- Joined
- Jan 23, 2016
- Posts
- 112
Just spent three days skiing with the Smith Chromapop Storm lenses at Sunday River in Maine. I did a little bit of A/B comparisons with the Red Sensor lens, my previous low light lens from my I/OX goggles.
Conditions: mostly cloudy and/or shady on Day One; mostly cloudy/snow flurries on Day Two; light to heavier snow on Day Three, with four inches of fresh accumulation during the day. I probably saw about an hour of overhead sun in total during the three days, so conditions were excellent to evaluate the lenses.
Clarity: the Chromopop Storm is noticeably clearer than the Red Sensor in non-snowy conditions. The overall effect was consistent with wearing a very good pair of sunglasses vs. a typical poly-based goggle lens. Trivex is a better, clearer material for goggle lenses. On a side note, I experienced none of the vertigo that some posters have referenced -- I simply had an incrementally better view of the slopes and terrain.
Contrast: the amber-based Storm lens provided very good contrast in most conditions -- I had very little problem picking mogul lines and navigating the variable groomer conditions that were prevalent on the first two days of the trip. Visually, I've always had a preference towards the pink-based lenses, but I was very happy with the Storm vs. the Red Sensor lens in terms of contrast -- I'd give it a slight edge.
Light Transmission: this is the one area where the Red Sensor has an advantage, as I could detect a clear difference in transmitted light between the Storm (listed at 50% VLT) and the Red Sensor (70% VLT, IIRC). The only time during the three days that I preferred the Red Sensor was during the heaviest snowfall and fog conditions that emerged during Day Three, as the clarity advantages of the Storm were nullified by big snowflakes and very low light. In those conditions, the higher VLT lens was the better choice, and on some runs with the Storm I knew I would have been better served with the Red Sensor.
Summary: the Storm is an excellent lens, and I'm happy to have made the purchase. In particular, for lower light, north facing resorts in the Northeast where most of the skiing is done in the shade (and worse) until late February, the Storm is a fantastic everyday lens. Personally, I won't be swapping it out until the sun gets far higher in the sky. For Eastern skiers, I see no reason not to buy the Chromapop-based Smith goggles for new goggle purchases, and the upgrade for existing lens swap-outs is well worth considering.
For the West, I think the decision is more of a judgment call. If you only use a storm lens during foggy conditions and during heavy dumps, I think the VLT is a bigger factor than clarity. On the other hand, if you use a storm lens more frequently (say, in the trees and shade), then the clarity and contrast advantages of the Storm bear consideration.
Conditions: mostly cloudy and/or shady on Day One; mostly cloudy/snow flurries on Day Two; light to heavier snow on Day Three, with four inches of fresh accumulation during the day. I probably saw about an hour of overhead sun in total during the three days, so conditions were excellent to evaluate the lenses.
Clarity: the Chromopop Storm is noticeably clearer than the Red Sensor in non-snowy conditions. The overall effect was consistent with wearing a very good pair of sunglasses vs. a typical poly-based goggle lens. Trivex is a better, clearer material for goggle lenses. On a side note, I experienced none of the vertigo that some posters have referenced -- I simply had an incrementally better view of the slopes and terrain.
Contrast: the amber-based Storm lens provided very good contrast in most conditions -- I had very little problem picking mogul lines and navigating the variable groomer conditions that were prevalent on the first two days of the trip. Visually, I've always had a preference towards the pink-based lenses, but I was very happy with the Storm vs. the Red Sensor lens in terms of contrast -- I'd give it a slight edge.
Light Transmission: this is the one area where the Red Sensor has an advantage, as I could detect a clear difference in transmitted light between the Storm (listed at 50% VLT) and the Red Sensor (70% VLT, IIRC). The only time during the three days that I preferred the Red Sensor was during the heaviest snowfall and fog conditions that emerged during Day Three, as the clarity advantages of the Storm were nullified by big snowflakes and very low light. In those conditions, the higher VLT lens was the better choice, and on some runs with the Storm I knew I would have been better served with the Red Sensor.
Summary: the Storm is an excellent lens, and I'm happy to have made the purchase. In particular, for lower light, north facing resorts in the Northeast where most of the skiing is done in the shade (and worse) until late February, the Storm is a fantastic everyday lens. Personally, I won't be swapping it out until the sun gets far higher in the sky. For Eastern skiers, I see no reason not to buy the Chromapop-based Smith goggles for new goggle purchases, and the upgrade for existing lens swap-outs is well worth considering.
For the West, I think the decision is more of a judgment call. If you only use a storm lens during foggy conditions and during heavy dumps, I think the VLT is a bigger factor than clarity. On the other hand, if you use a storm lens more frequently (say, in the trees and shade), then the clarity and contrast advantages of the Storm bear consideration.
