Supermacro Photography

Also known as: super macro, extreme macro, beyond-1:1 macro
Category: Photography technique
Related techniques: Macro photography, Close-focus wide-angle

Overview

Supermacro (or super macro) photography is the discipline of photographing subjects at magnifications exceeding 1:1 (life-size). While standard macro photography reproduces subjects at up to life-size on the sensor, supermacro pushes beyond that threshold — filling the frame with subjects smaller than a grain of rice, revealing details invisible to the naked eye. As described in the Wetpixel announcement of James Wiseman’s 2009 HUPS presentation, “macro, or close-up, photography is defined up to 1:1, or life-size magnification, but the realm of super-macro is reached as you magnify beyond that.” Wiseman’s talk covered “equipment choices (lenses, teleconverters, and diopters), techniques (focusing, finding the subject), and image processing considerations” (^[1]).

Underwater supermacro is particularly challenging: depth of field becomes vanishingly thin at high magnification, autofocus struggles, lighting must be precisely positioned to reach tiny subjects behind protruding optics, and even minimal camera movement causes blur. Despite these difficulties, the technique became a significant sub-genre within the Wetpixel community, driven by the desire to document the smallest marine life — pygmy seahorses, skeleton shrimp, parasitic isopods, hairy shrimps, and nudibranch eggs.

History

Early Roots (2002—2005)

The supermacro discipline emerged in the early digital SLR era. At DEMA 2002, Backscatter showed the MacroMate, an underwater removable diopter “made for a variety of film and video setups,” with a version for the Light & Motion Tetra that produced 1:1 images (^[2]). At DEMA 2004, Gates displayed a “super macro Fathom Imaging aspherical port that functions as a +1 to +10 effective diopter, with a 3-4 inch focus range and constant magnification through that range” (^[3]).

Martin Edge presented supermacro photography techniques at the Visions in the Sea 2003 conference, and Espen Rekdal showed “breathtaking” supermacro slides from Wakatobi at the same event. Eric Cheng wrote that Rekdal’s “supermacro slides from Wakatobi showed a level of perfection that we should all aspire to match” (^[4]).

The early DSLR approach to supermacro typically combined a 105mm macro lens with a 2x teleconverter and a wet diopter. Wetpixel member Rand McMeins (randapex) became well known as a pioneer of this technique, using a Nikon D2X with 105mm lens, 2x teleconverter, and Woody’s diopter to achieve extreme magnification. As Alex Mustard wrote in 2006, McMeins “uses a combination of 105mm lens, 2x teleconverter and Woody’s dioptre on his APS-C sensor D2X to achieve very high magnification combined with good depth of field,” having recently won the top award in the Turks and Caicos postage stamp competition with a supermacro image (^[5]).

Woody’s diopter was a widely discussed early supermacro accessory. Forum discussions explored its characteristics in detail, with users noting that while it provided roughly 20% additional magnification beyond 1:1 (contrary to some web sources claiming 90%), it required careful technique. James Wiseman advised that the diopter changed the focus range: “you lose your actual infinity focus when using the diopter,” meaning photographers could not focus on subjects further than about 3 feet from the port (^[6], ^[7]).

Seacam Wet Diopters (2005)

Seacam introduced a pair of wet diopters at DEMA 2005, custom designed for their macro ports. Stephen Frink reviewed them alongside the Backscatter MacroMate, finding they served different purposes. The Seacam #4 provided approximately 1.3:1 magnification and was easy to use — Frink kept it mounted while swimming along the reef scouting subjects. The MacroMate achieved 2:1 but was harder to use, with minuscule depth of field and requiring much closer working distance. Frink noted: “I came to the conclusion that they are each unique tools and I enjoy working with them both.” He also experimented with stacking the Seacam on top of the MacroMate — “I was surprised at how well it turned out optically, even if it was an ergonomic challenge” (^[8]).

Based on Frink’s tests, Seacam decided to develop more powerful diopters — the #2 was deemed too modest and was not released. Seacam subsequently released the more powerful “Wet Two” diopter in December 2005, estimated at 1:1.7 magnification by Frink based on pool tests (^[9]).

Supermacro Video (2007—2012)

Mark Thorpe (CamDiver) posted a detailed guide on shooting macro and supermacro video in 2007, covering diopters, sharpness, chromatic aberration, port selection, lighting, and camera stability. Eric Cheng highlighted it as “an excellent article” on Wetpixel (^[10]).

