S.U.P.E.R. Part 7: Nauticam SMC
In our ongoing series S.U.P.E.R. (Scubaverse’s Underwater Photography Equipment Reviews), Nick and Caroline Robertson Brown from Frogfish Photography review new underwater photography equipment, general diving equipment, and some older favourites too.
For the seventh instalment of S.U.P.E.R., Nick and Caroline take a look at Nauticam’s Super Macro Converter (SMC).
Nauticam SMC – OMG
The Nauticam Super Macro Converter (SMC) is a wet lens designed to fit on the outside of your camera housing to give magnification to macro marine life (or anything else you wish to shoot). It has a 67mm screw thread and is compatible with a wide range of cameras and lenses. It is the first lens of this type that has been completely designed from scratch for use underwater, and this is evident when you use it – it offers huge magnification, and yet still the images are crisp and sharp. I used the lens with my Nikon D7100, Nauticam housing, 105mm lens and a flip dioptre that allows you to easily move from macro to super macro without having to unscrew the lens from the port.
My first impression – WOW. In Indonesia, sometimes the guides can point out creatures that are so small, my eyes struggle to even see what they are pointing at. But with the SMC, I could take photos of these critters. You do need good diving skills to get the best from this lens, as you are required to be quite close to the subject and perfectly still to focus and take the shot. In currents and surge, while keeping your fins off any delicate coral or marine life, you need to be patient to capture the image you want. Indeed, as I mostly shoot in wide-angle, this lens took a bit of getting used to. Suddenly you look down your viewfinder and the world is hugely magnified, and it takes time to be able to locate the subject, get close enough to focus and get into a suitable position to take a shot, before said critter gets bored and wanders off. But it is worth the effort, as new macro subjects suddenly became possible, and previously boring shots of small subjects that were lost in the frame will now pop out in their full glory.
I also enjoyed the chance to experiment with the lens to pick out the intricate details of larger subjects; for example, focusing on the details of an eye. On our recent trip to Manado in Indonesia, I was able to fill the screen with tiny creatures like pigmy seahorses, minute colourful shrimps and the details that make up the incredible camouflage on the many frogfish our guides found for us (none of the images in this review have been cropped). I would use the 105mm lens without the SMC first for some of the larger subjects, getting a more conventional shot to start with, and then using the flip dioptre holder, I could move the SMC lens down into position, ease forward towards the subject, and get some amazing detail shots too.
The quality does come at a price, with the desirable, but not necessarily essential, flip dioptre holder coming in at £159.95 and the SMC itself costing £399.95. However, I would not want to be without either when I am next getting into the water to have some macro photography fun.
For those that love macro photography, this is a superlative accessory. There is also something about using this lens that is addictive (maybe it should come with some sort of warning). There are plenty of acronyms within the underwater photography world. In this case perhaps they should change the name of the lens from SMC to OMG!
For more information about the SMC from Nauticam visit www.nauticam.co.uk/nauticam-super-macro-convertor.
To find out more about Nick and Caroline and Frogfish Photography, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
