This 40mm lens was used for interior and exterior cabin filming with the IMAX camera on twelve space shuttle missions in the 1980s and 1990s. It was the most common lens used in IMAX space filming for shots of Earth and using ASA 25 film.

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.
IMAX Corporation
 Dimensions 3-D (Overall): 14.8 × 15.5 × 13.2cm (5 13/16 × 6 1/8 × 5 3/16 in.)
3-D (Lens): 14 × 15.5 × 13.2cm (5 1/2 × 6 1/8 × 5 3/16 in.)
3-D (Front Cover): 4.7 × 12.7cm (1 7/8 × 5 in.)
3-D (Rear Cover): 4.7 × 12.7cm (1 7/8 × 5 in.)
 Materials Aluminum, brass, glass, plastic, steel
 Inventory Number A20120258003 Credit Line Gift of the IMAX Corporation Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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