In 2012, Wetpixel member EunJae Im produced extraordinary super macro footage of hairy shrimps in Lembeh — subjects no bigger than a grain of rice — using a Canon 7D with a SubSee +10 wet diopter, XIT404 tripod, Sola lights, and a SmallHD monitor in a Nauticam housing. EunJae commented that “using the monitor made focusing and framing these subjects much easier.” The video drew enthusiastic responses in the forum, with one commenter noting: “Incredible. I shoot super macro stills and I wonder how you held focus” (^[11], ^[12]).

Equipment

Teleconverters

Teleconverters (1.4x and 2x) are placed between the camera body and macro lens to increase magnification. A 105mm macro lens with a 2x teleconverter achieves 2:1 reproduction ratio. The trade-off is light loss (1 stop for 1.4x, 2 stops for 2x), potential softness, and port compatibility — the longer optical stack requires longer extension tubes inside the housing.

At DEMA 2008, Xit 404 (owned by Wetpixel forum members Mike and Jody Elliott) launched inexpensive focus gears for the Canon 100mm and Nikon 105mm macro lenses that extended to accommodate 1.4x and 2x teleconverters, recognizing “the recent surge in interest for macro and super-macro photography.” The gears were compatible with Subal and Aquatica housings, and were distributed exclusively through Backscatter (^[13]).

The Wetpixel forum thread “Getting more than 1:1 macro from 1:1 lenses” (101 replies) provided an extensive community discussion on exceeding life-size magnification using teleconverters, extension tubes, and diopters. Community members discussed the Canon MP-E 65mm f/2.8 1-5x Macro lens — which could achieve up to 5:1 magnification — though port selection challenges complicated its underwater use (^[14]).

Wet Diopters (Close-Up Lenses)

Wet diopters are the most versatile supermacro tool because they attach to the outside of the lens port and can be added or removed during a dive. They reduce the minimum focus distance and increase magnification. Key considerations include whether the optical element is sealed in air (retaining full diopter power underwater) or exposed to water. As a commenter on Wetpixel noted regarding the F.I.T ACU +16, a non-sealed lens system will “lose approximately 65% of its power” underwater, reducing the rated +16 diopter strength to closer to +5 (^[15]).

Diopter strength is rated in diopters (the inverse of focal length in meters), with higher numbers producing more magnification. Common strengths range from +5 to +15. Nauticam has argued that dioptric ratings “can be misleading” because stacked lenses “don’t always yield the power of its individual components,” and instead uses a simplified magnification factor for its products (^[16]).

Notable Wet Diopter Products

Backscatter MacroMate — One of the earliest purpose-built underwater macro diopters, shown at DEMA 2002. Available in press-fit and flip-up versions. Capable of 2:1 magnification but with very short working distance and minimal depth of field. The diopter featured a “beveled front” making it easier to get strobe light on subjects at close range (^[17], ^[18]).

Backscatter MacroMate Mini (2014) — A macro diopter specifically designed for the GoPro Hero 3 and 3+, constructed of aluminum with two sealed glass optics. It reduced the GoPro’s minimum focus distance from 1-2 feet to about 3 inches. Attached via a 55mm threaded adapter to Backscatter’s Flip 3.1 bracket, allowing photographers to “shoot WIDE or MACRO with just a flip.” Priced at $89 (^[19]).

SubSee +5 and +10 — Popular achromatic wet diopters used by many supermacro shooters. EunJae Im used the SubSee +10 for his award-winning Lembeh video work. Allison Vitsky Sallmon and Andy Sallmon noted using “a flip on/off wet diopter, such as a Subsee +5 or +10, for versatility” with their Canon 100mm macro lens (^[20], ^[21]).

Sealux Wetmate Diopters — Sealux offered bayonet-mount wet diopters for their tapered PS flat ports, working with both 60mm and 105mm micro lenses. A reviewer noted being “very impressed with how well it fits on the port” (^[22]).

F.I.T ACU +16 (2011) — A single-grouped dual-element diopter rated at +16 in air. As a non-sealed design, its actual underwater power was closer to +5. The lens had a 46mm thread and was supplied with a 67mm step-up ring. Priced at $315 (^[23]).

