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Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. vs. Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH

Pick the 50mm f/0.95 if you want about 26% more background blur, pick the 50mm f/1.2 if you want rounder highlights when stopped down.

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

Optical & Portrait Metric Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH 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.
Background Field of View (Compression) 38° 39° Identical 38° horizontal background view behind the subject.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 52.6 mm (f/0.95) 41.7 mm (f/1.2) Distant background blur discs are 26% larger on the Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH..
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) 46% (-1.6 EV) 89% (-0.3 EV) Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH keeps significantly rounder bokeh balls into the corners wide open (89% vs. 46% roundness).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 51.7 mm (+3.4%) 50.9 mm (+1.9%) At 2.0 m, Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. frames like a 51.7 mm lens while Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH frames like a 50.9 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 14 cm (1.95 m – 2.08 m) 17 cm (1.93 m – 2.10 m) The Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. has a 21% thinner focus zone (14 cm vs. 17 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Minimum Focus Distance 1 m 1 m Both lenses share the same 1 m close-focus limit.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. or Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH?

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 NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH at f/1.2 has a 41.7 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. and Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH?

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 NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH stands 2.01 m away (sharp zone 17 cm, from 1.93 m to 2.10 m).

How do the optical designs of Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH. and Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH 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 NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH uses 7 elements in 5 groups (DE1045120B, effective focal length 50.9 mm).

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