Canon has announced a new multi-purpose camera in the ME20F-SH. Dedicated to night owls, the camera is able to capture full HD colour video in pitch black conditions with an ISO of 4,000,000.
This unprecedented ISO is made possible with a full-frame 35mm CMOS sensor packing just 2.26 megapixels – well under industry standards. However, it also compensates by bumping the size of each pixel up to 19μm (5.5x larger than a high-end DSLR) allowing for more light capture.
Canon’s lowlight sensor test back when it debuted in 2013
If the Sony’s A7s and can churn out an impressive ISO of 409,600 with 12.2 megapixels (8.4µm), imagine the possibilities with a sensor reduced to 2.26 massive megapixels!
Sony A7s lowlight performance
Such elevated ISOs will definitely aid documentary people who shoot in persistently dark conditions (such as high foliage environments, caverns, and deep sea) but it’ll also prove a creative tool for filmmakers tired of chasing daylight or simply looking to try new things.
Users working on location can output video via a single cable to a variety of peripheral equipment
The ME20F-SH comes in December with a prosumer price of US $30,000.