Seatool Close-Up Lenses — Purpose-built for Olympus compact housings, available in two and three-element sets with mounts from 40.5mm to 67mm diameter (^[24]).

Nauticam SMC and CMC Family

Nauticam’s Super Macro Converter (SMC) and Compact Macro Converter (CMC) series represented a paradigm shift in underwater supermacro optics. Designed by Nauticam Managing Director Edward Lai, these lenses were the first macro conversion optics specifically engineered for underwater use. As the SMC press release stated, the approach was to “treat the system - camera, lens, port, air, and water — as a whole, and account for the air-water interfaces in a conversion lens design to achieve the best image quality possible” (^[25]).

SMC-1 (Super Macro Converter, 2013) — Announced at DEMA 2013, the SMC provided 2.3x magnification with a 105mm or 100mm macro lens and a minimum working distance of 50mm from the front element. It used low dispersion optical glass with broadband anti-reflective coatings, assembled in a nitrogen-purged hard anodized aluminum housing. Nauticam’s development involved “hundreds of engineering hours utilizing computer software to model the optical properties of the complete underwater imaging system.” Alex Mustard called it “the sharpest accessory macro lens I have used. Something that is truly remarkable because it is also the most powerful.” It was compatible with a wide range of macro lenses including the Nikon 105mm, Canon 100mm, Canon 60mm, Nikon 60mm, Olympus 60mm, and Panasonic 45mm macro. Priced at $480 (^[26]).

CMC-1 (Compact Macro Converter, 2015) — Designed for compact and mirrorless cameras. Despite being smaller, the CMC-1 was actually more powerful than the SMC when used with compatible compact cameras. With the Sony RX100 III, it provided 2.3x the magnification of the camera alone with 1.4x the working distance. With the Canon G7X, results were even more impressive: 3.0x magnification at 2.4x the working distance. With the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro on Micro Four Thirds, it achieved a 2:1 reproduction ratio, creating “one of the most powerful macro imaging systems available.” Alex Tattersall praised its “very impressive sharpness throughout the usable range.” Priced at $320 (^[27]).

CMC-2 (Compact Macro Converter 2, 2016) — A less powerful companion to the CMC-1, offering 2.8x average magnification (versus the CMC-1’s 4.5x) for larger macro subjects. During pre-production testing, Nauticam discovered that the CMC-2 actually improved overall image sharpness compared to shooting behind a flat port with no accessory lens — “an image taken underwater with CMC-2 is sharper than the same image taken with no accessory lens mounted,” because the flat port degrades sharpness and the CMC-2’s optics correct for it. Priced at $290 (^[28]).

SMC-2 — A more powerful version of the SMC, delivering 3.3x macro magnification with the Canon RF 100mm macro lens (^[29]).

Nauticam developed flip holder and bayonet mount systems allowing photographers to carry both CMC-1 and CMC-2 on the same dive, including a double flip holder (part 25108) for M67 macro ports (^[30]). At Boot 2019, Nauticam demonstrated how the SMC paired with the WWL-1 wide-angle converter and a Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 2 allowed shooting “fisheye and macro images in the same dive” — “wide, medium and tight shots with one lens combination. If the SMC is then added, macro and super macro can be captured too…all on one dive!” (^[31]).

Nauticam EMWL (2020)

Nauticam’s Extended Macro Wide Lens (EMWL) represented a new frontier, combining macro and wide-angle capabilities in a modular wet-mount system. Consisting of a focusing unit (6 elements in 3 groups), a relay lens (14 elements in 10 groups), and interchangeable objective lenses (130°, 100°, or 60° coverage), the EMWL allowed photographers to “fill up most of the frame with a nudibranch and still have room for a diver in the background.” The system was compatible with SMC and CMC converters via bayonet mount adapters. Available focusing units were offered for Nikon/Micro Four Thirds, Canon, and Sony macro lens systems (^[32]).

Inon Close-Up Lenses

Inon developed a range of underwater close-up lenses designed exclusively for underwater use:

UCL-165M67 and UCL-330 — Earlier M67-threaded close-up lenses at +6 and +3 diopter equivalent, compatible with a wide range of compact and DSLR systems. Stackable for additional magnification (^[33]).

