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From: dmmartindale@watcgl.UUCP (Dave Martindale)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: IMAX/OMNIMAX camera
Message-ID: <2317@watcgl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Mar-84 14:20:16 EST
Article-I.D.: watcgl.2317
Posted: Mon Mar 26 14:20:16 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 27-Mar-84 01:23:43 EST
References: <2261@watcgl.UUCP> <128@callan.UUCP>, <2846@brl-vgr.ARPA>
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 19

The projectors are indeed enormous compared to normal film projectors.
The mechanism which transports the film past the gate is a machined
drum several feet in diameter.  The supply and takeup reels are each
about 3 feet in diameter, although they don't need to be located
directly with the projector.   And the magnetic sound film handling
equipment, air compressor, water supply, and arc power supply all
need to be located somewhere nearby.  But I suspect the main reason
that there aren't many (if any) two-projector setups is that the
projectors cost about half a million dollars each.

I did once see a demonstration that used two IMAX projectors, polarizing
filters, and a half-silvered mirror to show a 3-D test film made by
the National Film Board.  The illusion of depth was amazing.  I felt
like I could reach out and touch the objects that were sitting there
right in front of me.  This demo was at the IMAX factory (near Toronto)
and someone commented that it was even unusual for them to have
two fully-assembled projectors sitting around not in the process of
being shipped to someone.
of the hemispheric screen to produce a proper image, so there simply