An IR camera is pretty standard gear when trying to film ghosts in the darkness. And while it is useful to a degree, the resulting videos are usually more creepy than practical for actually figuring out what’s going on. What you really need is a high-ISO shooter with the ability to capture crystal-clear images in near-pitch black conditions and that’s what the Canon ME20F-SH brings.
Billed as the company’s first ultra-high-sensitivity multi-purpose camera, it boasts an ISO equivalent of over 4,000,000. That allows it to record quality HD video (little to no noise, accurate colors) in settings with illumination as low as 0.0005 lux, ensuring you can clearly capture every second of your ghost-hunting treks, whether inside haunted houses, abandoned mines, or any of the usual locations Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Inc crew typically find themselves in.
The Canon ME20F-SH uses a full-frame, 35mm CMOS sensor with massive photosites that are over five times larger than what’s usually found on high-end interchangeable lens cameras, allowing it to collect light more effectively, and proprietary hardware tech to enable recording with minimal noise. To fit in those larger photosites, it restricts the camera to a 2.26-megapixel sensor, which is enough to allow it to capture 1080p video at 60 fps. You get the typical connectors onboard, including 3G/HD-SDI, HDMI (output-only), two stereo mic jacks (2.5mm and 3.5mm) and an eight-pin RS-422 port. It’s compatible with a wide range of Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses.
Available starting December, the Canon ME20F-SH is priced at $30,000.