Which is more powerful? IMAX film (1570) of the digital 4K laser system? This article is a tribute to the mighty 1570, which cinephiles hope will make a comeback. Read about two outstanding IMAX methods to screen a movie. 

The picture below is taken from IMAX Melbourne which has held two IMAX projectors: Digital (laser) and film (1570). However this picture was taken in 2015, so most likely, the only projector remaining is the laser. As stated back then (in 2015): “We’re proud to be one of just a handful of theatres in the world offering dual projection systems: our 1570 Film projector sits alongside our 4K Laser digital system in the projection booth”.

As IMAX Melbourne elaborated: “1570 refers to the dimensions of the film frame, which is 15 perforations (the small holes that run along the edge of each frame and allow the film to be pulled through the projector) in length by 70mm in height”. This huge film frame allows for a few significant differences in presentation, most notably a much larger projected image and far superior image quality. “It’s often reported that IMAX 1570 Film has a native resolution of up to 16K, far greater than any other film or digital format” IMAX Melbourne stated. Furthermore, full-frame 1570 has an aspect ratio of 1.43:1, which means the image width is 1.43 meters for every 1 meter of height. This is considerably greater than mainstream cinema presentations, which usually display a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. Explore the slide which demonstrates the aspect ratio of the IMAX IMAX 1570: 

According to IMAX Melbourne, the theater installed the 1570 film projector in 1998 when the theatre first opened to the public. In 2015 it was removed from the booth to make way for the brand new IMAX 4K twin Laser projection system, the first Laser projector ever installed in Australia and only the fifth IMAX Laser system in the world at that time. Here’s a very cool piece of information: IMAX Melbourne states that: “Ownership of the 1570 system was retained, and it remained in storage in a ‘you never know’ nod to the future. Just two years later, negotiations with IMAX Corporation resulted in the reinstallation of the 1570 system in time for the release of Christopher Nolan’s WWII epic DUNKIRK (shot mainly in a 1570 film) in July 2017”. Cool! BTW, the 15/70 screening is extremely rare these days (about less than 10-20 theatres worldwide regularly show full-length features on IMAX 1570 Film). Furthermore, rumors indicate that, for Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, there were only 13 15/70 prints playing in the entire world. Everything is digital unless otherwise noted. And another neat fact: The 163-minute INTERSTELLAR film print weighs over 270kg 🙂 Fascinating!

Laser-based projectors aren’t exactly a new thing. But what sets IMAX’s laser projector technology apart (introduced in 2015) is how those lasers are being used. IMAX technology allows removing the prism and replacing it with a patented ‘IMAX Free Space Light Engine’ which incorporates an Invar frame. This laser apparatus elevates essential screening factors like brightness and contrast. Moreover, not just the image was improved, but the sound was enhanced as well. These are the factors boosted in the IMAX laser system as introduced in 2015 by IMAX:

How much does it cost? Well, the beginning price is $100,000 per digital projector, but since you’ll need two of them (the two projectors work together to achieve maximum levels of brightness and contrast), you’ll need $200,000 to complete the setup. A comprehensive home theater or movie setup will cost between $400,000 and $1,000,000.

To dive deeper into the technology, watch the video below:

What’re the differences between the two IMAX methodologies, besides technology and operation? Well, basically, the 1570 system (film) offers a warmer, more natural, higher resolution (16K!) image than the laser system, whereas the laser system produces bright and crisp imagery, and it is evenly lit on screen. Check out this fascinating video below by IMAX Melbourne:

So, what IMAX should you choose (if you had the choice)? The traditional and powerful super high resolution 1570 warm film? Or the modern bright 4K laser?

As a tribute to the mighty 65mm format, we’ve created the Y.M.CINEMA 65 which is a special one-of-a-kind gift for cinephiles — explore it on our website.

Yossy is a filmmaker who specializes mainly in action sports cinematography. Yossy also lectures about the art of independent filmmaking in leading educational institutes, academic programs, and festivals, and his independent films have garnered international awards and recognition. Yossy is the founder of Y.M.Cinema Magazine.

I tried both the IMAX laser and Dolby Cinema with TENET in Amsterdam, while both very good the Dolby proved to be far better thanks especially as a contrast level, also with Dolby You don’t get the silver screen.

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