IMAX 70mm uses film; IMAX with Laser uses digital projection. But that distinction does not tell you everything about the picture. The movie, the auditorium and the equipment used for your session matter too.
If you are paying extra or travelling for a particular presentation, the question to ask is specific: what will this session show?
Screen shape and projection are different questions
An aspect ratio describes width relative to height. At the same width, a 1.43:1 image is taller than a 1.90:1 image. Neither number tells you the physical size of the screen.
IMAX Melbourne's format explanation describes full-frame IMAX 70mm as 1.43:1. Its theatre guide also discusses 1.90:1 expanded sequences. A film prepared for a taller presentation can therefore look different depending on where and how it is shown.
That does not mean every IMAX film fills a tall screen throughout. A large screen cannot supply additional picture that is not in the presentation being played.
There is another distinction hidden in the name: conventional 70mm and IMAX 70mm are different film formats. Melbourne's explanation shows the difference between their frames. A listing that says only 70mm does not necessarily mean IMAX.
Laser can offer a tall image too
For its September 2025 release of One Battle After Another, IMAX listed both 70mm film and selected laser venues offering 1.43:1.
That is a historical example, not a current showtime recommendation. But it answers a common point of confusion: you cannot infer the image shape from the word laser alone, or assume the tallest presentation must be on film.
IMAX Melbourne, for example, describes both film and dual-laser projection. Knowing what equipment a venue owns is useful; knowing which system it will use for your showing is what helps you book.
Ask about the session, not just the venue
Before booking, ask the cinema:
- Which projection format is being used for this showing?
- What aspect ratio will this film use here, and does it change during the film?
- Does the session listing explicitly confirm that presentation?
Keep the session details if the format is part of why you are paying. An old equipment list or a photograph of a projector is not confirmation of today's programme.
Our view: choose the presentation you want, but weigh the seat, accessibility and journey too. The useful outcome is knowing what your ticket buys, not proving that somebody else's preferred cinema is wrong.
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