What Lenses Were Used on ‘The Odyssey’?

The lenses used on The Odyssey were specially developed by Dan Sasaki at Panavision in Woodland Hills, California, for a production shot entirely on IMAX film cameras.

On earlier films, Christopher Nolan had used IMAX for selected sequences. Oppenheimer, for example, combined 15-perf IMAX with 5-perf 65mm. The Odyssey was captured on Kodak 65mm film in the 15-perf IMAX format from start to finish.

Familiar Glass, New Capabilities

Sasaki has worked with Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema across several films. For The Odyssey, his work focused on two things: allowing Panavision’s IMAX lenses to focus much closer, and adding new focal lengths to the set. The core optics remained the ones Nolan had already used on previous productions.

Van Hoytema relied mainly on the 50mm and 80mm, often shooting wide open at T2.

The Odyssey Lenses at a Glance

• Technical details are based on Kodak’s coverage of The Odyssey and British Cinematographer’s interview with Hoyte van Hoytema and Dan Sasaki.

Read Part One of Our Odyssey Coverage:

Discover the story behind the redesigned camera and the soundproof blimp that made sync-sound IMAX filming possible.

🔗 The IMAX Keighley Camera: How Nolan and IMAX Built a Quieter 65mm Camera for The Odyssey