In this article, we will be taking a look at our Tiffen UV filter review and sharing our thoughts on these lens filters. Back in the day, UV Filters were mainly used to offer some UV protection from the film in old-school film-based cameras. They worked by preventing UV light from getting through the lens filter, into your lens, and eventually reaching your sensor and potentially ruining your camera film.
In the age of DSLR and mirrorless cameras that do not require film, the use of a UV filter has shifted somewhat to become a sort of sacrificial front element to protect your lens from potential damage. You simply find a UV filter that is the correct thread size for your lens and attach it. Rather than preventing UV rays, these days they mainly take all the little bumps and knocks and keep your lens element in tip-top condition. Ask yourself, what would you rather get scratched or broken, your lens potentially worth hundreds of dollars or your UV filter worth a fraction of that.
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Table of Contents
Getting Into The Review
Well, moving into our Tiffen UV filter review we would first like to say that Tiffen are one of the brands that have managed to both establish themselves as well as stand the test of time, especially in the North American and European markets. Due to this, they have a massive core customer base that has left a ton of third-party, independent reviews online of their UV filters that you can read if you like.
If you are from North America or Europe then you have probably heard of the Tiffen brand and as you probably know, products don’t tend to stand the test of time in these market unless they are either offering very budget friendly items or items that offer excellent quality and get the job done. Thankfully, Tiffen has been able to offer a very high-quality lens filter at a relatively budget-friendly price for some time now although in our opinion, newer brands like Gobe and their UV filter range (Click here to check for product prices and availability) are quickly gaining ground due to what is in our opinion at least a better technology allowing for better filters at lower prices.
That said, the Tiffen range still offers a high-quality product that you are able to pick up and their UV filters will offer your lens element some excellent protection from knocks and bumps without affecting the image quality of your digital photography. The elements of the filters are specifically treated and coated to ensure that they are as clear as the elements in lenses and will not have a negative effect on your photograph.
This is one of the main reasons that photographers use UV filters instead of a regular lens hood. With a UV filter, your camera lens is protected while always being ready to go and capture a once in a lifetime photograph. If you are using a lens hood then you have to remove the lens hood before being able to take the photograph and potentially missing it forever.
If you have a little more money available in your budget then you are able to pick up one of the Tiffen HT UV protection filters (Click here to check for product prices and availability) rather than the regular basic range (Click here to check for product prices and availability). These offer a better glass filter element on the filter as well as better treatment and coating of the filter to help improve its performance even more.
Additionally, the frames of the filters in the HT range are stronger and more robust increasing the amount of punishment the filters are able to take while also being lighter. This can help you store your UV filters, especially if you have picked up a number of them in different thread sizes for different lenses. If you are a travel photographer it can also reduce the space and weight required for your photography kit from your baggage allowance.
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Are Tiffen Filters Any Good
As we mentioned earlier in the article, the Tiffen brand has managed to stand the test of time by offering a high-quality lens filter to the market at a relatively budget-friendly price. They also offer multiple products within their range to offer similar products with higher quality at a slightly higher price such as their premium range UV filters. Due to these, they have managed to earn themselves a massive core customer base who have used the Tiffen range for years giving them the upper hand in the North American and European markets.
That said, in our opinion at least, when looking for the best UV filter possible on the market we would highly recommend that our readers check out the Gobe UV filter range (Click here to check for product prices and availability). They are a newer, hungrier filter brand that has seen almost exponential growth recently due to their newer methods of producing both the filter element and the filter frame. This has given Gobe a massive advantage over the traditional lens filter brands who has become slightly complacent. Their new technology allows them to offer a higher quality lens filter at a lower price point and they pass the savings directly onto you, the customer.
That said, if your local photography store does not stock Gobe filters then you can rest assured that picking up the Tiffen UV filter instead will still serve you well. Although their technology is a little older, they are still a very good lens filter brand and come in at a comfortable second place behind Gobe with their being a decent sized gap between the top two brands and the rest on the market right now.
Should You Use A UV Filter?
With the debate still raging on if you should or should not use a UV filter to protect your lens we thought we would share the video below as it echoes our thoughts and the importance of investing in a UV filter.
