I would give the nod to the glass just for better durability and scratch resistance. Both are awesome to look through.

311hemi wrote:

What kind of difference do you see on the blue mirrored vs the non-mirrored. I am looking at Costas right now (never had them) but really don’t care for the blue mirror for normal every day wear and am leaning towards just the black (grey?) lenses.

I lied, sorry. Looked again and they’re actually the green mirrored lens. The mirror has a slight blue color to it, but I assure you it is the Copper base that I have and that’s why I like it. The standard grey is alright for fishing, but the copper base is what’s gives me the best clarity with stained river water. I’ll take either one fishing, but the green mirrored is all I will use when bowfishing.

One question regarding the weight of glass vs poly/trivex.

Do they both sink?

Last week I jumped in the water with my glass lens Maui Jims. Shortly after I realized they were missing. Completely stupid luck that I found them on a rock in 4 fow.

Have a pair from different mfr with poly lenses that float when they come off. Might be something to think about.

Unfortunately, yes. They both sink…Glass a little faster…Speaking from experience…

Thanks for all the input. I’ve been so happy with glass I think I’ll stick with it. You’ve also talked me into trying green mirror. I do love my blue mirror but they aren’t great in shaded areas or for driving……….on sunny days on the ice or middle of the lake, the blue mirror are perfect.

I forgot my costas while at work the other day and borrowed a pair of oakleys from a co-worker. There is no comparison, Costas are the only way to go IMO. The clarity of the oakleys are considerably inferior compared to my costa 580G.

I like the glass. Got the Hammerheads in 580G, thumbs up! Had a pair of 300Gs for a long time, too. Still wear them as well. Honestly, have a hard time telling a diff. I have the blue lenses FWIW.