Pawel Achtel ACS which is the inventor of the ACHTEL 9×7 motion picture camera has just uploaded some interesting test footage to his Vimeo Channel. Take a look at those 65 Megapixels uncompressed RAW that aim to be screened at IMAX theaters.

ACHTEL 9×7: 18K for IMAX theaters

The ACHTEL is one of the most intriguing cinema cameras announced lately. We’ve defined this camera as an “IMAX Mini” due to its ultra-high-resolution imagery, 65Mp 4:3 BSI sensor, and concept. It’s important to note that this camera was not developed by IMAX. In case this is the first time you hear about the ACHTEL 9×7, make sure to read our article in regard: Meet the ACHTEL 9×7 Digital Cinema Camera: An “IMAX Mini” That Shoots 18.6K RAW. The ACHTEL 9×7 utilizes an APS-H sized 4:3 BSI sensor with a native resolution of 65MP (9,344 x 7,000 pixels). According to the camera’s inventor, Pawel Achtel ACS, thanks to the superior pixel design and uncompressed format, the 9.3K RAW footage can be debayered to 18K (18,688 x 14,000 pixels – 260 MP) footage. As stated by Pawl: “9×7 records uncompressed raw at about 30 times the data rate of other leading digital cinema cameras. It’s a very thick negative that is free of compression artifacts and filtering. We have a workflow to debayer to 18.7K x 14K. The results (pixel for pixel) look compared to some of the best cameras in the industry. While most cameras look good when down-sampled, the 9×7 shines when debayered to 18.7K x 14K (=260)”. Price of the camera: Starting at $140,000.

Pure innovation?

After we published the article about the announcement of the camera, we got a lot of ricochets claiming that this is a rehoused version of XIMEA GMAX3265 that is based on an off-the-shelf Gpixel 8K sensor. (Read: Is the ACHTEL 9×7 “IMAX Mini” Innovation or Imitation?). After publishing our article, we got a cease and desist request from Pawel, claiming that the information in the article is incorrect, misleading, and contain false information and publishing it was an “irresponsible, damaging, and pretty stupid thing to do”. Thus, we offered Pawel to publish another article quoting him by explaining the ACHTEL 9×7 and convincing and educating our readers that this camera is not a rehoused version. We’re still waiting for his response, and we’ll be honored to publish and reflect the facts about the ACHTEL 9×7.

ACHTEL 9×7: Test footage

Cutting to the chase, explore the sample footage below that demonstrate the imaging capabilities of the ACHTEL 9×7. At first glance, these are truly interesting footage. The images look sharp and clean. We don’t sure about the DR though. Take a look and judge by yourself.

Details of the daylight footage:

• Camera: achtel 9×7, 65 Megapixels, Uncompressed RAW
• Lighting Conditions: mid-day, clear skies
• Lens: ARRI Signature Prime 125mm T1.8 at T5.6
• Framerate: 30 fps
• Gain: 0 dB (ISO 800)

Details of the night footage:

• Camera: achtel 9×7, 65 Megapixels, Uncompressed RAW
• Lighting Conditions: Dark Night (new Moon)
• Lens: Sigma Art 28mm T1.5 at T2.8
• Framerate: 24 fps
• Gain: 12 dB (ISO 1600)

What do you think about the ACHTEL 9×7 footage? Let’s know your thoughts in the comments section below.