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An IMAX camera is either a specialized 15-perforation 65mm film camera or a large-format digital camera used in IMAX’s certified production and post-production workflow. Film IMAX cameras move the film horizontally to expose an unusually large frame; digital systems record light on a large CMOS sensor. The camera is only one part of IMAX: framing, mastering, projection, screen geometry and sound all affect what audiences see.
What “IMAX camera” can mean
The term covers several related but distinct technologies:
- A proprietary or specially modified 15-perf 65mm film camera.
- An IMAX-certified digital camera, such as systems from ARRI, Panavision, RED or Sony under IMAX’s Filmed for IMAX program.
- Production choices designed for 1.43:1 or 1.90:1 IMAX presentation.
- IMAX post-production, mastering, projection and sound systems.
An IMAX-branded theater does not prove that a movie was captured on IMAX film. A film may use 15-perf film for selected sequences, certified digital capture throughout, or several camera formats in one production.
How an IMAX film camera records a frame
Traditional IMAX film uses 65mm camera-negative stock, but its defining feature is the transport: the film moves sideways and each frame uses 15 perforations. Kodak lists an approximate capture area of 70.41 Ă— 56.62mm and an aspect ratio around 1.41:1; IMAX productions commonly describe the presentation as 1.43:1.
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By comparison, conventional 65mm commonly uses five perforations per frame and moves film vertically, producing an approximately 2.20:1 frame. IMAX’s horizontal 15-perf arrangement makes a much taller, larger-area image. IMAX has described that image area as nearly ten times that of standard 35mm.
Conceptual orientation only
Conventional 65mm 5-perf: film moves vertically
[frame]
[frame]
IMAX 65mm 15-perf: film moves horizontally
[frame][frame][frame]
The exposure cycle
- Light passes through the lens and shutter.
- The movement positions one large 15-perf frame in the gate.
- Registration and transport mechanisms hold the film accurately during exposure.
- The shutter closes.
- The movement advances the film horizontally to the next frame.
- The cycle repeats, commonly at 24 frames per second for theatrical photography.
The shorthand “15/70” is easy to misread. “15” means perforations per frame; 65mm refers approximately to the camera negative; 70mm generally refers to release-print stock. Modern IMAX presentations are often digital, not literal 15/70 film prints.
Sources: Kodak’s IMAX format explanation, Kodak format chart, and Kodak motion-picture glossary.
Why IMAX film cameras are large, loud and demanding
A 15-perf camera needs a wide film path, a large magazine, powerful precision transport and stable registration. The mechanical movement, drive systems and film handling also make it much noisier than a typical digital cinema camera. Dialogue scenes may therefore require a quieter camera, sound isolation, separate recording strategies or ADR.
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Magazine capacity limits shooting time. Kodak’s format chart gives approximately 2 minutes 57 seconds from 1,000 feet of 15-perf film at 24 fps. Kodak’s account of Sinners describes a full 1,000-foot magazine as lasting about two and a half minutes under that production’s operating conditions. Runtime varies with frame rate and loading, so this is not a universal fixed duration.
- Crews reload frequently and manage exposed stock carefully.
- Directors may avoid unnecessary rolling, while action scenes can consume substantial film.
- Large bodies and magazines complicate handheld, vehicle, underwater and confined-location work.
- Film also requires processing, scanning, color management and conforming.
Source: Kodak’s Sinners production account.
How IMAX digital cameras work
A digital IMAX workflow replaces film with a large CMOS sensor:
- The lens focuses light onto the sensor.
- The sensor converts that light into electronic data.
- The camera records raw or processed files with defined resolution, frame rate and color information.
- The production manages storage, backups, metadata and aspect-ratio framing.
- Filmmakers and IMAX prepare the material through a qualified post-production workflow.
- The finished master is delivered for the intended IMAX projection system.
