“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. A personal project, eight years in the making, driven by 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 engineer Matt 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. Their ongoing contributions continue to play a pivotal role in our evolution. The number 13 symbolises M.

    With an unwavering pursuit of perfection, Draper and Hipsley spare no detail, 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 direct 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, supporting distinguished artists such as Leica Oskar Barnack Award winner Narelle Autio. Our builds include the M Series, Q cameras, and the development of a new project, still influenced by the intersection of art, innovation, and the ocean, as we continue to evolve as an industrial design team.

    Production runs are limited. Enquires are processed on a first-come, first-served basis.

LATEST FROM SUB13

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

Each unit features a fully functional film advance lever machined from solid titanium, hand-polished, and finished in bronze PVD coating. The detailed internal actuator is set behind a curved viewing window sculpted from optical crystal 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. Over a year of dedicated design, engineering, and prototyping preceded the final machining to achieve our exacting standards.

RESULTS ACHIEVED

Narelle Autio, Leica Oskar Barnack Award winner.

Narelle Autio’s vibrant photographs of Australian ocean, coastal, and outback life have earned her widespread acclaim, captivating the hearts and imaginations of viewers. Her sophisticated use of colour, light, and composition highlights the complex beauty of Australia’s landscapes. Her latest series, The Eyes of Her, explores the ocean’s allure and themes of transformation inspired by mythology and folklore. Created with a Leica M11 and SUB13 Production Run I underwater housing, this work reflects her profound connection to the sea and its stories.