Press Releases

Canon’s New ME20F-SH High Definition Video Camera with ISO Equivalent of Over 4 Million: Its First Detailed Low-light Footage of Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) in Norway

Canon ME20F-SH high definition video camera: Image grab from second video below

Canon ME20F-SH high definition video camera: Image grab from second video below

This is an update to the previous blog, Canon: New Ultra-High-Sensitivity Multi-Purpose Camera ME20F-SH with ISO Equivalent of Over 4,000,000: To Capture Color Full HD Video in Extreme Low-Light Conditions, Where Subjects Might Not Be Seen with the Naked Eye.

THe following video presents Exclusive AURORA skycam video: See the impossible with the new Canon ME20F-SH:

All of us in AURORA skycam are very proud to exclusively present some of the first video footage shot with the amazing new Canon ME20F-SH.

Right in time for the next aurora borealis season, see northern lights filmed in Norway in an previously unkown quality. The short film shows nature filmed at night as you’ve never seen it before.

Facts: 12 days filming in August 2015 and 14,5 hours of footage have been cut down and presented in a 3 minute long video at the IBC 2015. On our tour we’ve been driving 4.600 km through Norway, chasing good weather, dark skies, northern lights, and Miss Aurora´s dance.

More info, behind the scenes pictures and film footage, together with reviews and more amazing content will be released on our website (https://aurora-skycam.com/me20f-sh) and in our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtzs…). Follow us, there is more videos to come soon.

Canon ME20F-SH high definition video camera

Canon ME20F-SH high definition video camera

NEWS RELEASE

September 2015

The sky’s the limit! Amazing aurora borealis footage revealed

AURORA Skycam, a German film company with an office in Norway, specialises in streaming and filmed content of the aurora borealis (Northern Lights). It has become the first company in the world to use the new ME20F-SH high definition video camera to produce stunningly detailed low-light footage of one of the world’s most spectacular natural phenomena…

The footage, filmed earlier this month in Norway, records the borealis in never-before-seen clarity, revealing colour and high definition detail that has opened up new creative possibilities according to AURORA Skycam’s Anders Hanssen.

Speaking exclusively to CPN, he revealed: “It’s the most amazing camera out there. A revolution when it comes to night-time photography. There is something very special about how this camera uses the RGB channels to preserve colours and although we only had 12 days to get the footage you see here, we were immediately blown away and will never use anything else from now on.”

He continues: “After our initial studio tests it became clear that this was a very unique and special piece of equipment. The camera picks up all the different layers of the Northern Lights, even at very high ISO. We also filmed the Milky Way, for instance, at ISO 407,000. No other camera can compete with this product. With an 800 percent dynamic range it is truly incredible what it can see!

The creative options offered by the ME20F-SH are considerable, as Anders explains. “We wanted to show the possibilities of shooting real time footage with wide-angle lenses. It’s one thing filming with a 24mm or a 35mm lens but you don’t get to show the whole beauty of the Northern Lights. You need to go wider.”

“We had every lens we needed, but mostly we used the CN-E14mm Cinema EOS lens which, together with the camera, was really a fantastic combination. Recording was via the camera’s SDI output to an external recorder and we could control the camera and lens combination using the RC-V1001 Remote Control which was superb and meant that the camera was kept perfectly still at all times.”

“I now have 14.5 hours of footage,” Anders reveals, “So I have some editing to do and am already working on movie number two! All the footage we recorded was done during a new moon phase so there was no light in the sky at all. It was as dark as it’s possible to get. It’s the first time anyone has managed to film aurora clearly with a wide-angle lens and also, for the first time, it’s possible to get good recordings of the Milky Way, constellations and nebula, too. All things combined it is a perfect camera to see the unseen beauty of the night sky. It’s not fair to compare it with others because – truly – there is no comparison. It is a total game changer.”

Speaking on behalf of Canon Europe, Kieran Magee, Marketing Director, Professional Imaging, told CPN: “We are delighted to see such stunning footage from Anders Hanssen. His incredible footage shows just what is possible with the ME20F-SH and we can’t wait to see what new and exciting things others will do with this camera!”

ME20F-SH Key features:

  • Ultra low-light performance at ISO 4,000,000.
  • High quality Full HD 1080p/1080i/720p output.
  • Flexible control with auto and custom settings.
  • Compatible with a wide range of EF lenses2.
  • Remote control of camera settings and built-in ND and IR cut filters possible.
  • Small and lightweight for ease of integration.

1 Along with other compatible devices.
2 A list of compatible lenses to be confirmed.


The following video presents Canon 4 Million ISO Camera ME20F-SH – Interview about first Footage – Perfect for Wildlife? from cinema5D on Vimeo.

We talked to the Canon 4 Million ISO camera, which goes by the melodious name of ME20F-SH, here at IBC 2015 in Amsterdam.

See the first footage of the camera and related article on cinema5D:
cinema5d.com/canon-4-million-iso-camera-me20f-sh-first-footage-perfect-for-wildlife/