How Christopher Nolan Turned a Pentax 67 Into a $1 Billion IMAX Viewfinder
Nolan's crew gutted a Pentax 67 to build a director's viewfinder for The Odyssey's IMAX cameras, a trick going back to Dunkirk.
Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey made history as the first full-length narrative film shot entirely on 15/70mm IMAX film. Behind the scenes, the crew solved a smaller problem with a much older camera: a gutted Pentax 67.
Directors and cinematographers typically use a director's viewfinder to compose and block shots before the real camera gets set up. IMAX cameras don't take the same lenses as Super35 or full-frame cameras, and no off-the-shelf viewfinder solution exists for IMAX's larger, heavier optics.
How the Modification Works
According to Sunny16Labs on Instagram, the IMAX team modified a Pentax 67 by removing its shutter assembly and reworking the mount to accept the same lenses as the IMAX film cameras. Without a shutter, the camera can no longer capture images. But the Pentax 67 was built to shoot medium format 56×70mm stills, so its viewfinder and mirror were already large enough to preview a full IMAX frame. The modified body includes frame-line previews for the IMAX negative, letting Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema choose lenses and framing before setting up the full rig.
Competitive Context
The trick isn't exclusive to The Odyssey. The same setup shows up in behind-the-scenes footage from Dunkirk. No Time to Die director Cary Joji Fukunaga has been photographed using a Pentax 67 with an IMAX logo on the viewfinder, possibly the same camera, given how little IMAX gear exists in circulation. Cinematographer James Neihouse has also described using a modified Pentax 67 as a director's viewfinder, though his version retained the shutter and could still take pictures, pointing to a different modification than the one used here.
The Signal in the Noise
A camera discontinued in 2009 remains the tool of choice for previewing shots too large and expensive to set up on a guess. It's a reminder that big-format filmmaking still runs on small, improvised fixes rather than purpose-built gear.
Does a production's willingness to lean on decades-old equipment change how you think about what "cutting edge" filmmaking actually looks like?
Specs & Pricing
- Modified camera: Pentax 67, shutter assembly removed, mount reworked for IMAX lenses
- Original format: 56×70mm medium format film
- Function: director's viewfinder only, no longer capable of capturing images
- Prior use: Dunkirk, reportedly also used by Cary Joji Fukunaga on No Time to Die
- The Odyssey box office: highest-grossing IMAX release of all time, $37.5 million from 70mm screenings alone
