At the time when other camera manufacturers are competing to
create new mirrorless cameras, Canon prefers to create new innovations. The
latest innovation from Canon is a camera that can see in darkness.
Canon ME20F-SH, this multi-function camera is equipped with
a full-frame CMOS sensor that can reach ISO sensitivity of more than 4,000,000.
In comparison, Sony A7S which is known as low-light champ only has a maximum
ISO about 409 600, one-tenth of this camera.
This extraordinary light sensitivity allows the camera to
record full-HD video when the light level is only about 0.0005 lux. As a comparison,
the moonlit night has lighting levels around 0.27 to 1.0 lux, while 0.0001 lux
is a night where the moon doesn't shine. At this point, the human eyes could
not see anything other than black.
So far indeed there have been a lot of cameras that can see
in the dark; these cameras are commonly referred as infrared cameras. However,
the infrared cameras commonly only display a certain color spectrum. But not so
for Canon ME20F-SH, the recordings can still display the available color
spectrum.
The secret behind the ability to see in darkness lies in the
size of each pixel on the sensor. These pixels are measuring 5.5-bigger than
that contained in the CMOS sensors of other cameras in the market. This sensor
has been developed by Canon since 2013, and now it has been enhanced so that
Canon is confident enough to market it.
Canon ME20F-SH can be fitted with a range of EF lenses on
the market, both produced by Canon itself and also from other vendors. On the
back, there are a series of ports that have become mandatory requirements of
professional videographers.
Canon ME20F-SH is scheduled to go on sale in December 2015,
at a price of $ 30,000! The question is who will buy this super expensive
camera? Certainly Canon is more targeting on production houses which often deal
with reality shows or wild documentaries, or it can also be used as a CCTV
camera for big companies.