Yesterday, I saw colour for the first time...
Discussion
I'm 37, and have strong protanopia colour blindness. I assume these pictures are different, but they're identical to me:
It sucks - I love art and photography, constant pain at work (rag statuses mean little to me!), enjoy the great outdoors, etc.
Few years ago they released glasses that could "correct" colourblindness. However, bloody expensive and with a lower than 10% chance of helping me.
This year, there's been lenses made for people like me. Slightly limited in they have a fairly strong tint, so best for outdoors or bright screens.
My Mrs bought me a pair for Christmas. I won't post the vid of my manly tears, but it was something like this:
https://youtu.be/_X0BITqcnUI
It's incredible. The colours you normal lot experience just looking around. Lucky blighters.
Bit too intense right now for extended wearing (imagine living in a muted light cave for 37 years, then stepping into sunlight...) - headache last night. So worth it though, and with more use that should diminish.
£100 from Amazon. Made by a firm called Pilestone.
They've genuinely changed my life - it's witchcraft!
Anyone else tried them?
It sucks - I love art and photography, constant pain at work (rag statuses mean little to me!), enjoy the great outdoors, etc.
Few years ago they released glasses that could "correct" colourblindness. However, bloody expensive and with a lower than 10% chance of helping me.
This year, there's been lenses made for people like me. Slightly limited in they have a fairly strong tint, so best for outdoors or bright screens.
My Mrs bought me a pair for Christmas. I won't post the vid of my manly tears, but it was something like this:
https://youtu.be/_X0BITqcnUI
It's incredible. The colours you normal lot experience just looking around. Lucky blighters.
Bit too intense right now for extended wearing (imagine living in a muted light cave for 37 years, then stepping into sunlight...) - headache last night. So worth it though, and with more use that should diminish.
£100 from Amazon. Made by a firm called Pilestone.
They've genuinely changed my life - it's witchcraft!
Anyone else tried them?
Humble Pi said:
Have you got a link to where you got them from please OP? I wouldn’t mind giving them a quick eyeball.
Best colour blind test I could find was Enchroma (who were the originals, but are bloody expensive). https://enchroma.com/pages/color-blindness-test#te...
That let's you know what type/severity.
Then Pilestone are the manufacturer of the much better value glasses:
https://pilestone.co.uk/
Once figured which were the ones, we then found them on Amazon about a tenner cheaper.
PositronicRay said:
Pics look the same to me too, slight colour variation but if they weren't next to each other......
Chap, get some!! Yesterday, I saw how red our red brick house is!
Also, the most vibrant yellows and oranges I've ever seen.
Brown - looks completely different to what I thought it did (saw some leaves, thought they were red, then realised there was green - so must be brown!).
Purple - stunning colour, one I've never seen...
So, now it's time to learn my colours again - and to experience those I've never seen before.
We've a couple of fish tanks, and my dream has always been a marine aquarium. Have snorkelled reefs a few times, and the colours/vibrancy/movement is just incredible.
So I'm off to a local marine specialist this afternoon. Going to spend an hour or so looking at animals I've always thought are beautiful - but "properly" this time!
Any suggestions for things to do/look at?
Might buy the Mrs a set of nice oil paints... She's an artist, but hasn't really played with oils...
We've a couple of fish tanks, and my dream has always been a marine aquarium. Have snorkelled reefs a few times, and the colours/vibrancy/movement is just incredible.
So I'm off to a local marine specialist this afternoon. Going to spend an hour or so looking at animals I've always thought are beautiful - but "properly" this time!
Any suggestions for things to do/look at?
Might buy the Mrs a set of nice oil paints... She's an artist, but hasn't really played with oils...
Turn7 said:
Fabulous news, especially the Marine tank - youll be stunned when you see Reef fish in their true colours!
I'm generally stunned anyway - especially the fancy wrasses and angels... It's the corals I'm looking forward to most - for example I've never seen the appeal of SPS like acropora. This could be an expensive trip if I suddenly realise why people rave about them!
borcy said:
Watch a blue planet /planet earth type show, lots of vivid colours on those types of shows. Out and about try walking through your local woods and seeing all the subtle differences of similar colours.
Awesome shout - just realised I haven't watched any of the 4k HDR on BBC iPlayer's beta... 
