8,000 cameras, lenses and accessories were used on Marvel's Shang-Chi

(Image credit: Disney)

Almost 8,000 items of camera equipment were used to film the Marvel Studios mega hit, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings.

The blockbuster entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, starring Simu Liu in the titular role of Shang-Chi, was shot by storied cinematographer Bill Pope – whose credits also include The Matrix and its first two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

• Read more: 7 Marvel movies shot on Canon cameras

Pope went to Panavision to provide camera and lens package used on the production, which was predominantly filmed at Fox Studios Australia. Accordingly, Panavision Sydney outfitted the feature's main, second, visual effect and drone units with 7,934 items – including cameras, lenses, and a vast array of accessories.

Pope – who previously worked on the pre-MCU Marvel hits, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 – shot Shang-Chi on Panavised Arri Alexa LF and Mini LF digital cameras, on which Pope predominantly mounted Panavision Sphero 65 large-format lenses.

"Featuring modern mechanics for ease of use and specialty coatings that make them less susceptible to flare and glare, the Sphero 65 optics offered the cinematographer a classic look with pleasing skin tones complemented by subtle aberrations and rounded out-of-focus properties," according to Panavision.

Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings hits Disney+ on 12 November, with new episodic MCU series Hawkeye debuting on the streaming service on 24 November. And if you haven't yet subscribed, now is the perfect time to try the service as Disney+ is just $1.99 / £1.99 for this week only!

The offer is only valid for new and eligible returning Disney+ subscribers, who are 18 years of age or older, and after a one-month promo period the service auto-renews at the current monthly retail price (which is $7.99 / £8.99 right now) until cancelled. The offer is valid until 23:59 PST on Sunday 14 November – check it out below!

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James has 22 years experience as a journalist, serving as editor of Digital Camera World for 6 of them. He started working in the photography industry in 2014, product testing and shooting ad campaigns for Olympus, as well as clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal. An Olympus / OM System, Canon and Hasselblad shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and he loves instant cameras, too.

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