# Optical Forums > Progressive Lens Discussion Forum >  Shamir Autograph III

## cecelia77

Opinions wanted on this lens... how does it compare to the Varilux S4D for example.

Many thanks

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## Tallboy

> Opinions wanted on this lens... how does it compare to the Varilux S4D for example.
> 
> Many thanks


I think it is a much better lens than the Varilux S, that is my anecdotal opinion based on dispensings.  It works very well with Hyperopes.  Choose shorter fixed corridors for high Myopes in tall lenses.

I don't really like the S, I dispense the Physio enhanced (W3?) but the S is a bunch of hooey, just my opinion in the end I guess - but you asked for it  :Wink:

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## EyeManDan

> Opinions wanted on this lens... how does it compare to the Varilux S4D for example.
> 
> Many thanks



I am not a fan, I changed my out after 3 months, just trued the ABB progressive that is based off of the autograph, again not a fan.  love my enhanced and like the W3.  personal favorite is nikkon presio power

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## cecelia77

I have gone back to dispensing my beloved Zeiss Individual Framefit.

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## golfnut

We dispense a great deal of auto III and have great satisfaction from our pt's. Also use the intouch as well...love it too.

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## kcox

We dispense a lot of progressives in our office and the ones we've had the most success with are Shamir lenses, especially the Autograph II and III.

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## SoopaTroopa

Our office does great with Auto 3. Varilux is becoming tiresome with the constant changing of lenses. I don't think the S design is worth the premium they charge for it, and we keep running into issues where labs tell us we can't have just one Physio W3 made. They say it has to be made in pairs. Very obnoxious. That said, the comfort line is prety good.

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## ThatOneGuy

> Opinions wanted on this lens... how does it compare to the Varilux S4D for example.
> 
> Many thanks


S4D, I recently learned isn't half of what it is supposed to be. I thought for a while that they were catching up in technology with others, but in reality they are still way behind, but ever improved in their marketing.

Auto III is a good lens that also allows for a fair amount of control in corridor length if you are tracking where people look through their lenses. Shamir has a history of quality product, but it still isn't in the same ball game as Zeiss Individual 2

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## Uncle Fester

Switch your moderate to strong hyperopes to this lens from Essilors other designs and watch the positive reactions!

I still try not to change some one from a Zeiss design but if you're like me and have to deal with a Big E lab this is the lens to change the hyperope too. 

I believe the secret sauce is less prism in the corridor and near zones.

Or is it image displacement? Or both?? I'm so confused!!!  :Unsure: 

Calling Robert Martellaro!!!

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## masterofnone

Love the auto but my favorite lens right now is the spectrum. Had great results

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## danamyx

We use the Spectrum a lot, especially for people who do a lot of close work. I have both the VS and the Auto III, There is little difference between them but my lab charges quite a bit less for the Auto III.
I also have the Comfort W2 and find for the $$ it's a better deal than the VS because the optics are very similar.

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## Tallboy

I love the spectrum but my labs IOT house lens works at the same rate of success and happiness in patients.  Great lens though.  I just do not have the unfettered success with the Auto III that I had with the AUTO II or the Physio Enhanced/W3+.

Some people love it, some people complain of a "weirdness" that they can't put their finger on.  I had a couple bad experiences and have shyed away from it...  using more my labs IOT house design and Zeiss and Physio W3.  

As far as the Varilux S design it was never impressive to me, at all.   I certainly like the prices a lot more on the AUTO IIIs but I've become gunshy in using them because I've had some extremely vocal clients who put them on and just hated them.  That has only happened to me with one other lens in the last 5 years (VSP's UNITY PLXPRESSION).

Just my 2cents

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## scriptfiller

I slipped our lead optician an A3 in his newest RX over the S4 he was wearing and had no complaints from him.

Too many patients to count that we successfully switched from the Physio Enhanced or S4 into A3's.  I really love the opportunity to customize the fit of the lense to the pat. that the A3 allows for.

We do have a pat. who is a successful fit at 12mm with the A3.

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## Hayde

Haven't dispensed S 4Ds, just the Fit.  But in terms of customer satisfaction, I can't identify any statically significant difference between Varilux 'S' varietals and the Shamir A3.  They're both excellent go-to lenses when you don't want to risk selling problems.  I find the Shamir A3 much more cost effective, especially when upgrading Transitions, plus available in Trivex...so my almost all-Varilux optical has gone to 50/50 Varilux and Shamir.  I feel comfortable using the A3 15-fixed for almost everyone, with the occasional exception of the 18-fixed for someone prioritizing intermediate with little regard for near reading.  For high myopes, I have yet to have a complaint that the A3 "Intelli-corridor" isn't performing just fine in a 15-fixed.

For first-time PALs, I have no problem pointing out the manufacturer's unconditional customer satisfaction guarantee for a Varilux S--and there's nothing wrong with a patient opting for the higher price for their own piece of mind.  I'll also try to keep happy Varilux (Comfort Enhanced or better) patients in Varilux lenses to prevent needless risks of design adaptation across manufacturers.  But for the rest (including Varilux Comfort DRx's or older ready for a modern lens), the A3 doesn't play 2nd fiddle to anyone within my sphere of observation.

