This 100mm lens was used for exterior filming of Earth and the shuttle payload bay with the IMAX camera on twelve space shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990s. Astronauts used the camera to capture film footage that contributed to five IMAX productions. The first of these, The Dream Is Alive (1985), still ranks as the most popular of all IMAX feature films. Four of the films were co-sponsored by IMAX, NASA, the National Air and Space Museum, and Lockheed Martin. By carefully training the astronauts not only to operate the camera but also to act as cinematographers to capture both the thrilling and ordinary activities in orbit, IMAX produced films that virtually put the audience inside and outside the shuttle.
Gift of the IMAX Corporation in 2011.
Display Status
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Country of Origin
West Germany
Type
EQUIPMENT-Photographic
Manufacturer
Carl Zeiss G.m.b.H.
Hasselblad
Dimensions
3-D (With Covers): 13.3 × 12.4 × 12.4cm (5 1/4 × 4 7/8 × 4 7/8 in.)
Materials
Anodized Aluminum
Aluminum
Glass
Paper
Adhesive
Plastic
Velcro
Inventory Number
A20120258004
Credit Line
Gift of the IMAX Corporation
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.