Leica Noctilux-M 35mm F1.2 ASPH. on the M9-P: Old Soul, New Glass

By Keith Wee on February 5, 2026

Introduction

A new Noctilux at 35mm is one of those Leica moments where you pause, smile a little, and then ask the only question that matters:

Is it a "specs flex" or is it a real daily lens?
(vs the next most popular question of: "how much does it cost?")

On paper, the Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH is everything the Noctilux designation promises: speed, subject separation, and that unmistakable way it lets the "in-focus world" breathe away into the out-of-focus one. It is also pleasantly compact for what it is and it focuses closer than the traditional rangefinder limit when paired with live view or a Visoflex.

My in-depth review of the Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH is here.

But the sharing today is not about using it on the latest nor highest megapixel Leica M body.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

This is about a pairing that feels almost wrong on a spec sheet, and yet makes perfect sense with a camera in hand: the 2026 Noctilux-M 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH. on the 2011 Leica M9-P.

A 14-year-old CCD digital M body, a brand-new modern Noctilux, and the question that quietly sits behind every frame:

Can a lens this new still speak the old Leica language?

Yes, the CCD sensor matters but it is not all only about the CCD sensor (and that matters here)

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

There is a popular shorthand many of us are guilty of that reduces the Leica M9-P to "CCD colour". I get why, the output can be unique and gorgeous so long as we are not photographing above ISO800 .

But the magic, at least in my experience, is not a single ingredient. It is the sum of parts: the sensor, the micro-contrast of Leica M lenses, the calibrated colour palette of that era, and (this one is crucial) the light conditions that best suit the M9 series.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

The Leica M9-P, when treated well, gives saturated primaries, gentle highlight roll-off, and a kind of acuity that can feel Ektachrome-like in the right light.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

It also has a distinctive magenta-red bias that can be remarkably flattering to skin tones in warm lighting that you can see in my review of the Leica M9-P here.

And then there's the constraint, because constraints are where real decisions happen.

The Leica M9-P's dynamic range and usable ISO range is not modern by any stretch (the Leica M9-P simply gives you less room to "save it later" if you blow highlights), and I personally treat ISO 800 as a practical ceiling for output I'm happy to live with.

So when you mount a fast, characterful lens like the Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on the M9-P, you're not only chasing shallow depth of field. You're also chasing light, and not any light, but the M9-P's favourite kind: "just enough light" situations, where golden hour and blue hour feel like they were made for it.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

The Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH's character is not only about the "0.45 stop"

People will inevitably reduce the difference between ƒ1.4 and ƒ1.2 into a small number. And of course this makes an easy argument, an easy dismissal.

But the Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH isn't interesting because it is 0.45 stop faster. As shared in my review of this lens, it's interesting because of how it composes a frame: transitions, fall-off, and that gentle persuasion from sharp to soft that is hard to quantify and easy to recognise.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

Wide open, it carries what I would call the unmistakable Noctilux signature: dreamlike rendering, gentle fall-off, and detail where it matters without turning the whole world into a clinical test chart.
It even carries a subtle swirly bokeh character that sets it apart from the more modern, contrasty look of many contemporary 35mm lenses.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

Now place that on the Leica M9-P, a camera that already tends to reward restraint: careful exposure, protected highlights, and a willingness to accept that not every scene is meant for ISO 3200 heroics.

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

The pairing, to my surprise, doesn't feel like "new lens on old body".

It feels like the lens is simply giving the Leica M9-P a new vocabulary while still speaking the same language.

At 50mm or 75mm, a Noctilux is often an isolation machine, a beautifully indulgent one, but still an isolation machine.

But at 35mm, it becomes something else: a documentary lens with a halo switch. (And yes, the halo switch is called "ƒ1.2" and the Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on the M9-P does something very particular here:

The subject separation is obvious, but not cut-out-and-pasted.
The transitions are gentle, with fall-off that feels more like a "sigh than a slap".
The M9-P's colour response in warm light (that flattering bias, the film-like richness) makes skin feel alive not over-processed, not "digital perfect".

Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on Leica M9-P

When you land exposure correctly and keep highlights safe, the output can look timeless, not because it is technically superior, but because it feels emotionally coherent.

Conclusions

Pairing the Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASP. with the Leica M9-P is not the "sensible" way to review a modern flagship lens.

And yet, it might be one of the most honest because the Leica M9-P refuses to let you hide behind modern advantages. It forces you into the essentials: light, timing, exposure discipline, and intent.
And the Noctilux, when treated as more than a stop-counting exercise, rewards that intent with rendering that is distinct: gentle swirls, dreamlike transitions, "just sharp enough" detail, and a character that doesn't collapse the moment you stop down.

Is it perfect?

No of course and part of the charm is that it isn't trying to be.

The practical friction is real: the M9-P's ISO limits and dynamic range constraints remain, and the lack of live view means you won't exploit the lens's 0.5m close focus in the way a modern M body can.

But if your aim is not "maximum technical performance", and instead it is a certain kind of photograph, one that feels human, one that feels lived-in; then this pairing can be quietly magnificent.

It doesn't make you chase photos. It makes you want to go out, find the right light, and earn them.

Sometimes, the best way to understand a lens is not to ask how sharp it is, but to ask how it draws light.

Thank you for reading.

These photographs were taken at the Lorong Koo Chye Sheng Hong Temple, all done within 2 hours during my loan period of the review set from Leica Camera AG Singapore.

Disclaimers:

All product photos and samples here were photographed by me. I believe any reviewer with pride should produce their own product photos.

2. All images were shot with the Leica Noctilux 35mm ƒ1.2 ASPH on my personal Leica M9-P , and the lens returned to Leica Singapore at the end of the review period.

3. This review is not sponsored.

4. I write as a passion and a hobby, and I appreciate that photography brands are kind enough to respect and work with me.

5. The best way to support me is to share the review, or you can always help support me by contributing to my fees to WordPress for the domain using the Paypal button at the bottom of the page.