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Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published DE1045120B optical prescription (7 elements in 5 groups) with a 41.7 mm entrance pupil and 1 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | DE1045120B · 7 elements in 5 groups | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 41.7 mm (at f/1.2) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 89% at f/1.2 · -0.3 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 39° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 2.01 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 50.9 mm (+1.9%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 17 cm (1.93 m – 2.10 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 1 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH produce?
Wide open at f/1.2, the Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH has a 41.7 mm entrance pupil (50 mm ÷ 1.2) and 89% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.3 EV corner falloff). In an upper-body portrait at 2.01 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 17 cm (1.93 m to 2.10 m) with a 39° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent DE1045120B, tracing the focusing group at 2.01 m gives an effective framing focal length of 50.9 mm (+1.9% vs. the nominal 50 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH?
The patent prescription (DE1045120B) specifies 7 lens elements in 5 groups. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Leica NOCTILUX 50mm f/1.2 ASPH vs. Leica Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH.
- Leica DG Macro-Elmarit 45mm f/2.8 ASPH.
- Leica Summicron-C 40mm f/2
- 24mm vs 50mm focal length comparison
- 28mm vs 50mm focal length comparison
- 35mm vs 50mm focal length comparison
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Sony FE 50mm F1.2 GM
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 50mm f/1.2 S
- Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L USM
- Sony FE 50mm F1.4 GM
- Sony Planar FE 50mm F1.4 ZA
- Canon RF 85mm F2 MACRO IS STM
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.