Leica Announces the Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH.
In a move that has stunned the photographic community, Leica Camera AG has officially unveiled the Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH. This marks the first time in the sixty-year history of the "Noctilux" name that the ultra-fast designation has been applied to the versatile 35mm focal length.
Announced yesterday, January 29, 2026, the lens is being positioned as the new "Swiss Army Knife" for available-light photography, merging the legendary rendering of the Noctilux line with the compact form factor Leica shooters demand.
Pushing the Limits of Glass
The standout technical achievement of this release is the use of Precision Glass Molding (PGM). By shaping aspherical elements with tolerances as fine as three nanometers, Leica has managed to fit a massive f/1.2 aperture into a barrel measuring just 50mm in length. For context, this lens is roughly the same size as the existing 35mm Summilux-M, yet it gathers significantly more light and offers a unique depth-of-field falloff.
The optical design consists of ten elements in five groups, including three aspherical surfaces. A floating element system has also been integrated to ensure that image quality remains consistent from infinity down to the new close-focus limits.
A New Chapter in Close-Up Capability
Historically, Noctilux lenses have been limited by a 0.7m or 1m minimum focus distance. This new 35mm breaks that tradition by focusing down to 0.5 meters (1.6 feet). While the mechanical rangefinder remains coupled to 0.7m, photographers using modern M-cameras can utilize Live View or the newly released Leica M EV1 to bridge the gap for intimate, cinematic detail shots.
Built for the High-Resolution Era
Leica explicitly stated that this lens was redesigned from the ground up to support the increasing resolution of modern sensors. With high-megapixel counts becoming the standard, the Noctilux-M 35mm is optimized to maintain micro-contrast and edge to edge sharpness that older fast primes often struggle to deliver.
Technical Specifications
Focal Length: 35mm
Aperture Range: f/1.2 to f/16
Optical Design: 10 elements in 5 groups
Aspherical Elements: 3 (manufactured via PGM)
Diaphragm Blades: 11 (for circular bokeh)
Minimum Focus: 0.5m (1.6 ft)
Filter Thread: E49 (49mm)
Weight: 416g (14.7 oz)
Length: 50.2mm (1.98 in)
Lens Hood: Integrated, extendable design
Price: $9,650 USD
Availability
The Leica Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH. is available for order immediately through authorized Leica dealers and Leica Stores worldwide.
The lens ships with a dedicated metal lens cap and a leather case, reflecting its status as a flagship optic in the M-System lineup. For photographers who have long debated between the "king of bokeh" (50mm Noctilux) and the "king of versatility" (35mm Summilux), the choice just became much more complicated.
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