Zeiss leads the way in vision technology, this much is apparent to anyone who has come
into contact with the brand. Following their trend of pushing innovation, Zeiss has crafted a
new lens specifically designed for snow goggles that will improve your vision and performance
on the snow.
Zeiss tackled some of the most significant visibility issues skiers and boarders face on
the slopes by incorporating their extensive research into the technology of the new Sonar
Lenses. By studying the spectrum of light that snow reflects in different weather conditions and
how the human eye perceives that spectrum, Zeiss formulated a lens that has the perfect color
ranges to maximize the wearer’s perception of detail.
It’s incredibly important to skiers and snowboarders that they can see the texture of and
subtle changes in the terrain; this isn’t always plainly evident. Zeiss’ research yielded that the
way that snow interacts with the light spectrum can often hide details from the naked eye,
making it extremely difficult to discern the true nature of the terrain, especially in bad weather
conditions.
According to Zeiss snow is not actually white, but rather reflects the blue portion of the
light spectrum. Because of the way our eyes perceive color, blue light affects our ability to see
other colors in the spectrum. Think of blue light as a curtain that masks over everything you see
reducing contrast and therefore your ability to perceive changes in color and depth.
Most goggles try to bypass this problem by completely eliminating the blue spectrum of
light, but Zeiss found that that wasn’t the best solution. To eliminate all blue light is to create
the same problem on the other end of the literal spectrum; no blue light causes colors to
become saturated and flat. Zeiss’ Sonar Lens presents a solution by masterfully maintaining the
optimum portion of the blue light spectrum while reducing the rest to create a perfect balance
that brings the wearer’s perception of contrast to a peak.
The light spectrum is measured in nanometers (the measurement of wavelength). All
light has a wavelength that corresponds to its color, blue being on the shorter end and red
being on the longer end. The Sonar Lens is ingeniously designed to maintain the purest of blue
light, around 400 nanometers while eliminating the longer wavelengths of blue light, around
420 nanometers, to reduce that curtaining effect. This optimizes contrast by eliminating the
heavy overlay of blue light without making all other colors oversaturate and flatten out.
For this to work, Zeiss had to understand the precise way that our eyes perceive color.
According to their work, the blue hazing effect comes from an overlap in the blue, green and
red spectrums that the cones (photosensitive receptors) in our eyes perceive. The Sonar Lens is
designed to only allow blue light that doesn’t interact with the red and green cones in the eye,
bypassing the blue haze effect while maintaining the proper balance of blue light.
Zeiss’ Snoar Lenses are a game changer for anyone who enjoys skiing or snowboarding,
casually or professionally. By maximizing visibility, regardless of weather conditions, Zeiss has
further continued their quest for innovation and technological advancement. SnowGoggles.com
is proud to be your chosen provider for the incredible new technology Zeiss has to offer. Our
masks start at $130 and our special prescription services start at $20, check us out today, it’s
worth seeing.