UCL-67 (2017) — A high-power close-up lens equivalent to +15 diopter, with 4 elements in 3 groups using high refractive index glass. When used with a Nikon 105mm macro lens, it delivered 2.76x magnification (area ratio 7.65x) with a working distance of 52mm (83.4mm from housing port surface). The UCL-67 was designed solely for underwater use and would not function properly on land. Available in M67 screw mount and LD bayonet versions. An adapter ring allowed stacking with the UCL-165M67 or UCL-330 for even higher magnification (^[34]).

UCL-90 (2017) — A mid-power option equivalent to +11 diopter, positioned between the UCL-67 (+15) and UCL-165M67 (+6). With a 105mm lens, it achieved 2.23x magnification with a 69mm working distance. Used HR glass in 3 elements in 2 groups (^[35]).

A 2019 Wetpixel review by Massimo Franzese (Interceptor 121) compared the Inon UCL-67, UCL-90, Nauticam CMC-1, and CMC-2 on Micro Four Thirds cameras, providing community members with comparative data (^[36]).

SAGA Close-Up Lenses and Trio

Spanish manufacturer SAGA entered the supermacro market with achromatic wet diopters in 2013, offering +5, +10, and +15 strengths with 67mm threads. The lenses used BK7 glass with anti-scratch and anti-reflective coatings, and featured 67mm front threads allowing stacking (^[37]).

SAGA Trio (2016) — A patented all-in-one system containing +5 and +10 diopter groups in a single sealed housing, with two red levers allowing four magnification options: 0, +5, +10, and +15. Because the optical elements were sealed in air, no magnification power was lost to water contact. The housing was ruggedly constructed from 40 micron black anodized 6082 aluminum, weighing 708g with 200g negative buoyancy, and rated to 100 meters.

The Trio was prototyped during the 2016 Wetpixel/Alex Mustard Macro Workshop in Lembeh. SAGA had approached Wetpixel in September 2016 asking, “How would we like to try out a new macro lens idea?” and sent a prototype to Indonesia for testing. Adam Hanlon reviewed it on the production version and found it “a versatile and effective means to achieve super macro images, without sacrificing image quality.” He took the production version to Norway for the Gulen Nudibranch Safari, where cold-water diving highlighted the advantage of changing magnification with gloved hands. Alex Mustard felt the optical quality of the prototype was “very good” and particularly valued the Trio for situations where “the ease of use is the most important factor - such as cold water diving with gloves.” Priced at 847 EUR (^[38], ^[39]).

Fantasea/AOI Lenses

Fantasea and AOI collaborated on supermacro wet lenses:

UCL-900F (2018) — A +15 super macro conversion lens with 5 elements in 2 groups and AR coating on all surfaces. Priced at $359.99 (^[40]).

UCL-90PRO (2022) — AOI’s PRO-range close-up lens with +18.5 magnification and anti-reflective coating on all element surfaces. Marketed as “brighter, lighter, and better” with optimized light transmission using high refractive index glass and a redesigned barrel for optimal strength-to-weight ratio. Compatible with full-frame DSLR, Micro Four Thirds, and compact cameras. Part of AOI’s new PRO Range alongside the UCL-900PRO and upgraded UCL-09 PRO (^[41]).

Aquatica ACU System (2016)

Aquatica consolidated their close-up accessories into the ACU (Aquatica Close-Up) system in 2016. The system consisted of ACU5 and ACU10 doublet diopters made of BK7 coated mineral glass, a dedicated mini macro port with a smaller frontal signature for better lighting, flip holders in single and double configurations with bayonet attachment, a lens caddy that mounted on Aquatica grips, and manual focus gears for popular macro lenses. Aquatica emphasized backward compatibility, offering adapters so that previous macro port owners could use the new ACU lenses (^[42]).

Techniques

Focusing

At supermacro magnifications, depth of field can be a fraction of a millimeter. Two approaches dominate:

• Autofocus with diopter: Many modern wet lenses (particularly the Nauticam SMC/CMC family and Inon UCL series) are optimized to maintain autofocus capability. The SMC-1 was specifically designed so that “the autofocus system of the camera usually works acceptably well” through its full range (^[43]). The CMC-2 was designed with autofocus as a priority, working “often better than less powerful close focus lenses” (^[44]).
• Manual focus and rocking: At the highest magnifications (+15 and beyond), photographers typically rack the lens to minimum focus distance and then rock the camera body gently forward and backward to achieve focus, firing when the subject snaps sharp. Hanlon noted that with the SAGA Trio at +15, “the lens needs to be racked in to its closest focus and then the camera rocked in and out gently to achieve sharp images” (^[45]). Fabian Schorp described a similar approach with the Nauticam SMC-1: “focus on something (a piece of coral or patch of sand will work) at maximum magnification, turning off autofocus and gently rocking the camera back and forth towards the subject to get the plane of focus right” (^[46]).

