#10MinuteTalk

[@jolier1313]

I learned more about my astigmatism from this podcast than my optometrist.

[@sheanthesheep3680]

Another trick I learned is that using Holo sights on low brightness helps, as the reticle tends to be almost translucent. So you just focus on the target and its clean. Also bigger dots for me. Usually 4moa and 2moa look the same size to me (starburtsting) bit 4moa is round at least. Thanks for the info guys!

[@HDFXSB645]

I've been told by my eye doctor that I have an astigmatism. Last week I was shopping for an optic for my first AR purchase. I looked through a Sig Romeo 5 and the dot was a hot mess for me. It looked like the dot was exploding, and then there was a red ring that looped from the upper left of the dot to the lower left. So I looked through the Spitfire and was so damn impressed that I bought one. On top of the clarity, the VIP warranty sold me over Sig's five year limited warranty

[@danf1862]

Try the Holosun HS510C with the 65 MOA ring. My Romeo5 is a hot mess like you said, but that big ring in the Holosun is crisp and clear. My astigmatism makes the Romeo 5 dot look like a shooting star. Good luck. Hopefully Vortex will start offering sights that work better for astigmatisms in the future. I need to check out that Spitfire you talked about.

[@huh_whoknew4714]

Id challenge Vortex to design a Small Red Dot sight that is Astigmatism friendly. Love everything Vortex

[@VortexNation]

Unfortunately, that would be like designing one shoe in one size to fit every foot on the planet. Every astigmatism is different from eye to eye and the red dot really isn't the problem - it's the eye itself. That is... Unless we could make a red dot that also performs eye surgery to fix astigmatism... That would be an idea! :)

[@huh_whoknew4714]

So no way to create an Aluminated Reticle that acts like a Red Dot. I.E. Prism/Etched glass etc. I see aluminated reticles fine. But traditional red dots are a tad fuzzy. I manage. Love my Sparc Red Dots. Just Ordered another. Something like the Spitfire 1x. Just wish it had more Red Dot like features Eye Relief etc.

[@VortexNation]

@@huh_whoknew4714 Correct - in order to get the features you like from riflescopes/prism scopes (primarily the etched reticle, for example) then the scope is going to need to use an optical system and will have a set eye relief. If you want something with unlimited eye relief like a red dot, then it won't be able to have an etched illuminated reticle. Unfortunately we can't always build exactly what we want, but only what physics will allow. Optics are always a game of tradeoffs.

[@huh_whoknew4714]

Thanks for the response and insight!

[@TheRimBrakeGuy]

@@VortexNation you need a scope that does not depend on the eye...probably go with smell of a burger :D

[@jamesperez1913]

I have that starburst affect indoors, but as soon as I am outdoors, it goes away.

[@michaelspadavecchia2750]

So I just got the 507c Vulcan and thought my sight was broken because instead of seeing the chevron I was seeing like two chevrons and slightly blurred and didn't know what was going on. Never wore glasses, always told I had good vision. The second I get a red dot and searching the internet that's when I started hearing about astigmatism and red dots. Got an appointment set up to see what's the damage here glad I found your channel to hear more about this.

[@tonys852]

I have 2 UH-1 with Micro 3 and 2 Razor II HD as well as 2 vipers mounted with the Razor's. The UH-1 have a bit of a blurry reticle unless under magnification (I do know that I have an astigmatism). I don't feel like it prohibits me from being able to perform with the tool that I have in my hand. I also have a Crossfire II that has served me well for a very cost effective optic. I couldn't be happier with my Vortex optics. Thanks for the quality products.

[@ELRas53]

I have an old Ultradot. I always just see a red smear down and to the right. I hate fiber optic rear sights as well because I don't see 2 crisp dots, I see 6

[@JakeCamo]

Just an fyi, you guys keep referring to the “the lens on the outside of your eye,” which is actually the cornea. With an astigmatism, it is usually the cornea that is warped, causing light to be focused unevenly when it comes into the eye. Sometimes the ‘lens’ (which is attached to muscles inside the eye) can overcome this if focusing hard or focusing at different distances (ie the dot becomes clear when looking at target). Also each Red dot is gonna have very slight differences in glass thickness and angles due to manufacturing tolerances, so it could change how the red dot focuses on the back of your eye (assuming it’s focusing incorrectly due to an astigmatism) so one dot may fit you better than another, or even a different dot from the same line.

[@8MCFATTY]

I received the Sparc AR II last nught as well as the micro 3x magnifier. Unfortunately the dot looked like 10 dots clustered tightly against eachother in a deformed circular shape. Weird thing was when i view through the 3x magnifier, it is a crisp dot. The part is great, just wish i ould get my eye to ser that same dot without the magnifier. Been due for an eye checkup though, so will go that route

[@VortexNation]

Ah dang - indeed the magnifiers do tend to clean up any weird effects from an astigmatism, but that's a bummer that yours affects the dot so much. Is it as bad when you're in bright daylight with it outside? That often times clears things up a bit, too.

