trapper1 Loc: Southside Virginia

I have been buying Hoya lens as they were made in Japan and were of excellent quality and reasonably priced. I had not bought one for some time but now need a Hoya 77mm UV filter for a lens I just bought. When I tried to find a Hoya 77mm UV filter I found all the 77mm Hoya UV filters I looked at are now made in the Philippines, which doesn't exactly reassure me as a source of manufacturing excellence as did Japan. Has Hoya switched all of their camera filter lens manufacturing to the Philippines or just certain selected lines?

Trapper1

Wallen Loc: Middle Earth

Cheaper labor & production cost would be the main reason to do it somewhere else.
If they are following the same standards, it should be the same quality no matter where it is made.

In the end, you still have a choice. It's your money, maybe just choose another brand you might feel better with.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

I have a Hoya polarizer made in the Philippines. No issues.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

If they are produced in a Hoya controlled factory using Hoya technology and meeting Hoya standards then it makes no difference where they are manufactured. It is the same for countless other products world wide.
I can remember when "Made In Japan" usually meant "Cheap Junk". Things change. Everyday.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Country of origin has little bearing on the quality of a product.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

My bolding.

ELNikkor

The Japanese will not change their quality standards regardless of where they make their products. My excellent Nikon was made in Thailand. I have excellent Lenskins Filters that were made in China, but I believe are American design after German standards. The 77mm Hoya HD3 UV filter is possibly the very best you can get and costs $140 from Adorama.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Hoya filters are inspected to make sure they meet the high standards set by the manufacture. Otherwise they are not put up for sale.

sippyjug104 Loc: Missouri

I suspect that the culture of Japan will be carried over to wherever they choose to outsource the labor. The larger problem with "Globalism" is that more affluent nations are pushing their pollution problems onto nations that welcome employment opportunities yet have no means of controlling the environmental impact that the manufacturing is creating.

rlv567 Loc: Baguio City, Philippines

Unless the product is made in China - can be OK, but just as likely can be made from inferior materials and/or be absolute counterfeits!!!

Loren - in Beautiful Baguio City

stevetassi

UV filters are unnecessary for digital cameras. If you’re buying a filter just to protect the front element, then get a neutral clear one.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

Hoya makes a bunch of different grades of filters, to offer them at various price points.

Looking at B&H Photo, I see six different Hoya UV in 77mm size, from least expensive to most:

- Hoya UV $25.99 (Philippines)
- Hoya Alpha UV MC $34.90 (Philippines)
- Hoya NXT UV HMC $49.95 (Philippines)
- Hoya NXT Plus UV $52.90 (Philippines)
- Hoya EVO Antistatic UV $68.90 (unable to tell)
- Hoya HD3 $139.90 (Made in Japan)

At the Hoya website they appear to have renamed their filters (again). Prices are not shown. Apparently from most entry level (cheapest?) to most advanced (most expensive?), they are:

- Hoya UX UV (Philippines)
- Hoya Fusion One Next UV (unable to tell)
- Hoya Fusion Antistatic Next UV (unable to tell)
- Hoya Fusion Antistatic UV (unable to tell)
- Hoya HD Mk II UV (Japan)
- Hoya HD Nano Mk II UV (Japan)

You may be able to find out the place of manufacture of some of the ones I couldn't. I just looked at two sites (B&H and Hoya). Also, depending upon where you look, you may find other Hoya filter series names. They change them often! It's pretty confusing.

Today I don't think it matters a lot where something is made, ultimately. For example, I've been experimenting with a couple K&F Concepts Circular Polarizing filters. The series of those I bought were made in China, but use high quality German Schott glass, seem well made to me and appear to have effective "nano" multi-coatings. So far images made with them have been fine.

tokeefe1554 Loc: somewhere out there

Never knew Hya Made lenses, But I knew that they made excellent filters.

Tim

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

I’m not sure about now, but in the past, the “Philippine” Hoyas were their cheaper, uncoated filters. 🤔

Spirit Vision Photography Loc: Behind a Camera.

The Marumi DHG Super lens protect filters are very good.