I have a pair of costas with Blue Plastic Lenses that cover my basic fishing needs. I'm looking for a pair that would be better suited for hunting (deer, dove, etc) since Costa has a good sale right now. Any recommendations on what color lenses to get for this application?

Here we go.....in memory of .....one of the greatest rants in OB history...I'll leave it at that...

You are missed.

Here..

I guess I should've searched the forum better... I couldn't find anything definitive.

He is just referencing NW80's openminded opinions on lens color.

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/1748168

You want amber lenses to better see contrasting colors and spot things. I like the reflective green coating- never understood that rant.

LOL

I just bought a pair of those "awful green mirror" 580s. And yes, I think I have a matching Columbia fishing shirt somewhere.

5 pages
2 bans

I don't know if it matters to you, but if I remember correctly the 580p lenses are z87 rated but the frames are not.

Walter Kovacs said:

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I don't know if it matters to you, but if I remember correctly the 580p lenses are z87 rated but the frames are not.

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No Costa products are z87 rated. For them to meet the z87 standards they must be stamped with z87 and no Costas have that. Really only an important distinction in the world of workplace safety. The Costa lenses made from polycarbonate come with a certificate say they meet or exceed z87 standards. Now if they do in fact meet z87 standards I don't know why they wouldn't stamp the lenses and frames.

George08 said:

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You want amber lenses to better see contrasting colors and spot things. I like the reflective green coating- never understood that rant.

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I've been thinking about the amber or copper ones.

RCR06 said:

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Walter Kovacs said:

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I don't know if it matters to you, but if I remember correctly the 580p lenses are z87 rated but the frames are not.

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No Costa products are z87 rated. For them to meet the z87 standards they must be stamped with z87 and no Costas have that. Really only an important distinction in the world of workplace safety. The Costa lenses made from polycarbonate come with a certificate say they meet or exceed z87 standards. Now if they do in fact meet z87 standards I don't know why they wouldn't stamp the lenses and frames.

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Yep. If you want certified safety glasses like that, look at Wiley X.

As for lens color, green cuts down on more sunlight, but copper / amber / etc. has been slightly better for contrast and seeing into the water. But I still find myself squinting sometimes.

Costa has a page on their website where they list out the different lenses that they have and what their strengths are.

Costa Lens Color Technology

Really like my amber costas with the "awful green mirror." Not sure why sunchaser has such a strong opinion on that.

BCO07 said:

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Really like my amber costas with the "awful green mirror." Not sure why sunchaser has such a strong opinion on that.

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I've wondered the same. I think it's a joke as the green mirror are copper lenses(which he supports) with a green mirror coating.

If you're looking for lenses for hunting that's likely to be lower light conditions so you want higher light transmission and contrast which are going to be the yellow lenses. I have the Sunrise Mirror for low light and I wear them hunting and fishing. Also driving in the rain they provide great contrast and actually cut out the glare from lights reflecting from rain.

I'm something of a sunglasses junkie and definitely prefer Costas. I've got a pair of Maui Jim but they're strictly a backup.

My go-to for fishing (since virtually all of my fishing is sight-casting in shallow water) and most days I'm wearing the 580G green-mirror lenses. As stated, these have the amber base which is the best for contrast and the green mirror helps the brighter sunlight. The glass lenses are heavier but they're more scratch resistant and have much better clarity than the polycarbonate lenses.

I have the Fisch frames with the Sunrise Silver Mirror 580P lenses for low light. They excel in those conditions when there's clouds and I'm on the water or early/late when hunting. They're lightweight and fairly comfy but the lenses do scratch a little and I think it's the frames but the Fisch fog up more easily than the Zane. I got these in a group buy from @eyeguy on here.

I also have the Zane in blue mirror 400G that I wear offshore or to the pool/beach. I think I got these off Steep & Cheap.

And I still have the first pair of Costas I ever bought in like 1998. They're a discontinued frame called the Europa and look sort of like Ray Ban Wayfarers. These are rarely worn any more. I'd like to send them back and see if they could be refurbished just for nostalgia.

Beyond that I've had one warranty claim on my Zanes (which was handled with zero issue and only paying for S&H), one pair of Zanes stolen, and one pair of Costa Wavekillers unintentionally sacrificed to the Atlantic off the Outer Banks.

TarponChaser said:

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If you're looking for lenses for hunting that's likely to be lower light conditions so you want higher light transmission and contrast which are going to be the yellow lenses. I have the Sunrise Mirror for low light and I wear them hunting and fishing. Also driving in the rain they provide great contrast and actually cut out the glare from lights reflecting from rain.

I'm something of a sunglasses junkie and definitely prefer Costas. I've got a pair of Maui Jim but they're strictly a backup.

My go-to for fishing (since virtually all of my fishing is sight-casting in shallow water) and most days I'm wearing the 580G green-mirror lenses. As stated, these have the amber base which is the best for contrast and the green mirror helps the brighter sunlight. The glass lenses are heavier but they're more scratch resistant and have much better clarity than the polycarbonate lenses.

I have the Fisch frames with the Sunrise Silver Mirror 580P lenses for low light. They excel in those conditions when there's clouds and I'm on the water or early/late when hunting. They're lightweight and fairly comfy but the lenses do scratch a little and I think it's the frames but the Fisch fog up more easily than the Zane. I got these in a group buy from @eyeguy on here.

I also have the Zane in blue mirror 400G that I wear offshore or to the pool/beach. I think I got these off Steep & Cheap.

And I still have the first pair of Costas I ever bought in like 1998. They're a discontinued frame called the Europa and look sort of like Ray Ban Wayfarers. These are rarely worn any more. I'd like to send them back and see if they could be refurbished just for nostalgia.

Beyond that I've had one warranty claim on my Zanes (which was handled with zero issue and only paying for S&H), one pair of Zanes stolen, and one pair of Costa Wavekillers unintentionally sacrificed to the Atlantic off the Outer Banks.

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Thanks for the feedback! The copper or green appear to have virtually the same contrast per Costa's lense page (the picture you select a lense for). I'm thinking I'll try one of these for my next pair. High contrast is definitely a target for this pair.

I have a pair of Reeftons with the plastic lenses that are staring to show their age, and wanna replace em with the glass lenses.

What is the best resource for replacement lenses?

Are costas as easy to self replace the lenses as oakleys?