The Odyssey became the first feature film shot entirely with what kind of cameras?

The Odyssey became the first feature film shot entirely with IMAX film cameras. Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema used the large-format technology across the production, extending Nolan’s long-standing preference for shooting major sequences on IMAX film.

Nolan had already used IMAX cameras extensively on films such as The Dark Knight, Interstellar, Dunkirk, and Oppenheimer. Earlier productions generally combined IMAX photography with other formats, however. The Odyssey is notable because its photography was reported as being captured entirely with IMAX film cameras rather than switching between IMAX and conventional 35mm or digital systems.

A new, smaller and quieter IMAX camera—reportedly code-named Keighley—was developed for the production. Traditional IMAX cameras are powerful but can be noisy and physically difficult to use in intimate scenes, so quieter equipment helped make the format more practical for dialogue and location work.

The distinction matters because “IMAX” can describe a theater presentation, a camera system, or a film format. A movie shown in an IMAX auditorium is not necessarily shot with IMAX cameras. In this case, the production claim concerns the cameras used to photograph the film, while the finished movie is also being presented for IMAX film screens.