Lens Simulator
ENUS
English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Nederlands Polski

Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. vs. Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4

Ray-traced side by side from their optical patents at a 2.0 m upper-body portrait distance: compare how the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. (52.6 mm entrance pupil) and Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 (35.7 mm entrance pupil) differ in background blur size, edge bokeh, and depth of field.

Loading scene…
0%

Portrait At-a-Glance Comparison (Upper Body Framing)

Optical & Portrait Metric Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 What It Means in Practice
Upper-Body Working Distance 2.01 m 2.01 m Identical working distance—both frame an upper-body portrait from the exact same spot.
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 51.7 mm (+3.4%) 51.0 mm (+1.9%) At 2.0 m, Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. frames like a 51.7 mm lens while Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 frames like a 51.0 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 14 cm (1.95 m – 2.08 m) 20 cm (1.92 m – 2.12 m) The Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. has a 32% thinner focus zone (14 cm vs. 20 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 52.6 mm (f/0.95) 35.7 mm (f/1.4) Distant background blur discs are 47% larger on the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH..
Minimum Focus Distance 1 m 1 m Both lenses share the same 1 m close-focus limit.
Patent Prescription US20150192839A1 (14/11) US3291553A (7/5) Published optical prescriptions traced in the 3D simulator above.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. or Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4?

At the same subject framing, distant background blur scales with the entrance pupil diameter (focal length ÷ f-number). Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. at f/0.95 has a 52.6 mm entrance pupil, while Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 at f/1.4 has a 35.7 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. and Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4?

For an upper-body portrait, Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. stands 2.01 m from the subject (sharp zone 14 cm, from 1.95 m to 2.08 m), whereas Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 stands 2.01 m away (sharp zone 20 cm, from 1.92 m to 2.12 m).

How do the optical designs of Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. and Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 compare?

Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. uses 14 elements in 11 groups (US20150192839A1, effective focal length 51.7 mm at portrait distance). Leica Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 uses 7 elements in 5 groups (US3291553A, effective focal length 51.0 mm).

Explore individual lens ray-tracers

Head-to-head lens comparisons

All lens comparisons

Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.