How often should you have an eye test?
Every two years for most adults, every year for children and over-60s: why, and what changes (sample).
Eye tests
20/120
and glasses
20/80
and sunglasses
20/60
made up in our own workshop
20/40
Open Monday to Saturday, 9 to 6
20/30
Most adults need an eye test every two years, even with sharp sight.
20/20
Line sizes follow the chart in our test room: each line is labelled with the sight it tests.
Mercer Street Opticians (sample)
An independent optician in Springfield since 1994 (sample). Eye tests take thirty minutes, and your glasses are made up at our own bench upstairs.
Monday to Friday
9:00–18:00
Saturday
9:00–17:00
Sunday
Closed
What happens in an eye test
Thirty minutes with an optometrist in a quiet room. Nothing touches your eye, and you leave with your prescription in writing.
Adult eye test
Includes the retinal photograph
$35
Over 65
$25
Children under 16
$20
Contact lens fitting
Includes a trial pair and a check after two weeks
$45
Example prices. Many vision plans cover the test; bring your card.
1
A few questions
How your eyes feel, your health and medicines, your work and screens, and what you wear now. Bring your current glasses.
2
Pressure and the back of the eye
A quick pressure check and a photograph of the retina, so we can compare it at your next test.
3
Reading the chart
Each eye on its own, then both together, at distance and for reading.
4
Finding your prescription
The optometrist changes lenses in the phoropter and asks which looks sharper, one or two.
5
What we found
We explain the results in plain words and give you your prescription in writing. You are free to buy glasses anywhere.
Glasses frames
About four hundred frames on the wall, from light titanium to thick acetate (sample). Every frame has its size printed inside the arm; we fit them to your face before the lenses go in.
Cut and polished plastic in solid colours and tortoiseshell. Warm to wear, easy to adjust.
Lens width 46–54 mm
From $129
Titanium and stainless steel. The lightest frames we sell, with adjustable nose pads.
Lens width 48–56 mm
From $119
Lenses held by screws or a fine cord, so almost nothing sits between you and the view.
Lens width 50–56 mm
From $149
Small sizes in flexible acetate, with arms that stay put at play.
Lens width 40–46 mm
From $65
On the wall this month
Wren, square
52□18 145 Acetate, deep green or clear grey
$139
Harlow, round
47□21 145 Acetate, tortoiseshell or black
$129
Ellis, round wire
49□20 140 Titanium, gold or gunmetal
$169
Aero, rimless
53□17 140 Titanium arms, lenses held by three screws
$199
Example prices. Measurements are lens width, bridge and arm length in mm.
Sunglasses, with or without a prescription
All our sunglasses block 100% of UVA and UVB light. Most can take your prescription, made up in the workshop in about a week (sample).
Polarised
Cuts glare from water, wet roads and snow
Gradient
Dark at the top, lighter below for the dashboard
Photochromic
Clear indoors, darkens outside
Mirror coating
Extra glare cut for the beach and the slopes
Coast sunglasses
55□18 145 Acetate, polarised grey-green lenses
$149
Dune sunglasses
58□14 140 Metal double bridge, gradient brown lenses
$159
Harbour sunglasses
54□19 145 Acetate, polarised; prescription lenses possible
$189
Example prices. Measurements are lens width, bridge and arm length in mm.
Lenses and coatings
The lens matters more than the frame for how well you see. We explain the choices for your prescription and never add a coating you do not need.
- Thinner lenses for strong prescriptions
- Anti-reflective coating for night driving and screens
- Varifocals measured to your frame and the way you hold your head
Single vision
from $49
Varifocal
Distance, middle and reading in one lens
from $179
Office lenses
For the desk: screen and paper
from $129
Thinner lenses (1.67)
+ $59
Anti-reflective coating
+ $39
Photochromic
+ $69
Example prices, per pair of lenses.
Repairs while you wait
Our workshop is upstairs, so most small repairs take ten minutes. Bring glasses from anywhere; we do not mind where you bought them.
- Loose screws and wobbly arms: free
- New nose pads, fitted and adjusted
- New lenses in your own frame
- Arms straightened after a sit-on accident
Questions people ask at the desk
Do you take vision insurance?
We work with most vision plans (sample). Bring your card or plan number and we check your cover before the test.
How long do new glasses take?
Single-vision lenses are often ready the next day. Varifocals and thinner lenses take five to seven working days (sample).
Can you make glasses from another optician's prescription?
Yes, if the prescription is less than two years old. Bring it with you or send a photo with the booking form.
Do I need an appointment?
Booking is best, especially on Saturdays. Walk-ins are welcome Tuesday to Saturday when a test room is free.
Can I try contact lenses first?
Yes. A fitting includes a trial pair to wear for two weeks before you decide.
Eye care notes
Polarised or tinted: choosing sunglasses lenses
What polarised lenses do, when a gradient is better, and why the UV label matters most (sample).
Five habits that keep contact lenses comfortable
Clean hands, fresh solution and a new case every month (sample).
Find us on Mercer Street
18 Mercer Street, Springfield (sample)
Next to the library, opposite Cooper Park
Monday to Friday
9:00–18:00
Saturday
9:00–17:00
Sunday
Closed
- Step-free entrance and a test room on the ground floor
- Bus 4 and 11 stop outside
- Free parking behind the park for two hours
