“Distinguished by an exquisite design and premium quality materials in order to echo the ethos of the Leica brand.”

- Leica Fotografie International Magazine.

SUB13 is the brainchild of artist Matt Draper and engineer Matt Hipsley. A personal project, seven years in the making, born from Draper's desire and commitment to fuse Leica’s manual focus rangefinder with his fine art printmaking, forcing the design of his own fully functional underwater housing. As Draper's vision gained momentum, it evolved into a partnership with Hipsley, now extending to artists and collectors alike.

  • The name SUB13 is derived from 'subversive,' reflecting our creative approach, and 'submarine,' honouring DOER Marine, founded by Dr Sylvia Earle as Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, whose early contributions through prototyping were pivotal to our evolution. The number 13 symbolises the letter M.

    With an unwavering pursuit of perfection, Draper and Hipsley spare no expense, zealously devoting their time and expertise to SUB13. Our small in-house team, comprising Matt, Matt, Toby, and Kate, manages all design, engineering, and assembly. What truly sets us apart is our dedication to crafting underwater housings that we ourselves use for the camera systems we own. This genuine investment ensures the highest standards and places every SUB13 owner at the heart of our story.

    SUB13 is gaining notable recognition while expanding our audience, working with distinguished artists such as Leica Oskar Barnack Award winner Narelle Autio. Our builds now include both the M series and the Q, with the latest addition, the M6, celebrating 70 years of Leica M. Production runs are limited. We maintain a strict first-come, first-served policy for all enquiries and orders

    Created by and for.

LATEST FROM SUB13

SUB13 proudly announces the development of our Leica M6 underwater housings, celebrating 70 years of Leica M.

Following one year of dedicated design, SUB13 will release a single production run of just 13 units. Each housing will feature a fully functional film advance lever machined from solid titanium. The detailed internal actuator is set behind a curved viewing window sculpted from sapphire glass, allowing owners to observe the complete motion of their film advance. The housing’s lever precisely mirrors the radius of the viewing window below, seamlessly blending form and function.

Prototype One is now with artist Maclay Heriot.

Expected November 2024.

RESULTS ACHIEVED

Narelle Autio’s vibrant images of Australian ocean, coast and outback life have won her widespread acclaim and continue to capture the hearts and imaginations of viewers. Her sophisticated use of colour, light and composition create photographs that evoke the complex beauty of Australia’s landscape. Her photographs in the ocean investigating the lure of the sea and the ideas of transformation through mythology and folklore, is the foundation of her latest series, The Eyes of Her.

MEDIA

Leica Fotografie International.

SUB13 is profiled in the February/March 2024 issue of Leica Fotografie International magazine. This six-page feature in Issue 2 highlights innovation, collaboration, and the art of underwater photography.