Leica celebrates 60 years of Noctilux lenses with new anniversary book

Leica is marking the 60th anniversary of its Noctilux lens family with a new book exploring the optical developments, engineering challenges and photographs that have defined the range since 1966. Titled Noctilux: The Anniversary Book, the 240-page hardcover will be released on 27 November 2026, priced at £50 in the UK.

The Noctilux story began at Photokina in 1966 with the introduction of the 50mm f/1.2, a lens notable for its two aspherical element surfaces. It was the first series-produced Leica lens to incorporate aspherical surfaces, with each example painstakingly manufactured by hand. Fewer than 2,000 were produced, making the original Noctilux one of the rarer lenses in Leica’s history.

The book traces the development of subsequent models, including the 50mm f/1 designed by Dr Walter Mandler in Canada. Unlike other Noctilux lenses, this version achieved its wide maximum aperture without aspherical surfaces. Later developments included the 50mm f/0.95 ASPH., which pushed beyond the f/1 aperture barrier, and the 75mm f/1.25 ASPH., which extended the range into portrait photography. The story concludes with the 35mm f/1.2, the first wide-angle Noctilux.

Alongside the lens history, five chapters examine the evolution of Leica’s aspherical technology, covering manufacturing equipment, prototypes and optical research. Interviews with Leica optics specialists Peter Karbe and Dietmar Stuible offer further insight into the technical decisions behind the lenses.

The book also features photographic essays by six international photographers, including Paolo Roversi, Jason Roman and Ana María Arévalo Gosen, demonstrating the different ways Noctilux lenses have been used. An appendix provides an overview of Leica M lenses, alongside notable special editions and one-off Noctilux designs.

Leica will launch the book in Wetzlar on 27 November, coinciding with the Leitz Photographica Auction. An accompanying exhibition, 60 Years of Noctilux, opens in the foyer the previous evening, displaying five historical and current lenses alongside photographic material.

Noctilux: The Anniversary Book – details

Noctilux: The Anniversary Book will be available from Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, specialist retailers and the LFI Online Store from 27 November. English and German editions will be offered, each priced at £50 or €60.

Press release

Noctilux: The Anniversary Book

The technology, image aesthetics and development behind the iconic lens family are explored across 240 pages

Wetzlar, 11th of November 2026 – Leica Camera AG is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Noctilux lens family this year. From the first series-produced Leica lens with aspherical surfaces to the newest wide-angle variant, this book tells the story of how an audacious idea became a legend.

When it was introduced at the Photokina trade fair in 1966, few in attendance could have guessed that a story spanning 60 years was beginning: in short, a lens that sought to capture light at night, where other lenses had long reached their limits. The new book Noctilux documents the exciting evolution of the ‘king of the night’, tracing six decades of research and development characterised by smart ideas, surprising detours and ground-breaking solutions.

For the most part, the book concentrates on the lenses themselves. Introduced in 1966, the Noctilux 50 f/1.2 was the first in the range: two aspherical element surfaces made in series production – a first among lens manufacturers worldwide. Each lens was painstakingly made by hand, and fewer than 2,000 units were produced. The successor model, developed by Dr Walter Mandler in Midland, Canada, was the only lens in the series to do without aspherical surfaces: seven classically polished elements and one special glass sufficed to achieve a speed of f/1. The Noctilux 50 f/0.95 ASPH. then dared to cross a magical line that had always seemed unreachable: it broke the f/1 speed barrier. The Noctilux 75 f/1.25 ASPH. brought the 75 mm focal length to the series for the first time – perfectly calibrated for portrait photography. The last chapter belongs to the Noctilux 35 f/1.2, the first Noctilux with a focal length of 35 mm.

Further chapters follow the development of aspheric technology – from its inception to production today. Fascinating interviews offer a glimpse behind the scenes of the Noctilux research laboratory: while Peter Karbe, Senior Managing Expert in Optics at Leica, details the history of aspheric lenses, Dietmar Stuible, Head of Optics Development at Leica Camera AG since 2021, explains the ‘mechanical intelligence’ of M-Lenses.

Diverse photo essays by Ana María Arévalo Gosen, Alisa Martynova, Jason Roman, FrançoisRousseau, Paolo Roversi and Satoru Watanabe are spread across the book’s pages, exemplifying why these lenses continue to be cherished to this day. A gallery of interesting special editions and one-of-a-kind lenses from the past offers another unique perspective on the history of the Noctilux. The volume is supplemented by an overview of all M-Lenses across Leica’s history, which also makes the book an indispensable reference for photography and optics aficionados.

The book launch will take place on the 27th of November 2026 in Wetzlar during the Leitz Photographica Auction. To mark this occasion, Leica Camera AG will also be opening the exhibition ‘60 Years of Noctilux’ in the foyer on the eve of the auction: five past and current Noctilux lenses, as well as photo material, make the series’ history tangible beyond the book’s pages.

The book Noctilux will be available from the 27th of November 2026 at Leica Stores, the Leica Online Store, specialist retailers and the LFI Online Store. The recommended retail price is £50.00 / €60.00 incl. VAT.