Vision Pro lens glare using zeiss inserts

I've used the AVP with and without the Zeiss inserts. There is some flare regardless, mostly noticeable in high-contrast scenes like you describe (credit roll at the end of a movie is a good example). There's an HDR display millimeters in front of your eyes - some reflections are inevitable.

I find that Cinema mode with a front row seat overpowers the distraction, though it might be a bit intense for action movies. :-) You can also tip your view up or down which moves the effect out of view.

This is pretty normal. I think photographers and cinematographers call this "lens flaring". Bright lights bounce a lot of rays off surfaces of lenses and they begin to scatter. Plugging light gaps in your light seal (I've taken to adding small patches of sticky-back felt pads, purchases at an office supply shop,) has taken care of that source, but bright lights in a movie scene while watching in a nighttime environment (theater, or nighttime environments) are just a fact of life for lenses, especially multi-layered lenses.

Now, Astronomers use special coatings to reduce this flaring when taking photos of planets and moons and stars, but I strongly suspect that these "anti-reflective/anti-glare" coatings might interfere with the beams used for eye-tracking in the AVP. So I've resigned myself to this and watch movies in bright surroundings to mask the flare. It's just a matter of optical physics and there's no product that can violate laws of physics.

If you notice light leakage

To check whether you're experiencing light leakage or not, compare your experience using your Vision Pro in both a brightly lit and a dimly lit room. Some light leakage around the nose is normal. For an ideal fit, you want your Light Seal to make contact with the sides of your face to minimize light leakage.

• If your experience improves in the dimly lit room, the issue is light leakage. To address this, you can adjust the fit of your Vision Pro or try a different Light Seal cushion.

See: If your Apple Vision Pro doesn't fit properly - Apple Support

And If you need help with eye setup on Apple Vision Pro - Apple Support

I use my AVP with and without inserts and you will not see an improvement. If anything I find it ever so slightly worse with zeiss inserts. It is much less with a brighter headset environment. I am not happy with doing a brighter headset environment as I don't like to watch movies that way but unfortunately it's the only option. This is a common issue with screens and lenses but was hoping Apple had a solution. I guess not even Apple can solve all the problems with headsets.

I received my Zeiss lenses to day, and now I understand the purpose of the two different foam inserts on the light shield. Without corrective lenses, the thin insert maintains the correct distance from lens to eye for the iris scan to pass. When attaching the lens inserts the eye to lens distance is reduced by some odd mm distance. The thicker light shield insert restores the correct eye to lens distance. After inserting lenses eye could not pass the iris calibration until replacing the thin insert with the thicker one. It’s all about focal length.

No it has nothing to do with light seal. It’s only when there is absolutely no light outside headset. It’s only in very dark headset environments like cinema. It is the light from screens reflecting off the lenses causing a fog. Once you see it you cannot unsee it. Only way it’s bearable is not to watch anything in a dark headset environment. This hides the effect. I don’t like to watch movies like that.

I found taking the brightness slider all the way down helps a little but still have reflection glare that looks like it’s originating with the lenses. Contacted Apple about both problems along with distance blur of anything past about 12-18 inches in pass through. I’m waiting for a call back after development team receives case.

I wonder if some people’s eyes pick up glares more than others? I have a torn retina in one eye and I can get an odd visual disturbance if light comes at my eyes from a top angle and I will see prisms.

Not everyone reports seeing a glare on the AVP but there are those who do. You might need to try a different light seal in case there’s light leakage. Light leaking around the nose is normal. Of course some have eyes closer together than others.

If possible take it to an Apple Store to get a better fitting done or if you need different light seals

Not even Apple can violate the laws of physics. VR requires lenses to bend the light around for your eyes. Lenses require changing the speed of light at their surface boundaries. Changing the speed of light causes surface reflections. And surface reflections are... lens flares. You won't be seeing VR movies without lens flaring.

I am probably going to return it as well. I am relatively sure this is on all AVP's and most users just have not noticed it. I believe it was in The Verge review. I do find the product amazing and I do find myself using it frequently but I just don't think in a month I will go through the hassle of putting it on if I cannot watch content in near dark headset environment. It's definitely an iPad replacement but if I can't get used to the glare in near dark environments it would ruin one of the only experience that I truly would use the most till some killer app/use comes out.

I wish the return window was a little longer as software updates could improve the experience. I know this is hardware but if they play with the light or dim the screen a little then it might be fixed. I have tried lowering display brightness and I do think it helps a little, it wasn't enough. I even notice it watching Disney + movies in the Disney Theater environment. I will try to find an environment that works and if not then it's going back.

I agree and disagree. I think there can be some things done to lessen the flare. It's not noticeable in bright headset environments. It's either masked by the brightness all around or having more light causes less flare. So I do feel there could be something done software that could help. Maybe make the room a little brighter with some special visuals in the proper places and possibly dim the screen (dimming display in settings ever so slightly helps, not enough though).

Same thing without inserts for me. Likely due to reflections off eyes/skin back towards the lenses, which are reflected back towards the eye and distort the final image. I don’t think it has anything to do with ziess or light seals

Perhaps ironically, I have found my best movie experience is not using the Cinema environment but just watching with moderate room light. It goes against habit because light falling on the screen has always been a concern, but that's not a problem with the AVP.

Yes and I returned to Apple Store to try different size light seals and that wasn’t the problem. You can put a towel etc. over your head and problem still exists. It appears to be lens flare!