A pair of protective glasses that enable you to shoot into the sun for £185 – are the KomodoPro Sunglasses too good to be true?
The prospect of a pair of digital, sun-adapting glasses, capable of turning on the tint in a fraction of a second, is a rather alluring one
There’s a lot we can do to improve our shooting, much of it well within our control. Proper gun fit, a positive mental attitude, even making sure we eat correctly to ensure we’re fit and healthy.
But there’s nothing we can do about the elements. Rain? Yes, it can put you off your
shot somewhat, but at least you can still see the birds as they fly. But the sun? We’ve all been presented with targets that hit the perfect kill point just as they enter that brightly burning disc in the sky. There’s nothing more frustrating than missing a clay because of sun glare.
Sunglasses help. A bit. But we’re yet to come across dedicated glasses or shooting eye protection that can cut out the glare of the sun completely. And given that the clay shooting season fills our summer months, this can be a major influence on our score cards – so the prospect of a pair of digital, sun-adapting glasses, capable of turning on the tint in a fraction of a second, is a rather alluring one. That’s the promise offered by Scottish company KomodoPro.
Overcoming the elements is one of the toughest parts of the shooters game…
Coming in an extremely rigid, fabric-coated carry case, with a kind of carbon fibre effect, these glasses are not just designed for shooting, but for driving, skiing, fishing and any other activity where you may suddenly be confronted by a face full of sunbeams. They certainly look the part – slightly chunky, admittedly, but sleek and well designed with a satin black finish to the plastic frames. They’re also light – we weighed them at 29g – though the fitting may not be to everyone’s taste. We asked a number of people what they thought about comfort and opinions were mixed, so maybe this is a case of try-before-you-buy. The lenses have been tested for their impact resistance. They were shot at from 20 yards with a 12-bore (28g, size 7 shot) and came through dented, but intact.
The clever stuff is housed within. A sensor mounted between the lenses (which start off with a fairly standard degree of opacity for a pair of sunglasses) is hooked up to a digital processor that, within a tenth of a second or so, will darken the lenses considerably depending on lighting conditions. The idea is that, when you call “Pull!” and the bird tracks across the sky, just as it passes by the bright sun the lenses go opaque enough to shield you from the worst of the glare so you can still follow the clay.
A polycarbonate inset frame allows the fitting of prescription lenses
Do they work? As long as you aren’t expecting miracles, then yes, they really do. There’s very little that can really blacken out the sun, as you’ll know if you’ve ever donned a pair of eclipse-viewing glasses. I still missed clays when testing these glasses on high birds at the shooting ground – though they did certainly help cut down glare, so whether the misses can be put down to me, I’ll leave to the conclusion of the reader…
Those of you with sensitive eyes will certainly benefit from the technology contained here. As for the fitting, I’d suggest a test shot or two to make sure it works for you – when the sun graces us with its presence, of course.
Find out more about the Komodo Pro glasses: 01750 725770; komodopro.com
This article originally appeared in the June 2018 issue of Clay Shooting magazine. For more great content like this, subscribe today at our secure online store www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
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