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## Tallboy

Again I have never had any great experience with the S lens. It was mostly the Physio Enhanced/W3 I was talking about - which are favorites with many of my hyperopic clients. That being said maybe I will go back to trying some A3s again, I believe in the design I just have had a few people unhappy with their lenses. Maybe it was just faulty processing, maybe they just couldn't be unhappy. Some people's minds just mesh well with the "blur" that is in their soft soft soft lenses.

I use Comfort DRX or Physio W3, they are the best Varilux lenses IMO. That is when I'm not using the house lenses from my independent wholesaler, which I mostly use now days.

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## merrymaker

> I slipped our lead optician an A3 in his newest RX over the S4 he was wearing and had no complaints from him.
> 
> Too many patients to count that we successfully switched from the Physio Enhanced or S4 into A3's.  I really love the opportunity to customize the fit of the lense to the pat. that the A3 allows for.
> 
> We do have a pat. who is a successful fit at 12mm with the A3.


woah.  I've got some 14-15's out there in the wild, but a 12?  impressive.

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## Robert Martellaro

> Switch your moderate to strong hyperopes to this lens from Essilors other designs and watch the positive reactions!
> 
> I still try not to change some one from a Zeiss design but if you're like me and have to deal with a Big E lab this is the lens to change the hyperope too. 
> 
> I believe the secret sauce is less prism in the corridor and near zones.
> 
> Or is it image displacement? Or both?? I'm so confused!!! 
> 
> Calling Robert Martellaro!!!


Howdy, Uncle Fester. The differences are primarily due to corridor power profiles, and to the degree of local zone softness, the latter increasing the intermediate and near widths slightly for hyperopes, the former ramping up the power quicker in the corridor for myopes. The Spectrum, compare to the Auto 2, addressed these issues somewhat, but is not optimized for POW, as is the Auto 2 and Auto 3. The latest version of Zeiss lenses have improved significantly, especially for myopes, where the power profile was too slow, a problem that still plagues the Physio and S design.

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## dannyj125

> Opinions wanted on this lens... how does it compare to the Varilux S4D for example.
> 
> Many thanks


My Shamir rep gave me a voucher to try these out and I have to say, the Autograph 3 is my favorite Progressive I've worn. Even better than the Physio Enhanced that I had before these. A lot better intermediate and wider field of vision. Highly recommended!

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## kittyeyes

I use the Nikon See Max (happy with the whole line), which was better than Definity-I too have a Big E aversion, and the problem with lots of free-form progressives (and Nikons included) are that the lenses come back from the lab with a 1-3 (flat) BC, which splays the temples out on a zyl frame. Auto II and III come in steeper base curve options and are as good as my See Max's, without the extra bench work to re-align a frame!

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## King of the Lab

Physio W3 Fit would have to be one of my favorites, IMO

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## Slim

I have tried the S fit,  W3+ Fit and the auto 3 15mm.  all in the same frame and same RX

for me.. the A3 blew them away.  Well the S fit for sure.  w3 was closer to the A3 but...

The A3 feels like a single vision to me, extremely smooth.  I did goto trivex on the A3 so that may be a lil of it on the corners.  bottom out side corners are damm near perfect clear in near and far distances.

My personal biggest concern was the upper inside corner as I shoot archery.  with the other 2 varilux, I had to switch to my SV to be able to aim correctly.  Along with aberration, I had image compression up in the corner.  with the A3 and trivex it has non of that.

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## Kwill212

> bottom out side corners are damm near perfect clear in near and far distances.


Could you explain this a little better? How can any single point of a progressive be perfectly clear for distance *and* near? Let alone the bottom corners.

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## Slim

I am only a +1.00 add... I can still read a lil with SV, so my eyes have some accomodation left :).  there is a tiny amount of aberration but compared to other designs I am beyond pleased with these Auto 3's

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## plculver

I've seen in various places on this board, people recommending this lens specifically for hyperopes.  What about myopes?  Is it as good for high myopes as well?





> Switch your moderate to strong hyperopes to this lens from Essilors other designs and watch the positive reactions!
> 
> I still try not to change some one from a Zeiss design but if you're like me and have to deal with a Big E lab this is the lens to change the hyperope too. 
> 
> I believe the secret sauce is less prism in the corridor and near zones.
> 
> Or is it image displacement? Or both?? I'm so confused!!! 
> 
> Calling Robert Martellaro!!!

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## cjlee07

I love the auto III and the ability to select the corridor size. However, be aware that first PAL wearers and those with slight rx's (not adds) may be better in a simpler lens, such as the InTouch. The digital compensation can sometimes mess with such pt's.

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## golfnut

The only issues I've had with auto III are with higher power myopes( -6.00 and up) I've had a few pts complain of reduced distance acuity...looking at the compensation they are sometimes as much as .50 lower than prescribed in the sph.  And these are with ones that we just used default measurements so I'm not sure that much compensation is needed?? Other compensated designs I use around those same powers usually show much less decrease. Not quite sure why..other than those powers they perform really well .

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