Series 01 · Oakley Prizm
Oakley Prizm Trail Torch Lens Review
Soft coral through the lens. Best in mixed, dappled, made for MTB, trail running, gravel.
The verdict
It depends
For years my go to after work lens for Central European mountain biking: bright access roads on the way in, woods on the trail, and the mirror takes the edge off the brightness in between. Very versatile. In the woods it is good, but from medium light downwards Prizm Low Light is the better pick, and it has become my favourite there. One real weakness: it is poor at picking out the green, slippery stuff on the trail. If you ride rock slabs and need to read grip, this is not your lens.
Take instead
- Prizm Low Light in the woods from medium light down, and for reading grip, as long as the ride has no harsh bright stretches
This tint is Oakley's. If you wear a prescription, our inserts clip in behind it. prescription inserts for your Oakleys
The specimen
Lens comparison
The same seven scenes, one locked exposure. This one is loaded against Prizm Trail.
How brightness is shown. Every lens was shot at one locked exposure set on the bare sensor, so True exposure is the real light transmission. Your eye adapts, so a dark lens never looks that dark in life: Eye adapted raises each image by its measured transmission (perceived = transmission^0.5). Colour only normalises every lens to the same brightness to isolate the tint.
Popular comparisons
The pairings people actually ask about. Tap one to load it in the comparison above.
The numbers
- Specimen
- S-04
- Category
- CAT 2
- VLT stated
- 35%
- Measured
- 43.2% of the clear control
- Look through
- Soft coral
- Mirror
- Orange
- Best light
- Mixed, dappled
- Activity
- MTB, trail running, gravel
- Rx insert
- Available
Measured figures are linear transmission against the clear control under one locked exposure, not a laboratory VLT. Oakley's stated figure is the number to quote.
What it is
Substantially more transmissive than any road tint, which is why it holds up under tree cover where Road goes flat. Reads as a soft coral, warm without the intensity of Trail.
Watch
From the Banana Optics channel.