Tasmanian filmmaker and inventor Pawel Achtel has developed a custom 18.7K resolution 9×7 digital cinema camera that sets a new standard in wildlife cinematography.
The camera, which Achtel describes as a "remarkable milestone," features a 65-million-photo-site CMOS sensor capable of capturing images at an astonishing 18.7K x 14K resolution.
The system, which is similar to one Achtel used during the capture of James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, was recently used to film humpback whales off the coast of Tonga, capturing details so fine that every pore and bubble on the whales' skin is visible.
Horses for courses
The camera’s 16-bit linear Cinema DNG format and global shutter allow for uncompressed, high-fidelity recordings of fast-moving subjects without distortion. The camera also features a dynamic range of up to 16 stops with highlight recovery, enabling it to handle the challenging lighting conditions often encountered underwater.
With a maximum recording data rate of 10GB/s, the camera can capture up to 50 minutes of footage at 30fps on its 8TB internal storage. This makes it exceptionally well-suited for high resolution displays like those at NantStudios in Melbourne, Australia, which utilize massive 32K LED volume stages.
“Such sharpness is exceptionally challenging to realize on land, even with large multi-camera arrays, and previously deemed unachievable underwater - until now,” Achtel told PetaPixel.
Achtel’s achievement not only overcomes the traditional optical challenges of underwater filming but also pushes the boundaries of what's possible in high-resolution cinematography. The project, conducted in collaboration with marine science researcher Professor Rob Harcourt, aims to create an immersive experience that brings viewers closer to the natural world.
Achtel’s 18.7K camera is comparable to the 18K Big Sky camera system used in the Las Vegas Sphere, a cutting-edge venue known for its immersive visual experiences. The Big Sky camera, with its 316-megapixel sensor, is designed to capture ultra-high-resolution images for display on the Sphere's 16K x 16K LED screen. While both cameras are at the forefront of their fields, Achtel's excels in underwater environments, whereas the Big Sky is tailored for large-scale, immersive displays.
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