Designed to fit like a glove around the Leica SL (Typ 601) the Metal Jacket – Cinema Production Cage for Leica SL (Typ 601) to use the full name is designed and field tested by cinematographers and mastercrafted in Italy (lake Como) by LockCircle.

Available in “Classic Black” anodized finish,  in hard anodized (Mil-Spec) “Dura-T (Tactical Grey)” or “Dura-K (Kant Titanium Brown)” for uncompromising quality, the Metal Jacket has 105 threads 1/4”-20 and 20 threads 3/8”-16 for multi accessories mounting like viewfinders, 4K HDMI Recorders, monitors and heavy-duty camera mounting requested by the film industry. Still, the the Metal Jacket cage is incredibly lightweight (225gr- 7.9 o.z.), while also offering several threads to mount the (AC) tape measurement (titanium pin) hook at the exact sensor focal plane.

According to LockCircle, the Metal Jacket integrates with the CineBlock interface mount, the original CW Sonderoptic Leica SL-PL Mount creating a monolithic rock solid cinematic production camera: perfect to shoot with Summicron-C and Summilux-C Leica Cinema (Academy Awarded) lenses. The camera baseplate offers really secure mounting with  1/4”- 20 and 3/8”-16 threads (titaniun camera screws supplied), and it has also front and rear threads 1/4”-20 useful for other mounting applications.

An ultra lightweight MicroMega baseplate for 15mm rods is also available, featuring an innovative modular (joinable) 15mm rods system, CNC machined from genuine titanium grade 5.

This new cage fits the idea of the Leica SL as a camera able to compete with Sony, Canon and Nikon when it comes to video. That’s what Leica suggested when the camera was announced, October 2015. The Leica SL offers 4K at 24 frames per second and all the specifications professionals expect to find in a video camera. According to the information provided by Leica then, the Leica SL “fulfills even the most stringent demands of moviemakers as a fully-fledged video camera. Thanks to its 24 MP CMOS sensor and high-performance Maestro II series processor, the Leica SL enables the production of professional videos in 4K resolution.”

The new cage for the Leica SL extends the idea of a system for cinema production. Pro Video Coalition contacted LockCircle and can reveal that the Metal Jacket will have its “premiere” at Paramount Studios, in Hollywood, during the Cine Gear Expo days, that’s June 3-4. There will be different packages available and a final price is not yet defined as there are, we were told, so many different parts and finishes.

Deliveries of the product will start realistically at the end of June. Follow the link to find some more information about the Metal Jacket Cinema Production Cage for Leica SL (Typ 601) from LockCircle.