The Moose said:
I believe I am strong deutan. On the strength of this thread, I’ve ordered them from Amazon. Arrive on Saturday. Can always return if no good!
Good luck! We see the world quite differently, so not sure what will be the biggest impact for you.
So far, for me it's pinks/oranges/browns/purples - especially in the natural world.
Hippos and chimps have pink bits!
GetCarter said:
Sway... check out my photo gallery - loads of proper deep reds & purple there: http://www.stevecarter.com/gallery1/MyFaves.htm
Cheers Steve, I'm going to download a few onto a USB stick to play on our LG OLED. Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 26th December 13:29
Just been to the garden centre to look at flowers...
OssAndy said:
I'm colourblind too, the two pictures in the op are the same to me. I've mixed thoughts about the glasses since I first heard about them years ago.
It's not like you could permanently wear them (tints etc) so although it must be amazing to finally 'see' the colours for the first time, what then? Is that taken away as soon as the glasses are off and now you realise what you're missing out on all the time?
I'd be interested in hearing feedback after a few weeks or months to see if it feels worse afterwards knowing what you're missing out on sometimes, instead of the ignorant bliss we're living in before trying the glasses.
Andy, some good points.It's not like you could permanently wear them (tints etc) so although it must be amazing to finally 'see' the colours for the first time, what then? Is that taken away as soon as the glasses are off and now you realise what you're missing out on all the time?
I'd be interested in hearing feedback after a few weeks or months to see if it feels worse afterwards knowing what you're missing out on sometimes, instead of the ignorant bliss we're living in before trying the glasses.
When wearing them, the world is definitely much more vibrant and saturated with colour. However, it hasn't been depressing taking them off.
One of the reviews I watched before we ordered them, was of a strong protan, who'd then had them for six months. By that point, when doing the enchroma test without the glasses, he was classed as a mild protan - as the training for his brain lasts beyond the wearing of the glasses.
Don't know about you, but that makes sense - I make far fewer mistakes (or am far more aware where I could be wrong) than as a kid. I've adapted somewhat over time.
I am quite a visual person, and my colour blindness is regularly annoying - so they'll be of use for the long term. I'll try to update the thread with how much I wear them outside "special" purposes. I think though the tint wouldn't be an issue outside the depths of winter.
stevesingo said:
That's great. I've known I'm colour blind since primary school. You can kind of get around it to a certain extent, but it really annoys me when information is presented in a manner which makes understanding the info for the colorblind impossible. Especially annoying as it is so common.
Oh yes... Quite a while ago, I was working as an internal consultant for one of the big banks - I'd just moved across from proper hairy arsed manufacturing, and it was a bit of a culture shock.
These were the days of PowerPoint presentations running to hundreds of slides - but also the days were political correctness was really emerging. One 'insult' and you could be out on your ear.
I'd headed a team for four months, and was presented the output with someone reasonably well known to the public. One step down from God, as far as I was concerned. First time I'd met him.
Get 30s into the slide deck, when he stops me.
"if you can't even get our colour right, and you've plastered xxxxx all over your slides, why the f
k should I pay attention to anything you've got to say?" Caught me off guard, and I was young and fiesty.
"I'm colourblind. It's a physical impossibility for me to get it perfect. I'd normally ask for help but it was 4:30am I was polishing this up, and couldn't. I'm terribly sorry."
"I give zero f
ks - stop wasting my time.""Excuse me, could you just clarify that you want me to stop, and bin four months work by my team, purely because you're unwilling to accept or adapt for my DISABILITY regarding something as relatively insignificant as what colour text boxes are filled in a slide?"
Chap went white as a sheet (I could see that!).
My boss left it for perhaps five seconds, before smoothly cutting in "Sway, you've made your point, and X is I'm sure apologetic for not understanding the situation - shall we all just move on and start again?"
I grinned. Finished the presentation, and my team got promoted by the end of the week...
tribbles said:
borcy said:
I'm genuinely surprised at how many people on here are, of one type or another, colour blind. 
I can't remember what our Human Factors department told us, but I think it's something like 1 in 8 for white Europeans (most prevalent), and goes down for everyone else.1 in 20 men I've heard, and 1 in 1600 women.
There is actually an evolutionary benefit - I can see through camouflague seemingly better than most, and have better night vision. Rapage and pillage is therefore my Olympic sport.
JustALooseScrew said:
Hi Sway,
any chance you could do this test without and then with the glasses on and let us know if they make any difference?
