Photorealism at scale
Luma Ray 2 is a ground-up rebuild of Luma AI’s Dream Machine video generation platform. With 10× the compute of Ray 1, the model achieves a level of photorealism — realistic texture rendering, accurate material properties, and physically plausible motion — that makes it the strongest option for footage that needs to pass as real-world video. The model excels at natural motion: human movement flows without the jitter or drift common in earlier video models, and event sequences follow a logical order rather than hallucinating random intermediate states. Both text-to-video and image-to-video workflows are supported, with optional 4K upscaling for delivery requirements above 1080p.Capabilities
Ultra-realistic textures
Material surfaces — skin, fabric, metal, stone, liquid — render with photorealistic fidelity, accurate to real-world lighting and surface properties.
Coherent motion
Movement is fast and coherent, following the logical physical sequence of events — no random mid-motion artifacts or unnatural interpolation.
10× compute of Ray 1
A multimodal architecture with 10× the compute capacity of its predecessor — noticeably sharper outputs and more detailed scene rendering.
Image-to-video
Animate any still image with natural, physics-plausible motion — the strongest image-animation workflow in Luma’s lineup.
24 FPS cinematic output
Native 24 FPS output for the standard cinematic frame rate — consistent with professional film and commercial production standards.
Wide aspect ratio support
Supports 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 21:9, and 9:21 for flexible delivery across platforms.
Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Developer | Luma AI |
| Resolution | Up to 1080p (4K upscaling available) |
| Duration | 5–10 seconds |
| Frame rate | 24 FPS |
| Aspect ratios | 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 3:4, 21:9, 9:21 |
| Audio | No native audio |
| Input modes | Text-to-video, image-to-video |
| Compute | 10× Ray 1 |
How to use
Choose input mode
For text-to-video, write a detailed prompt. For image-to-video, upload your reference image and describe the motion.
Prompting tips
- Describe the real-world material properties — “Silk fabric catching the breeze,” “rain-wet cobblestones under warm streetlights,” “frost forming on a glass surface” — Ray 2 renders material physics convincingly.
- Specify motion type — “A slow, controlled pan,” “subject walks naturally from left to right, maintaining eye contact with camera.”
- Image-to-video: upload high-resolution references — Ray 2 preserves fine detail from the input image; a higher quality starting frame produces a higher quality animation.
- Use 16:9 for cinematic output — The 24 FPS cinematic standard and 16:9 ratio combination produces the most professional-looking results for film and commercial use.
Example prompts
A slow close-up of honey dripping from a wooden spoon into a glass jar. Warm backlighting, macro lens, photorealistic golden tones. 5 seconds, 16:9.
A fashion model walks toward the camera on a rain-slicked Parisian street at night. Neon reflections in puddles, natural movement, cinematic. 8 seconds.
Compare models
| Model | Photorealism | Motion quality | Audio | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luma Ray 2 | Excellent | Coherent, natural | No | Photorealistic footage, natural motion |
| Sora 2 Pro | Very high | Physics-aware | Yes | Physics + audio integration |
| Kling 2.6 Pro | High | Cinematic | Yes | Audio-synced cinematic |
| Runway 4.5 | High | Precise, controlled | No | Camera-controlled cinematic |