Why you want to use UV blocking glasses when using UV lights

EDC Gear for Flashlight Carriers
1

I recently bought these glasses: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280635493612 which are simply spectacular with regard to blocking UV radiation.

So I shot some pictures with and without these glasses to show you what difference does it make. (and the difference is much greater in real life)

(see https://budgetlightforum.com/t/-/1751 for reference)

First, a control shot, courtesy of my iTP R5:

Now some shots with the glasses in several configurations.
Notice the amount of blue/puprle light in the left picture of each set, the lack of it in the middle picture, and the lack of fluorescence in the right picture.

Left to right: Taiwan 3W 380nm without glasses on camera lens, with glasses on camera lens, with glasses on flashlight

Left to right: Tank007 TK-566 1W 365nm without glasses on camera lens, with glasses on camera lens, with glasses on flashlight

And a picture with half the camera lens covered with the glasses, the other half not (guess which is which...), with the Taiwan 380nm:
Amazing glasses.
If their safety is as good as their UV blocking is, they're a real bargain.
2

Having been exposed to too many welding arcs - you really, really don't want to get the feeling like there is a lot of sand in your eyes. Been there - have the problems that go with it.

Short wavelength (<400nm) UV is very, very bad for your eyes - don't let it get to your eyes.....

You only get one set of eyes......

3

Duly noted. Thanks for the warnings!

4

And believe it. I wish I'd learned from other folks' mistakes.

Pain is a great educator.......

5

Those glasses really do a good job of filtering. That is some interesting stuff.

6

Good eye protection should be worn when playing with lasers too. And not just for the visible wavelengths the laser produces, but UV as well. Especially when playing with green lasers. A high percentage of the energy they put out is in the UV part of the spectrum.

7

Got these glasses thanks to your advice.

Still waiting for the UV dropin.

8

Which UV dropin did you get?

9

The cheaper one:

http://www.manafont.com/product_info.php/3w-380nm-uv-flashlight-dropin-module-42v-max-p-6068

Didn't receive it yet.

10

Received the 380nm drop-in a couple of weeks ago and compared it to an UV fluorescent bulb emitting a shorter (unspecified, but less visible component) wavelenth.

Comparing the two (with glasses) I find that the shorter wavelength is not the winner in every camp. It does reveal much better the dark red and yellow/ocre imprints on the Euro bills, but on many other samples (a plain looking grass-green pen, older Visa card safety marks, biological traces) the 380nm induces considerably more fluorescence.