Think Tank Digital Holster 5 V3 vs Series 9 Clear Standard Coated Filter S9CLR: which is safer?
Think Tank Digital Holster 5 V3 is the clear pick. Tiffen Series 9 Clear Standard Coated Filter S9CLR carries a failing PFAS grade, and we never recommend buying a failing product.
Our pick
Think Tank Photo
Think Tank Digital Holster 5 V3
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleUndisclosed water-repellent coating chemistry
PossibleCoating degradation over time
Tiffen
Series 9 Clear Standard Coated Filter S9CLR
PFAS grade
Overall grade
Verdict
Hazard flags
Material
Confidence
PossibleOptical coating delamination or scratching
PossibleFragmentation hazard if dropped
Where these two actually differ
- We flag Undisclosed water-repellent coating chemistry and Coating degradation over time on the Think Tank Photo and not on the Tiffen.
- We flag Optical coating delamination or scratching and Fragmentation hazard if dropped on the Tiffen and not on the Think Tank Photo.
- The Think Tank Photo is Ballistic nylon, weather-sealed fabric, metal hardware where the Tiffen is Glass optics with standard optical coating, which is most of the difference in these two grades.
- The gap is 35 points, wide enough that this is not a close call, and the Think Tank Photo is the one to buy.
- We are less certain about the Think Tank Photo grade, at 45% confidence against 72%, because it discloses less.
Both products run through the same public rubric: materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls, plus a beyond-PFAS hazard analysis. Grades are model-based estimates, not lab tests. How grades work →
More waterproof camera & lens protection cases: see the full ranking