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Noctilux 1.2/50 mm

B702 chrome prototype

The Noctilux 1.2/50 mm was the world’s first serial production produced in total, representing one unit per business day.
35 mm lens containing aspherical elements. Leitz Wetzlar The Noctilux f/1.2 lens can truly be called a legend within the
optical designers Helmut Marx and Paul Sindel were technical development of the Leica lenses. It is not only
responsible for optical computation. Professor Helmut Marx sought-after by collectors but still also a favourite of many
used an Elliott 402F computer to help design and save time photographers. In the 41st Leitz Photographica Auction, we
on ray tracing. When the lens was introduced in 1966, it was have the pleasure of offering the white unicorn of the Leica
the pinnacle of lens design and technological possibilities. It M lenses – the original chrome prototype of the Noctilux
is almost entirely free of spherical aberration and coma while f/1.2. The lens is in excellent condition, optics show some
producing an exceptionally high degree of contrast. Fifty blemishes on the front and rear element. The photographic
years ago, however, even for Leitz, it was quite a challenge to test reveals that the lens still produces beautiful, dreamy
produce such a lens, a fact reflected in its price: the lens was images, the first version Noctilux is famous for. A small patch
almost twice as expensive as the body of a Leica M4. It was of milimeter paper is taped over the depth-of-field scale – it
replaced by the 50 mm Noctilux f/1 in 1976, which, using was used to mark the lens’ test results at the factory. At first
new optical glasses, could be calculated without aspherical glance, the front rim appears not to be engraved, but under
elements and was cheaper and much less labour intensive in a closer look, a small, blackened engraving can be seen:
production than its predecessor. In ten years of production, LEITZ WETZLAR GERMANY 1:1.2/50 B702 0000663 The
only about 1800 units of the 50 mm Noctilux f/1.2 were Noctilux name is not engraved yet on this prototype.

Start price € 200.000
est. € 400.000-500.000
Serial no. 663
Year of production: 1964