[@8MCFATTY]

@@VortexNation we will see. I sure hope so. I literllay got it last night and am working today so it hasnt seen daylight. Hoping that does help. Love the optic and the warranty, so dont wanna stray from vortex.

[@gmaggard7012]

If you have a flip up rear AR style sight put the dot in the peep aperture and the dot will become a crisp round dot. I use that method for long distance where the dot needs to be crisp. CQB I just use the dot alone even though to me it looks like a starburst .

[@MojoSoDope90]

Good info. When I first started using red dots I didn’t have a lot of information about them and astigmatisms so I thought every dot I picked up was garbage. This could help a lot of people out and save them some time. Camera trick works for sure just looking through the lens of your phone but I also find holographic sights show cleaner

[@VortexNation]

Thanks for listening and great points!

[@owwillis]

Is holographic the same as prism? I too have an astigmatism and would like a cleaner dot. Was thinking of trying a prism system. At least if I still don’t like it I’ll have an etched reticle. When you say holographic, I think of Eotechs and those don’t have an etched reticle. Thanks.

[@theirishbear_osrs]

TIME AND MONEY! just returned a red dot after realizing what was really happening.. going to pick up the spitfire once OP gives me store credit.

[@troyackerman2006]

I came across this podcast by accident. (Been watching almost all the podcasts for about 2 weeks now) and figured out that the red dot I was looking to replace, as I thought there was a problem with it, is actually me. I still may be replacing with a prism 1x because shooting with a comma for a red dot is not working for me on this particular rifle.

[@VortexNation]

Thanks for tuning in and glad we could provide some information!

[@semiauto556]

I a LPVO when I leave both eyes open I get double vision. How can I correct this?

[@stephenalibozek1058]

Ty good information just what I needed 👍👍

[@schneir5]

I have astigmatism, and it seems like my glasses fix any issues I have with red dot sights. If I look through a red dot sight and move my glasses up, the dot looks much different. I love my 1x Spitfire optic so far though. I've had it for a couple years and I'm hoping to get the 3x from bass pro shop during their black Friday sale!

[@stoneyfieldoutdoors6250]

Parabolic Objective - Now that's a good term!

[@hawkgeoff]

You guys should have had someone included in the discussion that has an astigmatism. Your data on it being consistent and therefor usable is not accurate... at least not with the comma style astigmatism in my case. The length of the comma changes with brightness of the dot... of course that is dependent upon ambient light in conjunction with the dot brightness. I came here in hopes of learning if your adjustable 3x mag might help me as a mine is tolerable to about 75-100 yards. Just some thoughts to help these get better as I think they are beneficial. I must admit sitting down to listen to a discussion with 3 dudes that don't have an astigmatism was kind of like listening to three dudes talk about the process of child birth... just sayin' :)

[@VortexNation]

hawkgeoff LOL at the childbirth comment. We may not have astigmatisms ourselves, but have been in the industry and surrounded by so many people with astigmatisms that we are quite aware of what they’re like. Jimmy actually used to have one too before getting LASIK. Every single astigmatism is different though, so even if we brought on one person with one, it wouldn’t be the same as every other person out there listening with one, too. Corrective lenses, eye surgery, or a magnifier behind a red dot all can help with the negative effect of an astigmatism with a red dot. Of course, the magnifier doesn’t really help when things are up close and fast, but in those cases, a larger or distorted dot isn’t as big of a deal necessarily (Depending on application) and if it’s consistent every time (Which it should be) then the end user can get used to it over time and practice. Thanks for the feedback and for listening, though. We’ll keep your comments in mind for the future!

[@hawkgeoff]

What's the feedback/ percentage of folks that had the dot clear up with your magnifier (with adjustable eye ring) vs percentage that had no improvement or worse results. I'm fighting a switch to lpvo but may have to bite the bullet... no pun intended

[@VortexNation]

@@hawkgeoff Darn near everyone. When a magnifier gets flipped up, it almost always makes the dot look better.

[@motorcitysteel9820]

hawkgeoff.....spot on sir. They basically tried to to tell us to "suck it up". I have a 6 moa venom that looks like bird pooped on my clean lens with my right eye and a football with my left. Yet with my Eotech I see a nice clean reticle. So the title of this segment should have been, "astigmatism? - We don't make any optics at Vortex for you". I do enjoy your videos. Just not this one. P.S. , an engineer is not a doctor. I'm an engineer and you don't want me fixing your body parts.

[@motorcitysteel9820]

@@hawkgeoff Magnifier helps a lot!

[@Hollywood41642]

I see two images at the same time about 3 feet apart at 30 yards. ?

[@Junior-fd8ux]

Mine sucks I still look at them through phones hoping something changes lol, I always get the dot with a blotchy dot in the upper left mostly.

