What color lens provides the best contrast on an overcast day?

• A. Yellow
• B. Blue
• C. Green
• D. Red

Answer: (A)

When light is overcast, the scene lacks strong shadows and can look washed out, making edges harder to see. Yellow tinted lenses filter out blue wavelengths that tend to scatter in cloudy skies, which reduces the blue haze and helps contours stand out. They also transmit a good amount of light, so you don’t lose too much visibility while gaining better contrast and depth perception.

Blue lenses would let more blue light through, which can increase the haziness and lessen contrast in cloudy conditions. Green lenses are comfortable and reduce glare, but they don’t specifically enhance edge definition like yellow. Red lenses can alter color perception and don’t offer the same improvement in contrast for overcast light, often making details harder to discern.