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Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. vs. Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH.

Pick the 50mm f/1.4 if you want about 43% more background blur, pick the 50mm f/2 if you want closer focus. Compare both side by side.

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

Optical & Portrait Metric Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/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) 40° 41° Identical 40° horizontal background view behind the subject.
Entrance Pupil Diameter 35.7 mm (f/1.4) 25.0 mm (f/2) Distant background blur discs are 43% larger on the Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH..
Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) 52% (-1.2 EV) 98% (-0.2 EV) Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. keeps significantly rounder bokeh balls into the corners wide open (98% vs. 52% roundness).
Effective Focal Length (Breathing) 49.8 mm (-0.5%) 47.8 mm (-4.3%) At 2.0 m, Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. frames like a 49.8 mm lens while Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. frames like a 47.8 mm lens.
Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) 20 cm (1.92 m – 2.12 m) 29 cm (1.88 m – 2.17 m) The Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. has a 30% thinner focus zone (20 cm vs. 29 cm)—requiring more precise eye focus.
Minimum Focus Distance 0.6 m 0.35 m Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. focuses 25 cm closer (0.6 m vs. 0.35 m) for tighter close-ups.

Questions

Which blurs the background more, Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. or Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH.?

At the same subject framing, distant background blur scales with the entrance pupil diameter (focal length ÷ f-number). Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. at f/1.4 has a 35.7 mm entrance pupil, while Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. at f/2 has a 25.0 mm entrance pupil.

How does working distance differ between Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. and Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH.?

For an upper-body portrait, Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. stands 2.01 m from the subject (sharp zone 20 cm, from 1.92 m to 2.12 m), whereas Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. stands 2.01 m away (sharp zone 29 cm, from 1.88 m to 2.17 m).

How do the optical designs of Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. and Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. compare?

Leica Summilux-SL 50mm f/1.4 ASPH. uses 11 elements in 9 groups (EP3136147A1, effective focal length 49.8 mm at portrait distance). Leica APO-Summicron-SL 50mm f/2 ASPH. uses 14 elements in 8 groups (US20240241349A1, effective focal length 47.8 mm).

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