Yes, you read it correct! Canon has announced its new multi-purpose camera – the Canon ME20F-SH which has the ability to shoot full HD videos with almost no available light. How is this possible? Well, it is possible as this power-packed camera by Canon can go up to 4,000,000 ISO.
As claimed by Canon, the ME20F-SH can shoot video when the available light on the subject is as less than 0.0005 lux.
This 4,000,000 ISO beast comes with EF-mount, which means all the Canon EF and EF-S lenses can be mounted on Canon ME20F-SH enabling the autofocus functionality. As the manufacturer brand says, this camera can be used to shoot reality TV shows, wildlife and nature documentaries and cinematic productions.
The Canon ME20F-SH comes with a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor of 2.26 megapixels, which is far less when compared to most of the full frame camera sensors by Canon that supports more than 20 megapixels. This uniquely designed image sensor was first announced by Canon in the year 2013 and it made news all over the photography community.
Let’s understand this – the less number of pixels placed on a sensor, the larger the pixels can be. So, the larger the pixels get, the more the amount of light they can gather within them. This helps the sensor to go to a number as high as 4,000,000 ISO.
You can control the camera functions on an external monitor using its joystick and the buttons mounted on the rear side of the camera.
Let’s have a look at the specs of the 4,000,000 ISO camera:
| Product name | ME20F-SH Multi-purpose Camera | |
| Image sensor | 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor (single), effective pixel count: approx. 2.26 million pixels | |
| Minimum subject illumination | Less than 0.0005 lux (at maximum 75 dB gain setting, equivalent to an ISO sensitivity of over four million) | |
| Pixel Pitch | 19 Microns | |
| Lens mount | Canon EF mount (Cinema Lock type) | |
| Optical filters | ND filter with two density levels (motorized manual / auto) IR cut filter (motorized manual) | |
| Frame rates | 59.94P / 59.94i / 50.00P / 50.00i / 29.97P / 25.00P / 23.98P | |
| Gamma | Canon Log, Wide DR, etc. | |
| Video output terminals | 3G / HD-SDI | BNC jack (output only) Terminal count: 21080P / 1080i / 720P |
| HDMI | HDMI connector (output only) | |
| Genlock terminal | BNC jack (input only) | |
| Remote terminal | φ2.5mm stereo mini-mini-jack (Canon-proprietary protocol)Round 8-pin jack (for RS-422, Canon-proprietary protocol) | |
| Microphone terminal | φ3.5mm stereo mini-jack | |
| AF | One-shot AF | |
| Auto-exposure | Combined interlocking (iris / gain / ND / shutter) | |
| White balance | AWB, color-temperature setting (setting range: 2000 to 15000 degrees Kelvin), natural light, light bulb, Setting A, Setting B | |
| Digital teleconverter | 2x, 4x | |
| Power input | 4-pin XLR DC11-17VTerminal block 2-pin jack DC11-17V | |
| Operating temperature | 32 degrees F (0 degrees C) to 104 degrees F (40 degrees C) | |
| Body dimensions | Approx. 4 inches (102mm) (w) x 4.5 inches (116mm) (h) x 4.4 inches (113mm) (d) (excluding protrusions) | |
| Weight | Approx. 2.4 lbs (1.1 kg) (body only) | |
Now let’s talk about some serious business. A 4,000,000 ISO camera by Canon would obviously not come with a cheap price tag. If you are planning to grab the Canon ME20F-SH, be ready to shed $30,000 from your pocket. 🙂
Do let us know your views on the Canon ME20F-SH, in the comments below.
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