“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 vision of artist Matt Draper. A personal project spanning nine years, driven by Draper’s desire to fuse the Leica rangefinder with his underwater practice, forcing the design of his own fully functional underwater housing. As Draper’s vision gained momentum, it evolved into SUB13, an industrial design venture founded alongside engineer Matt Hipsley, now extending to creatives and collectors alike.
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With an unwavering pursuit of perfection, Draper and Hipsley spare no detail, personally investing their time in SUB13. Their small team of four, including Toby Barnhill and Kate Powell, manages all design, machining, and assembly.
Production Runs include underwater housing designs for Leica M, Leica Q, and Leica film cameras, supporting artists such as Leica Oskar Barnack Award winner Narelle Autio and Magnum photographer Trent Parke.
SUB13 continues through unique designs shaped by art, science, and the ocean.
FEATURED BUILD
SUB13 Skeleton for Leica Q3
SUB13 Skeleton represents a complete redesign of the Leica Q3 housing. Shaped by time and experience, every element has been re-engineered while remaining true to the design language that defines SUB13.
The result is a weight reduction of 600 g (1.3 lb) with the flat port and 900 g (2.0 lb) with the dome port, a total weight saving of over 20% in both configurations. The main body, back plate, and ports have been redesigned, with weight saving measures from complex machined cutouts to reducing the dome port glass thickness by a further 2 mm, while remaining 100% optically correct.
Handles are now machined from the same lightweight 6061 aluminium as the main body. All hardware is solid titanium, polished and PVD coated black.
Macro mode is available through a new top mounted dial, overcoming a complex mechanical challenge to provide seamless access to the close focus capabilities of the Leica Q3.
A new proprietary spring delivers a precise and responsive shutter release by returning the shutter after each exposure.
Each unit includes a USB C bulkhead for direct battery charging and image transfer.
The SUB13 logo has been removed from the front and replaced with a discreet serial number surrounding the port base, laser engraved and paint filled red.
The “101 M Certified” marking shown is exclusive to the prototype and will not appear on production units.
A bead blasted, clear anodised finish celebrates the raw aluminium beneath, giving Skeleton its silver appearance.
Every detail has been reconsidered. The result is the most refined housing SUB13 has ever produced.
Skeleton sits in addition to and above the current Production Run III.
Production Run of 13 Units
Available 2027
RESULTS ACHIEVED
1/400 sec f/5.6 ISO 400
Vava’u islands, Kingdom of Tonga, are defining testing grounds for SUB13. We return each year, spending significant time with humpback whales in conditions that demand trust in equipment, process, and muscle memory. That repetition, across seasons and encounters, allows our prototypes to be refined in use, not theory.
1/500 sec f/8 ISO 400
Through the ergonomics of the Leica Q housing, nothing requires the eye to leave the viewfinder. Every critical control remains exactly where the hands expect it to be.
