Summary
- Leica is publishing a book marking 60 years of Noctilux.
- It contains 240 pages and 195 images.
- The edition combines optical engineering with projects by six photographers.
- It launches on November 27, 2026, at €60.
Leica is celebrating 60 years of Noctilux with a new 240-page photography book combining optical design history with images that demonstrate the character of these remarkable lenses.
Titled “Noctilux,” the hardcover contains 195 images and traces the family from the original 50mm f/1.2 introduced in 1966 to the Noctilux-M 35mm f/1.2 ASPH. launched in 2026.
From the first aspherical Noctilux to the modern 35mm
The story begins at Photokina in 1966. The Noctilux 50mm f/1.2 incorporated two aspherical optical surfaces in series production, a pioneering achievement at the time. Its demanding hand-finished manufacture resulted in fewer than 2,000 units.
The 50mm f/1 designed by Walter Mandler in Canada followed without aspherical elements. The series later crossed the f/1 threshold with the Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH., expanded to 75mm with the f/1.25 ASPH., and finally added its first 35mm focal length in 2026 with the f/1.2 ASPH.
This move into additional focal lengths also forms part of the recent developments in Leica’s photography lineup, in which the 35mm Noctilux stood out as a notable addition.
Optical engineering, interviews and six photographic projects
Five chapters explore the evolution of aspherical technology, production equipment, prototypes and the decisions behind each design. Peter Karbe and Dietmar Stuible discuss the research and engineering challenges, while the book also features a lens chronology, rare variants and an index of Leica M lenses.
On the photographic side, projects by Ana María Arévalo Gosen, Alisa Martynova, Jason Roman, François Rousseau, Paolo Roversi and Satoru Watanabe reveal different approaches to available light, shallow depth of field and distinctive background rendering.
Release date, exhibition and price
The book measures 200 × 260 mm and comes in a silver hardcover with foil stamping, in both English and German editions. Sales begin on November 27, 2026, at a recommended retail price of €60 including VAT.
The launch takes place in Wetzlar, Germany, during the Leitz Photographica Auction. Leica is also staging the “60 Years of Noctilux” exhibition with five historic and current lenses and photographic material illustrating the series’ evolution.
More information here.
What we think
A book about lenses can easily become a collection of specifications and vintage advertising. What makes this edition more interesting is the connection between optical decisions and actual photographs: it shows why each Noctilux was conceived and how it shaped photographers’ creative choices.
The attention given to prototypes, aspherical surfaces and the people behind these designs is particularly valuable. It is a reminder that the striking f/0.95 marking is more than a number on the aperture ring; it represents years of optical and manufacturing trade-offs.
And for photographers who are unlikely to own a Noctilux, €60 offers a much more accessible way to explore this particular photographic aesthetic through real examples rather than conversations that focus only on the price of the lens.
