SubSee Diopter

Manufacturer: ReefNet Inc. (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) Type: wet-mount close-up diopter Models: SubSee +5, SubSee +10 Year introduced: ~2008 Designer: Les Wilk / Keri Wilk (ReefNet) Mount: M67 thread (with flip adapter options) Depth rating: 60m+

Overview

The ReefNet SubSee was the original premium wet-mount close-up diopter for underwater macro photography. Before the Nauticam SMC/CMC series arrived in 2013, the SubSee was the gold standard for shooters wanting sharp super macro results from their existing macro lenses without swapping ports. Available in +5 and +10 diopter strengths, it offered significantly better optical quality than the cheap single-element screw-on alternatives available at the time, using multi-element achromatic glass to suppress chromatic aberration.

The SubSee was made by ReefNet Inc., the same Canadian company behind marine life identification software and documentation expeditions. ReefNet was founded and run by the Wilk family — Les Wilk provided optical expertise, while his son Keri Wilk, Vice President of ReefNet, was a pioneer of super macro and snoot photography who used and promoted the SubSee extensively in his own work (^[1]).

Design and Specifications

The SubSee was a multi-element achromatic close-up lens designed specifically for underwater use. Unlike simple single-element diopters, the achromatic design used two or more glass elements to correct chromatic aberration (color fringing), which is a major problem at high magnifications.

SubSee +5:

• Equivalent to +5 diopter strength
• Moderate magnification boost — ideal for pairing with 100-105mm macro lenses
• Provided approximately 1.5-2x magnification increase depending on working distance
• Popular with professional shooters including Alex Mustard, who used it regularly with his Nikon 105mm VR lens (^[2], ^[3], ^[4])

SubSee +10:

• Equivalent to +10 diopter strength
• Higher magnification for true super macro work
• Used for subjects smaller than a grain of rice
• Employed by EunJae Im to shoot the remarkable hairy shrimp super macro video that was featured on Wetpixel in 2012 (^[5])

Both models used M67 threading, the industry standard for macro port front threads, making them compatible with ports from Nauticam, Subal, Aquatica, Sea & Sea, and others. A flip adapter was also available, allowing the diopter to be flipped in and out of position during a dive.

Community Reception and Usage

The SubSee was widely embraced by the Wetpixel community as the first serious wet diopter option for SLR macro shooters. Before the SubSee, photographers wanting higher magnification had to choose between teleconverters (which required port changes), extension tubes (which also required port changes and reduced working distance), or cheap single-element diopters (which produced poor image quality with significant chromatic aberration) (^[6]).

The SubSee’s key advantage was that it was a wet-mount accessory — it could be attached and removed during a dive, allowing a photographer to switch between standard 1:1 macro and super macro without surfacing. This flexibility, combined with its optical quality, made it the de facto standard for serious underwater macro photographers from roughly 2008 through 2013.

Forum user “reefnet” (Les Wilk) was active on Wetpixel providing technical advice on optics and diopter theory, including detailed explanations of how flat ports affect magnification and working distance (^[7]).

ReefNet exhibited at DEMA Shows regularly, with Keri and Chris Wilk manning the booth. At DEMA 2008, a Seatool/Fisheye housing was shown with the “ReefNet flip +10 diopter attached” (^[8]). At DEMA 2009, ReefNet had booth #672 in the Imaging Resource Center (^[9]).

Ikelite listed the “Subsee Magnifier” as a compatible M67 wet lens for their compact housings alongside the Inon UCL-165, Saga close-up lenses, and Nauticam CMC-1 (^[10]).

Notable Users

• Alex Mustard: Used the SubSee +5 extensively with his Nikon D4 + 105mm in Subal and Nauticam housings for years. His D4 review shows “Nikon D4 + 105mm & Subsee +5” in image captions (^[11]). His Subal ND4 review shows the housing “with macro port and Subsee +5 filter” (^[12]). His D7100 review credits images shot with “Subsee +5” (^[13]).
• Keri Wilk: As ReefNet VP, used SubSee diopters in his pioneering super macro work
• EunJae Im: Used SubSee +10 for extraordinary super macro SLR video of hairy shrimps in Lembeh (^[14])
• Phil Rudin: Recommended SubSee +5 and +10 as compatible accessories for the Olympus E-PL1 housing system (^[15])

Comparison with Competitors

vs. Inon UCL series

The Inon UCL-165 (+6 diopter) was the SubSee’s most direct competitor in the budget tier. The SubSee offered better optical quality (less chromatic aberration) thanks to its multi-element achromatic design, but at a higher price point. Forum users often recommended starting with an Inon UCL-165 and upgrading to a SubSee for more demanding work. The higher-power Inon UCL-67 (+15 diopter, released 2017) later exceeded both SubSee models in magnification.

vs. Nauticam SMC/CMC

When Nauticam released the SMC-1 in November 2013, it represented a generational leap. Unlike the SubSee (and all prior diopters), the SMC was designed from the ground up for underwater use, modeling the complete optical path including the air-water interface. The result was dramatically sharper images with less aberration. The SMC-1 effectively obsoleted the SubSee for new purchases, though many existing SubSee owners continued using them for years.

Forum discussions from 2023 still reference the SubSee when comparing diopter options, alongside the Nauticam CMC-1, Inon UCL-90, and AOI UCL-90 Pro (^[16], ^[17]).

Other ReefNet Products

ReefNet was not primarily a diopter company. Their main products included:

• Marine life identification software (digital field guides in partnership with New World Publications / Humann-DeLoach)
• Fiber optic snoot — announced in 2010, designed for Ikelite DS125/160/161, Inon Z240, and Sea & Sea YS250 strobes, with 150 x 0.75mm polished fibers per arm (^[18], ^[19])
• Underwater tripod stabilizer plate — triangle design shown at DEMA 2010 (^[20])
• Documentation expeditions — open-to-public trips to Ambon, Raja Ampat, Banda Sea for marine life content gathering (^[21])

Timeline

• ~2008: SubSee +5 and +10 diopters available; shown at DEMA 2008 with Fisheye/Seatool housing (^[22])
• 2009-03: Les Wilk (“reefnet”) active on Wetpixel forums explaining flat port optics and SubSee usage (^[23])
• 2009-11: ReefNet exhibits at DEMA 2009, booth #672 (^[24])
• 2010-08: Phil Rudin recommends SubSee in Olympus E-PL1 housing review (^[25])
• 2010-11: ReefNet shows fiber optic snoot and tripod plate at DEMA 2010 (^[26])
• 2012-03: EunJae Im uses SubSee +10 for extraordinary hairy shrimp super macro video (^[27])
• 2012-05: Alex Mustard uses SubSee +5 in Nikon D4 field review (^[28])
• 2013-02: Alex Mustard photographs Subal ND4 “with macro port and Subsee +5 filter” (^[29])
• 2013-11: Nauticam SMC-1 released, offering superior optics purpose-designed for underwater use (^[30])
• 2013-12: Alex Mustard uses SubSee +5 in D7100 review alongside Inon Z240 strobes (^[31])

References

Wetpixel Live