In this article, we will be taking a look at our Tiffen filters vs Hoya filters overview in an attempt to help our readers decide what brand of filters they will use. With both Tiffen and Hoya being very popular filter brands, it is no surprise that we see a steady number of people reaching out for advice on them each month.
Both brands have earned themselves excellent reputations within the photography community over the years while both produce solid products. We believe that this is the main reason that so many people reach out for advice on the subject. Thankfully, we hope that our article will be able to make your choice easier and help you choose the perfect filter for you.
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Table of Contents
Tiffen Filters
- UV Filters – (Click Here To Read Third-Party, Independent Reviews Of This Filter)
- Cpl Filters – (Click Here To Read Third-Party, Independent Reviews Of This Filter)
- ND Filters – (Click Here To Read Third-Party, Independent Reviews Of This Filter)
All of the lens filters in their range come with a thin, low profile frame that is not only robust but also very lightweight. In addition to helping you quickly mount and unmount the filter from your lenses, this also helps to offer some protection for the lens element while also making it much easier to store the lenses in your photography kit bag without them taking up much room.
Unlike some competing filter brands that will only use glass from specific countries, the glass in the Tiffen filter elements come from the USA, Japan, and German with it all having been made to the highest possible quality and tested to ensure it meets Tiffens quality checks. All of the elements have at least some form of a basic coating on them to help increase both their performance as well as their ability to deflect dust, dirt, and water droplets naturally. That said, some of the elements for the higher end filters have been multicoated to further increase the effect of the coating but this is reflected in the price of the specific filters.
Although some of the lens types are available in niche or less popular thread sizes, the UV filters, Cpl filters, and ND filters are all available in the following commonly used sizes:-
- 37mm
- 46mm
- 49mm
- 52mm
- 55mm
- 58mm
- 62mm
- 67mm
- 72mm
- 77mm
- 82mm
All in all, Tiffen have produced a solid product with a consistent level of high-quality products throughout their range. They are reliable, perform well, and have the reputation to match but in our opinion, one of the main things they have going for them is their availability. We have lost count of the number of times someone has reached out for advice on where to pick up a specific brand of filter that is almost impossible to get hold of from a regular photography shop in North America or Europe. Thankfully, Tiffen have an excellent distribution network meaning that this should not be a problem at all and you are often able to order them via the links below to get next day delivery too.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!
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Hoya Filters
Next up on our Hoya filters vs Tiffen filters overview we will be taking a look at the Hoya range. Although less popular in North America and Europe than the Tiffen range, Hoya have still managed to carve out a core customer base and establish themselves as one of the current dominant filter brands for the western markets. Again, as you would probably guess, outside of a small number of specialist filters, the majority of the Hoya range are based around the below products:-
- UV Filters – (Click Here To Read Third-Party, Independent Reviews Of This Filter)
- Cpl Filters – (Click Here To Read Third-Party, Independent Reviews Of This Filter)
- ND Filters – (Click Here To Read Third-Party, Independent Reviews Of This Filter)
Unlike the Tiffen range, the Hoya filters is not as linear with different types of filters being available in different thread sizes as well as having different coating styles of different elements. That said, you could argue that this has been done to further specialize each filter type to further improve its performance in its specific niche.
The frame of the Hoya filters has been designed to be easy to thread on your lens allowing you to quickly and easily get them on and off as required during your photography or videography session. They frames have a small profile and are lightweight while being surprisingly robust for their style ensuring that they are able to take their fair share of knocks in your photography bag without taking damage.
Click Here To Read Independent Third Party Reviews Of This Product!
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The Winner
In our opinion, neither Tiffen or Hoya is the winner due to both brands seemingly becoming complacent and relaxed with their range rather than pushing forward to further improve their range. This has left the market open for Gobe Filters (Click here to check for product prices and availability) to swoop in with their young, fresh, hungry attitude and start growing almost exponentially.
Not only are the filters from the Gobe range often cheaper than their counterparts from the Tiffen or Hoya range but they are also often better quality with better technology as standard. For example, the sixteen layer technology that Gobe use on most of their filters is currently second to none in our opinion.
That said, if you have to only compare the Tiffen range with the Hoya range we would go with a filter offered by Tiffen. We feel that their filters are better quality for the price they retail at while also having a better reputation amongst the community when compared to the Hoya range.
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Our In-Depth Tiffen UV Filters Review!
