One of the most common questions we get from divers is: Should I bring my macro or wide-angle lens? Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer. Cape Town’s waters offer incredible opportunities for both, but conditions can vary dramatically—even within the same dive.
With changing visibility, surge, and currents, knowing when to go macro or wide-angle can make or break your underwater shots. To help you decide, let’s explore the advantages of both and the best conditions for each.
When to Go Macro
Macro photography is all about capturing the tiny, hidden world beneath the waves. In Cape Town, we’re lucky to have an abundance of small marine life, from vibrant nudibranchs to elusive scorpionfish, intricate pipefish and plenty of camouflaged crustaceans.
Why Choose Macro?
✅ Works in poor visibility – Macro subjects are small and close-up, so you don’t need crystal-clear water to get a sharp image.
✅ Easier to light – Using strobes or a good video light can bring out the vivid colors of your subject, even in murky water.
✅ Endless subjects – Nudibranchs, amphipods, tiny fish, octopuses, and anemones are everywhere—you don't have to look hard to find them!
✅ Great for deep dives – Deeper sites tend to have less light and visibility, making macro a more practical choice.
Best Conditions for Macro Photography:
✔ Visibility: 5m or less – If the water is murky, macro is your best bet.
✔ Depth: 20m or more – Deep reefs are home to incredible macro life, including rare nudibranchs and crustaceans.
✔ Swell height: 2m or less, with a period of less than 12 seconds – Surge makes it hard to keep your camera steady, so calmer conditions are ideal.
Top Macro Dive Sites in Cape Town:
Shore Dives:
📍 Long Beach, Simonstown – A sheltered shore dive teeming with pipefish, gobies, cuttlefish, sole and occasional pufferfish. (You can also dive here in most weather conditions as it is sheltered from the big winds and waves.)
📍 A-Frame – A macro paradise filled with nudibranchs, crabs, and anemone-dwelling critters.
📍 Windmill Beach – A hidden gem with shallow reefs perfect for spotting tiny creatures like nudibranchs, cuttlefish and octopuses. (spotting an African penguin on the walk down to the beach is quite common too)
Boat Dives:
📍 Photographer’s Reef – As the name suggests, this site is a haven for macro enthusiasts, with a huge variety of small marine life.
📍 Roman Rock Lighthouse – A collection of reefs around the infamous lighthouse outside Simonstown known for its incredible diversity of macro life and well-camouflaged critters.
📍 Batsata – A large reef system south of Smitswinkel bay that has a lot of swim-throughs and rocky pinnacles that has become a hotspot for macro photography, featuring colorful sponges, large seafans and an abundance of basket stars.
When to Use a Wide-Angle Lens
Wide-angle photography is ideal for capturing Cape Town’s stunning underwater landscapes, from towering kelp forests to large shipwrecks. It’s also the best choice for photographing large marine life like seals, sharks, and rays.
Why Choose Wide-Angle?
✅ Dramatic underwater scenery – Cape Town’s reefs, wrecks, and kelp forests create jaw-dropping compositions.
✅ Encounters with big marine life – Seals, sharks, and large schools of fish are best captured with a wide-angle lens.
✅ Tells a story – Wide-angle shots provide a sense of scale, showing both the subject and its surroundings.
✅ People – It goes without saying that to tell the story sometimes you need a picture of a person. You definitely need a wide-angle lens if you are going to shoot your buddy.
Best Conditions for Wide-Angle Photography:
✔ Visibility: 5m or more – Clear water allows for crisp, high-contrast images.
✔ Depth: 20m or less – Shallow sites provide better natural light, making colors pop.
✔ Minimal surge and moderate current – Some movement adds drama to your shots, but excessive surge can make framing difficult.
Top Wide-Angle Dive Sites in Cape Town:
Shore Dives:
📍 Pyramid Rock – A shallow shore dive featuring beautiful kelp forests and schools of fish, perfect for wide-angle shots.
📍 Castle Rock – One of the most picturesque kelp forests in False Bay, offering incredible underwater scenery.
📍 Antipolis Wreck – A great option for wide-angle photography with a mix of rock formations, kelp forests, and the remnants of the Oil Tanker that got stranded there in 1977.
Boat Dives:
📍 Daves Cave – A must-dive site that is virtually untouched with very abundant fish-life. It is shallow enough to use natural light making wide angle the perfect choice in the dense kelp.
📍 Whittle Rock – A stunning reef system in the middle of False Bay, with rocky pinnacles that come up from depths of 35m and sit just below the surface as shallow as 5m. Definitely our favorite dive site for both wide angle and macro photography.
📍 Smitswinkel wrecks – 5 deep, historic shipwrecks that offers striking compositions with dramatic lighting. The wrecks are mostly intact and offer fantastic photos of both the man made objects and marine life.
Choosing the Right Setup: What’s Best for You?
The truth is, there’s no right or wrong answer—your choice should depend on the dive site, conditions, and what you want to photograph. Here’s a quick guide to help you decide:
Go Macro If:
🔹 Visibility is poor (5m or less).
🔹 You’re diving deep (20m+).
🔹 There’s minimal surge, allowing for steady close-up shots.
🔹 You love tiny marine life like nudibranchs and shrimp.
Go Wide-Angle If:
🔹 Visibility is good (5m or more).
🔹 You’re in a shallow, well-lit area (20m or less).
🔹 You want to capture kelp forests, wrecks, or big animals.
🔹 You’re diving with seals, sharks, or rays.
Bonus Tip: Adapt with a Wet Lens System
If you don’t want to commit to one style, consider using a wet lens system. These attach to your camera housing, allowing you to switch between macro and wide-angle during the dive. This is especially useful in Cape Town, where conditions can change unexpectedly.
Some great options include:
🔹 Flip diopters – Ideal for macro photographers who want flexibility.
🔹 Wet wide-angle lenses – Great for capturing larger scenes when conditions allow.
Final Thoughts: What’s the Best Choice?
Cape Town’s waters are incredibly diverse, offering the best of both worlds for underwater photographers. Whether you prefer the intricate details of macro or the sweeping landscapes of wide-angle, there’s always something spectacular to capture.
The key is to plan ahead—check conditions, research your dive site, and choose your setup accordingly. And if you’re unsure? Bring both, or use a wet lens system to stay flexible!
Whatever you choose, you’re in for an unforgettable underwater photography experience in one of the most dynamic dive destinations on the planet. Happy shooting!