[@allthingsmotors3691]

If you have glasses does it fix it?

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

I just got an aimpoint and when i look through without glasses i see a vertical line. With glasses its a dot. Kinda sucks since I can’t use it without glasses.

[@VortexNation]

If it's any consolation - that "Line" you're seeing should always be consistent and you can actually use it as a point of aim!

[@ilovehotdogs125790]

@@VortexNation true, in an emergency situation it could still work. some people say that polarized glasses help, maybe if i get polarized film and wrap it neatly around the front it could fix it (Maybe even a polarized cap that will fit?). We'll see..

[@rc-pm1fe]

anyone know if changing to a green dot makes any difference to the astigmatism due to the different color?

[@NPC-ei5xc]

For me Green is easier to see. It's still slightly blurry but it's much easier to make out. Don't know if that'll be the same for everyone or if it's just my eyes

[@rc-pm1fe]

Update here, bought a swampfox 1x10 with green bdc, astigmatism seems to be reduced by about 50%

[@NPC-ei5xc]

@@rc-pm1fe That's great it reduced the blur for you. I have a green/red dot and I always keep it on the green setting

[@E57det7I]

Something that I just came here to clarify that I did not see any of the videos when I watched when I was very concerned about this and getting into red dots. If you wear corrective lenses, this one will not be an issue for you. Assuming your prescription is correct. This is specifically for people who have an astigmatism that is mild enough they do not wear glasses.

[@alecubudulecu]

As an optician for 20 years - it’s important to note that about 30% of the population has a stigmatism. It’s pretty common. Eyeglasses that correct it should solve the problem instead of getting a prism

[@ukwan]

I 100% have an astigmatism, diagnosed. Never noticed any issues with red dots or any type of optic.

[@obeace4495]

Take a picture of the red dot and see if there is a difference. You may just think your seeing the right thing. It just effects red dots. Not lpvo or prism

[@cchcch-jw9dw]

Any red dot for me on the lowest setting in a dark room looks like a bolt of lighting soming down on my left eye, and a bolt of lighting protruding up on my right. Aimpoints, Trijicons, Vortex's etc. I only like etched or holographic.

[@VortexNation]

Very common! In low-light settings like that almost any form of illumination will be too much and you will see glare and not perfect dots.

[@keenanschouten2582]

Get rid of the prism integrated mount so it can be used with Unity high rise mount

[@bulletproofrecon1082]

Horrible. There advice: “If you suffer from Astigmatism, oh well you should get better eyes. You must have the light up to high, why do you need an accurate red dot, just guess which one it is. You don’t have astigmatism you just suck at shooting”. Hey here’s a thought, 99 percent of viewers are here because they know how to shoot and know the brightness high makes it worse, lowering the brightness doesn’t make it accurate. The question they want answered is “Is there a FIX with the scopes not with their eyes.

[@donaldsiaczka5164]

Astigmatism in right eye so I shoot on my left side been doing it all my life

[@harrymcmahen9616]

It works great on 5th of july.

[@heavyhitter86]

I got a red dot about a week ago and as soon as I turned it... I noticed the dot was not as crisp as I excepted it to be. I took a picture with my phone and guess what? It's a perfect, insanely crisp dot. I went to my optometrist today and according to him... I have perfect vision and no astigmatism... What gives?!?

[@frankgonzalez3822]

Star / snowflake shape. Makes dot fuzzy.

[@johnnyb2799]

Bacon!!!!😂😂😂

[@maxantile8873]

When you cowitness it will fix

[@TinNguyen-Carlie]

Yeah, I have astigmatism. I look through a rear iron sight and a dot looks normal

[@jimt2011]

real simple test....look at the red dot thru your phones camera, the camera will show perfect dot ( if its not design flaw)....if you look thru your eyes, and its startburst or grapes...you got one. The Phone camera won't lie.

[@samuelpope7798]

If I don't use my glasses I see two and a half blured horizontal cross hairs and one perfectly focused vertical cross hair. If I rotate the scope 90 degrees the sight picture stays the same. Nothing wrong with scope. Red dot looks like a comma ( , ). If I rotate the red dot optic comma doesn't rotate. Nothing wrong with red dot. Get good prescription glasses.

[@nelson1tom]

I had to ask my girlfriend if my EOTECH was broken when I first got it

[@toejam7606]

Eotech looks good enough, buy eotech. We are defensive shooting not precision.

[@lazarus1867]

Umm yeah.. if u have ever drove at night and the street lights above you look like a starburst or a Disney cartoon star then u most likely have an astigmatism

[@kagyu1]

Green dot.

[@BG-qo8ol]

Get prescription glasses

[@obeace4495]

Don't use a red dot with a shape of a toe nail for your reticle. That's not a natural point of reference for you to aim and is just dumb. Sell the mistake and either train with irons or prisms etc. I was so pissed when I looked through my first RD. Pos 👀