According to Wired, a French magazine leaked details of a new Leica aspherical f/0.95 50mm Noctilux, coming in at a predictably heavy 8,000 euros.
While that’s cool and all, I’m not sure I see the point… as the article points out, the depth of field is "ridiculously small — focus on a pupil and the edge of the eye will blur". I don’t equate sharpness with goodness, but if you want to make blur, there are a lot cheaper ways to do it. Quality of blur does matter—greatly, in my opinion—but this seems like it’s going to be marketed as a tool for taking very low-light photos in. Or maybe they don’t care about the actual utility and are counting on the people who will undoubtedly buy it just because the numbers will be limited and it says Leica on it.
Also rumored to be announced at Photokina [photo equipment trade show] by Leica are:
M Summilux 21mm f/1.4, 5,000 Euros
M Summilux 24mm f/1.4, 5,000 Euros
M Elmar 24mm f/3.8, 1,800 Euros
I’d buy it and then put it on a Voightlander. :D