Lighting

The protruding optics of wet diopters and conversion lenses push strobes further from the subject, requiring longer arms. Hanlon observed that the SAGA Trio “adds significant length to the front of the lens port” and that “slightly longer strobe arms are required” (^[47]). Frink noted that the MacroMate’s “beveled front” made it easier to get strobe light on the subject at close range (^[48]).

For supermacro, some photographers use a ring flash. Andy and Allison Sallmon noted: “For supermacro, we’ll sometimes use a ring flash, which may allow us to get our field nicely lit without having to worry about shifting strobes all over the place and/or disturbing the subject” (^[49]).

Focus lights are valuable for supermacro — EunJae Im used Sola lights for his super macro video work — though Hanlon personally preferred to avoid focus lights to maintain strobe positioning flexibility (^[50], ^[51]).

Diffraction Management

At the small apertures (f/22—f/32) often required for adequate depth of field, diffraction softens the image. Nauticam designed the SMC and CMC optics to allow shooting at larger apertures while maintaining sharpness, thereby “avoiding reaching the diffraction limit of high resolution sensors” (^[52], ^[53]).

Bokeh and Creative Techniques

Supermacro photography naturally produces compressed depth of field, which can be used creatively for bokeh effects. Mike Bartick, a professional photographer based at Crystal Blue Resort in Anilao, Philippines, wrote extensively about creative bokeh with diopters: “Diopters can also alter natural bokeh due to magnification. Recently, I’ve taken to using a low powered diopter with my 60mm lens. While this isn’t very effective for creating a super macro image, it is highly effective at creating buttery bokeh and sharp foreground presence in the frame.” He noted that the Nauticam CMC with a 60mm lens “creates sharp, front of the frame presence while creating creamy bokeh. Particularly fun with larger slugs.” Bartick also used a Kraken +13 diopter with the 105mm lens and a 1.4x teleconverter with vintage lenses like the Trioplan 50mm for distinctive bubble bokeh effects (^[54]).

Tripods and Stability

For supermacro video, camera stability is critical. EunJae Im used the XIT404 tripod for his Lembeh footage. Mark Thorpe’s 2007 guide covered camera stability as a core topic for supermacro video (^[55], ^[56]).

Full Frame vs. Crop Sensor

The choice between full-frame and crop-sensor cameras for supermacro involves tradeoffs. A crop sensor provides a narrower field of view, making it easier to fill the frame at a given magnification and offering slightly more depth of field. However, full-frame sensors provide superior image quality and better low-light performance. Fabian Schorp noted in 2015 that while “it is simply easier to get a subject in the correct plane of focus with a crop factor sensor,” the shallower depth of field of full frame “makes it easier to control the background.” Sascha Janson, the resident photo pro at Lembeh Resort, emphasized the importance of supermacro tools regardless of format: “You can’t go diving here without a super macro converter” (^[57]).

Supermacro in Competitions

Supermacro became a recognized competition category. The 2016 Ocean Art competition included a dedicated “Supermacro” category, with Chad Tamis winning first place (^[58]).

Community Discussion

The Wetpixel forums were a primary venue for supermacro knowledge sharing. The thread “Getting more than 1:1 macro from 1:1 lenses” (101 replies) was an extensive community discussion on techniques for exceeding life-size magnification using teleconverters, extension tubes, and diopters, including discussion of the Canon MP-E 65mm 1-5x lens and the challenges of housing it (^[59]). Rand McMeins’ “D2X+105mm+2xTC+Woody’s diopter” thread (63 replies) provided detailed practical discussion on combining these tools for extreme magnification (^[60]).

In 2015, Wetpixel’s “Ask the Pros: Macro” feature gathered insights from professional photographers including Imran Ahmad, Allison Vitsky Sallmon, Andy Sallmon, Steve Jones, Douglas Seifert, and David Fleetham, covering macro and supermacro techniques, lens choices, and creative approaches (^[61]).

