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"The lowest price I've seen for the helmet is $350."
Honigs has All Star hockey style helmets from $90 to the pricy Kevlar model at $400. Local sporting goods stores have Rawlings and Wilson models typically in the $80 to $140 range.
"I've been thinking of getting one, and I was wondering about the vision."
Peripheral vision is greatly expanded. When you try one on in a store you do not immediately notice the difference. I switched during a game last summer. I bought mine from a friend, who did not show up at game time so I started with my old mask (a big clunker purchased for baseball a few years ago).
The lights has just come on; the sun was setting over the left fielder. My eyes had adjusted to the light level. My friend show up and I went back on the field for the next inning with the hockey mask. I felt blinded; it was like daytime again. I was now catching the last of the sun in my eyes and I had to reposition to block it out.
You do not have the tunnel vision of a conventional mask. As others have noted, you start leaving the mask on during play. Because of the expanded vision, you forget that you have a mask on, which can override that automatic reflex of reaching for the mask. Because of tradition, I suspect that observers are going to question your ability to make a call with the mask on, so I still try to remove mine. But sometimes you forget.
WMB
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