Canon ME20F-SH Ultra Low Light Camera can shoot in almost complete darkness

The Canon ME20F-SH camera can shoot in almost complete darkness and can achieve a mind-blowing ISO 4,500,000.  This camera was used for the Awavena documentary by Emmy awarding-winning artist and director Lynette Wallworth.

"For the Amazonian Yawanawá, “medicine” has the power to transport you in a vision to a place you have never been. Hushuhu, the first woman shaman of the Yawanawá, uses VR as medicine to open a portal to another way of knowing. Awavena is a collaboration between a community and an artist, melding cutting edge technology and transcendent experience so that a vision can be shared, and a story can be told of a people ascending from the edge of extinction."

Awavena contains some night scenes with fluorescent luminance of plants and insects in the Amazon.

"The challenge of shooting documentary footage at night in the jungle is that any lighting you may use will disrupt the activity of the creatures you’re trying to capture. In the award-winning documentary Awavena, Director of Photography Greg Downing used Canon’s ME20F-SH camera to showcase the remarkable fluorescent luminance of plants and insects in the Amazon. The project, which chronicles the Yawanawa tribe and its first ever female shaman, utilizes mixed reality to give viewers the experience of a vision quest. In this video, Downing describes how the incredible 4,500,000 ISO of the ME20 helped to create the stunning visuals to simulate a vision quest."

Canon Announced ME20F-SH and ME200S-SH Camera Firmware Updates

Canon announced the ME20F-SH camera back in October 2015. Now they have released firmware updates for both the ME20F-SH and ME200S-SH multi-purpose cameras. See below for details.

Canon ME20F-SH v.1.0.5.1.00 and ME200S-SH v.1.0.3.1.00

Firmware incorporates the following enhancements : 

• Support for the color matrix function has been added.
• Support for the color correction function has been added.
• The following features are enabled for the CN-E18-80mm T4.4 L IS KAS S or CN-E70-200mm T4.4 L IS KAS S when “NU Protocol” is selected :
• Focus position control
• Zoom position control

*In some cases, the firmware of these lenses needs to be updated in order to enable these enhancements. Contact your Canon dealer for details.

For further information, please refer to the latest version of the unit’s Instruction Manual that is released with the firmware update. 

Canon Announced ME20F-SHN, New Low Light Network Camera

Canon ME20F-SHN with EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens

* * *  Canon ME20F-SH camera can film in complete darkness  * * *

London, UK, 21 November 2017 - Canon Europe, world leader in imaging solutions, today announces the launch of the ME20F-SHN, a low light network camera with remarkable performance. As a sister product to the ME20F-SH, the ME20F-SHN which now features network capability, further enhances Canon’s Multiple Purpose camera line-up with a solid proposition in producing full colour and Full HD resolution images in limited light scenarios. Perfect for critical surveillance operations, the ME20F-SHN packs incredible low light performance, network capability and built-in video analytics into a lightweight and compact body.

Incredible low-light performance

Equipped with a 2.26MP Full Frame 35mm CMOS sensor and DIGIC DV 4 processor, the ME20F-SHN delivers sharp, low noise, Full HD colour video in extreme low light conditions. The sensor’s pixels and readout circuitry use Canon’s proprietary technologies to achieve both reduced noise and exceptionally high sensitivity. With a maximum ISO in excess of 4 million (+75db), which delivers amazing low-light sensitivity, the ME20F-SHN can capture subjects illuminated with less than 0.0005 lux. Even greater detail can be captured in low-light environments by removing the IR cut filter when shooting in infrared mode.

Much like Canon’s Cinema EOS range, this network camera offers Canon Log and Wide DR from the Custom Picture menu, which enables a wide dynamic range of up to 12 Stops (800%), delivering high-quality images across a range of lighting scenarios. The Custom Picture menu has been upgraded, with the addition of the Crisp Img function, which obtains sharp images in well-lit environments and low noise image under low light conditions. These features are invaluable for users needing to capture clear and accurate images.

Enhanced network capability for surveillance applications

Featuring Ethernet, 3G/HD-SDI and HDMI ports, the ME20F-SHN caters for a plethora of video outputs based on users’ application requirements. For local monitoring, the ME20F-SHN has 3G/HD-SDI and HDMI ports; while an Ethernet connection enables remote operation of camera settings, monitoring and recording via web browsers, mobile devices or other video management software. The microSD card slot supports record and playback directly from a microSD card. For unmanned and cost-efficient surveillance, the 6 built-in video analytics functions and Alarm I/O interface enables automated recording and output to external devices triggered by video motion detection and alarm input.

With the Area-specific Data Size Reduction (ADSR) function, the ME20F-SHN enables users to capture absolute detail in selected areas of interest while reducing bit-rates in the other areas of the image to save network bandwidth. For ease of integration into existing video surveillance systems, the ME20F-SHN supports a wide range of video management software through Canon WebView and ONVIF protocols.

Flexible installation capabilities

Operators can select the ideal lens for each shooting and equipment scenario, taking aspects such as angle of view and level of brightness into account. Featuring an EF mount with Cinema Lock, the ME20F-SHN is compatible with a broad range of lenses across the Canon line-up, including zooms, primes and selected Cine Servo lenses for greater control. With PoE+ support, the data transmission via Ethernet and power supply are provided with a single LAN cable, which facilitates simple and rapid installation of the camera. The compact body and lightweight design are invaluable for users needing both a fixed and portable camera.

ME20F-SHN key features :

• Sharp, low noise colour video in extreme low light
• Network capable remote configuration and monitoring
• Supports a wide range of surveillance applications
• High-quality Full HD output
• Flexible installation

National Geographic 'Earth Live' Used Canon ME20F-SH Camera To 'See In The Dark'

MELVILLE, N.Y., August 2, 2017 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is proud to congratulate the team behind the National Geographic’s live television special “Earth Live”. The two-hour broadcast featured a live-production first, by using Canon’s ME20F-SH Multi-Purpose Camera along with a variety of Canon lenses, including the CINE-SERVO 50-1000mm T5.0-8.9 EF to show television viewers live images of illusive nocturnal wildlife from around the world at night, in color, without using artificial lighting. Hosted by award-winning actress Jane Lynch and award-winning television personality Phil Keoghan, the unprecedented two-hour event gave viewers an unfiltered, real-time broadcast feed to see Earth’s wildlife in various natural habitats with the use of 51 cameras shooting simultaneously in 25 different locations across six continents. The show premiered on National Geographic, Nat Geo WILD and Nat Geo MUNDO on Sunday, July 9, and aired in 171 countries and 45 languages.

Working closely with National Geographic, executive producer Al Berman’s idea for “Earth Live” involved several locations that were in total darkness during the live production and those dark locations would either require lights that would disturb wildlife, or the use of infrared or thermal cameras, which didn’t suit Berman’s idea. It wasn’t until 2015 when Canon debuted the ME20F-SH Multi-Purpose Camera that Berman saw the opportunity to broadcast undisturbed nocturnal wildlife in color. The announcement of this revolutionary four million ISO, full-frame sensor camera that can shoot full-color video in extreme low-light conditions, immediately caught the attention of Berman, who approached Canon U.S.A. with his idea. The Company’s technical support team worked closely with Berman and his crew to provide and test equipment to help bring this concept to life.