I just did it and got 8/13 which is worse than I remember it being when done with the actual cards.
Thanks
This test I struggled with massively - 2/13 without, then only an extra 3 right with. any chance you could do this test without and then with the glasses on and let us know if they make any difference?
I just did it and got 8/13 which is worse than I remember it being when done with the actual cards.
Thanks
The Moose said:
Try this one...
https://pilestonecolorblindexperts.com/pages/colou...
I just did this and got 1/13...then my wife got 13/13. I can not wait!
https://pilestonecolorblindexperts.com/pages/colou...
I just did this and got 1/13...then my wife got 13/13. I can not wait!
Edited by The Moose on Friday 27th December 00:58
However, the lighting where I am really isn't great, and I'd not acclimatised myself to them, just plonked them on my face - usually allow ten minutes or so to adjust.
On the enchroma test, I went from getting virtually nothing, to "normal colour vision" in better lighting, and after acclimating.
So, have been to two garden centres now - and the local-ish marine aquarium specialist.
Wow. Too much to mention, but some highlights.
Pastels - lilacs, mauves, pale purples, creams. Simply beautiful in the delicacy of the colour, yet somehow vibrant.
Oranges - jesus titty fking Christ. How bright? Amazing.
Reds - my word. They're so what punchy, aren't they? Spent ten minutes in the car park looking at a tomato red Mini, deep red Fiat 500L, and mid red Skoda Fabia!
Berries - they stand out a mile, don't they?!
Most surprising thing are blues. Always my favourite colour - but indigo/cobalt/ultramarine are just so much more than I ever realised. A blue Alfa hatchback, and mid blue Porsche supplied the surprises. There's a Mercedes deep blue (almost chrome like effect) paint I adore - really looking forward to seeing that with the glasses on.
Oh, and red rear lights really stand out, don't they!
As for the marine aquaria/corals/fish. I nearly cried. That's going to be a very expensive addition! I've always really loved the cheap corals/fish - yet now I know why the pricy ones are so pricy!
Wow. Too much to mention, but some highlights.
Pastels - lilacs, mauves, pale purples, creams. Simply beautiful in the delicacy of the colour, yet somehow vibrant.
Oranges - jesus titty f
king Christ. How bright? Amazing. Reds - my word. They're so what punchy, aren't they? Spent ten minutes in the car park looking at a tomato red Mini, deep red Fiat 500L, and mid red Skoda Fabia!
Berries - they stand out a mile, don't they?!
Most surprising thing are blues. Always my favourite colour - but indigo/cobalt/ultramarine are just so much more than I ever realised. A blue Alfa hatchback, and mid blue Porsche supplied the surprises. There's a Mercedes deep blue (almost chrome like effect) paint I adore - really looking forward to seeing that with the glasses on.
Oh, and red rear lights really stand out, don't they!
As for the marine aquaria/corals/fish. I nearly cried. That's going to be a very expensive addition! I've always really loved the cheap corals/fish - yet now I know why the pricy ones are so pricy!
bloomen said:
I have some African cousins who are all quite staggeringly colour blind.
When they were in the army they all got jobs sitting in helicopters pointing out who to kill as the camouflage stuck out a country mile to them.
I genuinely don't know if there's a (brightly coloured!) parrot heading my way... When they were in the army they all got jobs sitting in helicopters pointing out who to kill as the camouflage stuck out a country mile to them.
JustALooseScrew said:
Sway said:
So, have been to two garden centres now - and the local-ish marine aquarium specialist.
Wow. Too much to mention, but some highlights.
Sway, I am absolutely genuinely chuffed to bits for you!Wow. Too much to mention, but some highlights.
It must be effing amazing for you, this story has really warmed my heart and cheered me up from what has been a thoroughly miserable week.
Hope your week gets better, and you have a great 2020.
As I've mentioned, oddly I'm a hugely visual person - I belligerently got myself through a photography degree!
Massive on interior design, and aesthetics in general.
It's changed my life.
A poster wondered what it might be like now knowing what I miss out on. I'd say it's more like the experience of somewhere like Disney/Longleat Festival of Light - but being able to have that vibrancy/'punch' in normal life. Then go back to "normal".
Already noticing my 'regular' colour sight is improving, as my brain learns what it 'should' be seeing...
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