In 2020, Adam Hanlon and Alex Mustard devoted a Wetpixel Live episode to macro close-up lenses, discussing “the availability of a seeming plethora of ‘wet’ close-up lenses” and making recommendations for underwater photographers (^[62]). Additional Wetpixel Live episodes directly relevant to supermacro included the two-part “Bug Eye Lens” series (Eps 30-31) covering the INON micro semi-fisheye relay lens, and “Extension Tubes, Teleconverters and Diopters” (Ep 82) which surveyed the primary tools for achieving beyond-1:1 magnification (^[63], ^[64]).

Key Destinations

Lembeh Strait, Indonesia, is the preeminent supermacro destination, with its rich population of tiny critters (hairy shrimps, pygmy seahorses, skeleton shrimp). Wetpixel’s recurring macro workshops there consistently featured supermacro shooting. Anilao, Philippines, is another premier macro destination, with Mike Bartick operating Crystal Blue Resort as a hub for macro photographers. Romblon, Philippines, is noted specifically for super macro opportunities (^[65]). Norway’s Gulen was also used for cold-water supermacro testing of the SAGA Trio (^[66]).

Timeline

• 2002: Backscatter shows MacroMate diopter at DEMA, with versions for film, video, and compact setups (^[67])
• 2003-10: Martin Edge presents supermacro techniques at Visions in the Sea; Espen Rekdal shows supermacro slides from Wakatobi (^[68])
• 2004-10: Gates shows super macro aspherical port (+1 to +10 diopter) at DEMA 2004 (^[69])
• 2005-11: Seacam introduces wet diopters at DEMA; Stephen Frink reviews them alongside MacroMate (^[70])
• 2005-12: Seacam releases more powerful “Wet Two” diopter, estimated at 1:1.7 magnification (^[71])
• 2006-02: Alex Mustard highlights Rand McMeins’ supermacro technique on Wetpixel (^[72])
• 2007-08: Mark Thorpe (CamDiver) publishes supermacro video guide (^[73])
• 2008-03: Seatool releases compact close-up lenses for Olympus housings (^[74])
• 2008-11: Xit 404 launches teleconverter-compatible focus gears at DEMA (^[75])
• 2009-02: James Wiseman presents “Super Macro” at HUPS (^[76])
• 2011-08: F.I.T releases ACU +16 wet diopter (^[77])
• 2012-03: EunJae Im posts extraordinary super macro hairy shrimp video from Lembeh (^[78])
• 2013-11: Nauticam releases SMC-1 at DEMA, the first macro conversion lens designed for underwater use (^[79])
• 2013-12: SAGA releases +5, +10, +15 achromatic close-up lenses (^[80])
• 2014-04: Backscatter launches MacroMate Mini for GoPro cameras (^[81])
• 2015-02: Nauticam announces CMC-1 for compact and mirrorless cameras (^[82])
• 2016-06: Aquatica launches ACU close-up system (^[83])
• 2016-09: Nauticam ships CMC-2 with surprising sharpness improvement over bare flat port (^[84])
• 2016-11: SAGA announces Trio multi-magnification lens system at DEMA (^[85])
• 2017-02: Inon releases UCL-67, equivalent to +15 diopter (^[86])
• 2017-03: Wetpixel publishes SAGA Trio review by Adam Hanlon (^[87])
• 2017-12: Inon releases UCL-90, equivalent to +11 diopter (^[88])
• 2018-08: Mike Bartick publishes bokeh techniques article featuring diopter-enhanced creative supermacro (^[89])
• 2018-11: Fantasea and AOI ship UCL-900F +15 super macro lens (^[90])
• 2019-01: Boot 2019: Nauticam demonstrates SMC + WWL-1 system for shooting macro and wide on same dive (^[91])
• 2019-02: Interceptor 121 publishes comparative wet close-up lens review on Wetpixel (^[92])
• 2020-07: Nauticam ships EMWL (Extended Macro Wide Lens) system (^[93])
• 2020-08: Wetpixel Live episode on macro close-up lenses (^[94])
• 2022-09: AOI releases UCL-90PRO with +18.5 magnification (^[95])

References

Wetpixel Live