Well,

Some industries just grab you by the balls and squeeze as tight as they can to milk every cent out of you.

I need toi upgrade my glasses, get an eye test and then we sit down to sort out my needs.
I need multifocal lens and because I work outside the lenses that tint automatically are suitable.
Sounds good. Oh and them I need a thin lens because one lens will be far thinker than the other if I stick with the standard ones.
Cool.

Ok your quote is $1300 for 2 sets.
WTF.??
I told the guy he was on drugs, your calculator has been hacked by the fucking tooth fairy,  there is no way on the planet they should cost that much.
last year when I visited HK I picked up 2 sets of reading glasses, frameless ones for under $200 for 2 sets. The same glasses here are $500 each so I am thinking about jumping on a plane , flying from Australia and getting 3 or 4 sets of glasses and flying home. Maybe spend 3 days there in total and fly home.
Can anyone suggest a well priced optometrist or eyeglass shop who can make these transition graduated tinted glasses. I dont really want to go all the way to HK and search for somewhere. I would much rather  communicate with the store before hand to get an idea on price and supply before I travel so I dont waste time roaming around for another store.

Also pref if they can communicate in english cause I cant speak Chinese..lol

Any help will be appreciated.

PS the time saved will leave time for a spot of mongering..

surely someone here wears glasses???lol

what currency are you talking about ?

Australian dollars, sorry should have made that clear

The price you are paying is about standard....

progressive lenses (no line bifocals) have various ranges of designs where the focus on how big of a reading area that you get.  Cheaper no line bifocals skimp on the reading portion as that is the most expensive portion of the lens.  See attached image.  

When you look at the image you will notice 3 colors each showing effectively how big of a reading area you will get.  The orange color are the lenses that will give you the largest reading area but they are also more expensive.  

Lenses with Reading power between grey area lenses are about 100 USD
Lenses with Reading power between blue area lenses are about 200 USD
Lenses with Reading power between orange start at 300 USD and up

Then depending on your prescription would determine if you would absolutely need to get the thinner material which can add another 100-300 USD.

Then transitions can add another 100-150 USD

No glasses is complete with out the Anti-Reflective/Scratch resistant coating for another 100-200 USD

And to top it off you haven't added a frame yet.

Maybe you can try looking online in for a retailer in Australia that will make the glasses for less, but the problem is multifocal lens work where the middle of your pupil is.  Any little bit off and either you won't get enough distance vision or reading vision, usually the latter is the case.  In the states there are shops like this: http://www.glassesusa.com/ that sell cheap glasses

Line bifocals are always an alternative and cheaper.

go online and search for online stores that do glasses.
should be plenty now.
In north america there is clearlycontacts.com - they are the biggest and there's plenty more of them out there.

I'm not sure if they deliver to OZ but goggles4u is a good site for your sight, LOL   I used to buy designer shades but these days, they all look the same, so instead I just get my prescription from my opt Dr and buy online.  I have about 10 pairs of prescription sunglasses, cost me less than 100 USD total, and like 20 pairs of regular prescription glasses in all shapes, sizes and forms for each different occasion.  I think I paid (cheapest pairs) 3 pair for$20 USD, and the most expensive pair were a pair of Modos that I paid under $100 USD with super thin light lenses, shipped.  There are like 3 of these websites, some ship from the USA, some ship from China, goggles4u normally ships from the USA.  I've had them checked at my eye dr and the scripts are pretty much dead on with one pair that was off by .25 on one side, not sure why.

Sorry guys seem to have missed this thread.

I ended up getting some specs local. Upgraded health insurance and they paid for half. Still I will take a look at some in HK next visit in September.

I worry about buying without trying them on first. I always wonder about the problems if they are poor fitting etc etc.

Any suggestions for Specs in HK at reasonable rates?

I got a pair of progressive lens (extra thin, plastic, anti-reflective/anti-scratch coating) glasses for a little over US$250 at a shop called Montblanc Optical Co. Ltd.

Address : Flat E, 7/F. Cameron Plaza, 23-25A Cameron Road, Tsimshatsui, Kowloon.
Tel : 2366 8848


This place is a small shop managed by a elderly couple. The husband has been selling glasses for decades and he has all the eye testing equipment on the premises. His selection of frames are not the latest, their newest will be about 1 year old already.

They survive solely on word-of-mouth, reputation. According to the news clippings and certificates on the wall, I think the guy used to be the head of the HK optician association so he should be quite credible unlike most optical shops on the ground floor of malls/streets.

if u want cheap specs... go to spec savers.
Quality of multifocals there are shit thou.

Buy from HK at ur own risk. Problems may arise and need adjustments or redo's.

I have my first pair of multi-focal contact lens...
They are great! Any interest PM me and I will send you the Doc's info.

Optical4less.com is actually a HK company and they have a store up in the New Territories.

I've always ordered online before, but when I was in HK a couple of years ago I decided to pay them a visit.  I called them up and they gave me directions to the mall where their store was.  There was no indication in the store that they had an online wing and the prices were higher, but they said that they would give me their online price.

Now they have my measurements on file so new glasses are a good fit.  I'd recommend them - have never had a problem with their service or glasses.