The ARRI ALEXA 65 illustrates the category. ARRI lists native 6.5K capture, 6560 × 3100 open-gate resolution, more than 14 stops of dynamic range, 20–60 fps open-gate operation and a 10.5kg (23.2lb) body before lenses and accessories. Those are ALEXA 65 specifications, not specifications for every IMAX-certified camera.
Certification is more than a logo: IMAX pairs qualified capture systems with production guidance, testing and post-production optimization. The certified-camera list is program-specific and can change; the 2020 announcement should not be treated as a complete current list.
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Sources: ARRI Rental ALEXA 65 specifications and IMAX’s Filmed for IMAX program announcement.
How IMAX 3D cameras capture depth
Film-based IMAX 3D systems can record left-eye and right-eye views simultaneously through two optical paths, either on dual film or a specialized single-filmstrip arrangement. The paired images are synchronized, projected through the theater’s 3D system and separated by the audience’s glasses. Digital 3D may instead use paired cameras or another stereoscopic configuration; there is no single design for every IMAX 3D production.
Source: IMAX technical description.
Why the image can look larger and more immersive
A larger negative or sensor gives the imaging chain more physical area from which to preserve detail when an image is enlarged. But perceived quality also depends on lenses, focus, exposure, film stock or sensor performance, camera stability, scanning, grading, mastering, projection resolution, brightness, contrast and alignment.
IMAX describes the experience as a combination of capture, DMR remastering, projection, sound and customized theater geometry—not a camera alone. Its 2025 Form 10-K states that expanded presentation can provide up to 26% more image on a standard IMAX screen and up to 67% more in selected 1.43:1 locations. These are IMAX corporate comparisons, not a universal result for every auditorium.
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Sources: IMAX experience overview and IMAX 2025 Form 10-K.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why aspect ratios change
IMAX presentations may use a tall 1.43:1 frame, a more widely compatible 1.90:1 frame or a conventional widescreen crop such as 2.39:1. A production must protect important action for every intended version. A 1.43:1 image may be cropped for standard theaters, home video or airline versions, and not every IMAX location can display 1.43:1.
Filmmakers often reserve the expanded frame for landscapes, architecture, aerial work, stunts, space imagery and effects-heavy spectacle. Kodak’s account of Wonder Woman 1984 describes IMAX 65mm use for selected sequences alongside other formats.
Source: Kodak’s Wonder Woman 1984 production account.
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Film versus certified digital IMAX
| Feature | 15-perf IMAX film | IMAX-certified digital |
|---|---|---|
| Recording medium | 65mm motion-picture negative | Large digital sensor and electronic files |
| Frame transport | Horizontal, 15 perforations per frame | No film transport |
| Strengths | Very large negative and distinctive film texture | Longer takes, quieter operation and immediate review |
| Constraints | Short magazines, noise, weight, processing and scanning | Sensor, lens, storage, mastering and projection limitations |
| IMAX status | Native IMAX film capture | Requires qualification and the IMAX workflow for Filmed for IMAX positioning |
Why productions mix formats
Shooting an entire feature on 15-perf film can be impractical because of camera noise, weight, short magazine duration, limited equipment availability, stock and laboratory costs, sync-sound complications and visual-effects requirements. A production may combine IMAX film, conventional 65mm, 35mm and digital capture, choosing the format that best suits each scene.
| Potential benefit | Practical cost |
|---|---|
| Large image area | Heavy, specialized camera and support |
| Expanded, immersive framing | Composition must survive multiple crops |
| Film texture | Short rolls, reloads and laboratory work |
| Spectacle and detail | Noise and sync-sound planning |
| Digital flexibility | High-bandwidth storage and certified workflow |
What the audience actually sees
The complete chain is:
Lens → film movement or sensor → negative/data → processing, scanning or digital conform → IMAX mastering → film or laser projection → screen geometry and sound.
A large capture format can preserve more information, but the audience sees the final mastered and projected version. “Filmed for IMAX” therefore does not necessarily mean a full-length 15/70 film production.
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