The new IMAX 65mm film camera used on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has now been placed on display at IMAX HQ, giving the public a rare look at the complete camera system. The camera itself was already revealed before, including its first appearance on the set of Nolan’s production. However, this is the first time the full camera system can be seen publicly as a finished physical object, mounted, branded, and presented as part of IMAX’s next chapter in large format filmmaking.

Everyone can see it now

YMCinema first reported the appearance of IMAX’s next-generation 65mm cameras on the set of Nolan’s The Odyssey in BREAKING: First Look at IMAX’s Next Gen 65mm Cameras on the Set of Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. At that stage, the camera was spotted in a production environment, surrounded by the visual noise of a working set. It was exciting, but still partial. The camera was there, yet the complete system remained difficult to study. Later, we reported that the new camera carries the name Keighley, in Meet the Keighley IMAX Camera: First Used on the Set of The Odyssey. The name appears to honor David Keighley, the legendary IMAX figure who played a major role in shaping the format’s image standards and its relationship with filmmakers like Nolan. Seeing the nameplate on the displayed camera gives the project a stronger identity.  Now, with the camera placed on display at IMAX HQ, the story moves from “first look” to “public presentation.” The public can finally see the full body, the magazine, the lens setup, the support system, the monitor, and the overall form factor of this new IMAX film machine. Cool!

A camera built to solve an old IMAX problem

The importance of this camera is tied directly to the limitations of traditional IMAX film production. IMAX 15 perf 65mm is one of the most demanding motion picture formats ever built. The negative runs horizontally through the camera, exposing a huge image area. That is why the format delivers such extraordinary resolution, scale, and texture. It is also why the cameras have historically been large, heavy, and very loud. That mechanical noise became a serious creative limitation. Nolan recently explained that shooting an entire dramatic feature in IMAX film was nearly impossible before because the cameras were too noisy for dialogue work. YMCinema covered that in The Odyssey Was Shot on a 400 Pound IMAX System, Christopher Nolan Reveals, where Nolan described the challenge of building a system that could make full IMAX capture practical for the entire movie. That is the real context behind this new camera. The goal was not only to make another IMAX camera. The goal was to make IMAX film usable in more scenes, in more environments, and with more dramatic control. Nolan has used IMAX film for years, from The Dark Knight to Interstellar, Dunkirk, Tenet, and Oppenheimer. However, those films still balanced IMAX with other formats. The Odyssey appears to push the idea much further. So go see this beast in IMAX HQ.