Canon Launches Camera That Can See In The Dark
The Canon ME20F-SH can shoot full HD colour video in the pitch black, capturing footage never before seen in colour.
A record-breaking ISO rating of 4million - where ISO is a measure of the camera’s light sensitivity - means that it can take video in settings where there is little or no light.
Currently, the top camera models on the market have an ISO rating of around 409,600, so the step up to 4million is absolutely huge.
No UK price has been announced, but the camera will have an eye-watering price tag of $30,000 when it launches in the U.S.in December.
As the price suggests, this is product for professionals, with Canon hoping that it will prove particularly popular with those making films, wildlife documentaries and reality TV shows.
Infrared lighting is usually used for shooting in low-light conditions, but if affects the final footage, whereas Canon’s news camera should capture more realistic images.
It’s also set to be a good choice for astrophotography fans for shooting the night sky.
The camera’s brand new 35mm CMOS sensor is teamed with Canon’s DIGIC DV4 processor and is designed to suck in as much of the available light as possible when there isn’t much there.
While the high price puts it out of reach for most casual camera users, it offers an important insight into the kind of technology that could one day filter down into more affordable cameras.
(Image credit: Canon)
