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Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. — Bokeh & Optical Ray-Tracing Simulator
Interactive 3D portrait ray-traced through the published US5161060A optical prescription (9 elements in 5 groups, 2 aspherical) with a 25.0 mm entrance pupil and 0.7 m minimum focus.
Optical & Portrait Specifications (Upper Body Framing)
| Optical & Portrait Metric | Measured / Patent Value | What It Means in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Patent Prescription | US5161060A · 9 elements in 5 groups (2 aspherical) | Traced surface by surface in WebGL2 |
| Entrance Pupil Diameter | 25.0 mm (at f/1.4) | Controls distant background blur disc size |
| Corner Bokeh Roundness (90% Field) | 76% at f/1.4 (≥86% from f/1.8) · -0.7 EV | Mechanical vignetting (cat’s-eye vs. round corner highlights) |
| Background Field of View (Compression) | 54° horizontal | Width of the background room visible behind the subject |
| Upper-Body Working Distance | 1.42 m | Camera-to-subject distance for head-to-waist framing |
| Effective Focal Length (Breathing) | 35.4 mm (+1.1%) | Actual framing focal length at portrait distance |
| Depth of Field (Sharp Zone) | 20 cm (1.33 m – 1.53 m) | Sharp zone at wide-open aperture |
| Minimum Focus Distance | 0.7 m | Closest focusing distance from the sensor |
Questions
How much background blur and corner cat's-eye does the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. produce?
Wide open at f/1.4, the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. has a 25.0 mm entrance pupil (35 mm ÷ 1.4) and 76% bokeh roundness in the 90% corner (-0.7 EV corner falloff, reaching ≥86% roundness from f/1.8). In an upper-body portrait at 1.42 m, the sharp depth-of-field zone spans 20 cm (1.33 m to 1.53 m) with a 54° horizontal background angle of view.
Does the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. show focus breathing at portrait distance?
Based on patent US5161060A, tracing the focusing group at 1.42 m gives an effective framing focal length of 35.4 mm (+1.1% vs. the nominal 35 mm). You can toggle "Match subject size" in the simulator to see the framing shift live.
What optical design is inside the Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH.?
The patent prescription (US5161060A) specifies 9 lens elements in 5 groups with 2 aspherical surfaces. The interactive Optical X-Ray above traces rays through every surface in real time.
Related comparisons
- Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. vs. Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH
- Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH. vs. Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4
- Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4
- Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 Pre-ASPH
- Leica Summilux-M 28mm f/1.4 ASPH.
- Leica Summicron-M 28mm f/2 ASPH.
Compare with similar portrait lenses
- Sony Distagon FE 35mm F1.4 ZA
- Sony Distagon T* 35mm F1.4
- Nikon NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4
- Nikon 35mm f/1.4 AI-s
- Canon RF 35mm F1.4 L VCM
- Sony MD 50mm F2
Also see: depth of field, bokeh, crop factor, lens compression.