Canon promotes CMOS sensor technology touting exciting prospects (Canon ME20F-SH)

Canon posted a rather theatrical (at least at the beginning) video to underline the low light features of the company’s CMOS sensors.

A moonbow is a natural phenomenon that can only be seen when the appropriate lunar brightness, angle of elevation and levels of moisture in the air align. They are so rare that in Hawaii it is said they bring happiness to those who see them. Recently, Canon succeeded in capturing video of a moonbow, which would prove difficult to see with the naked eye, using an ultra-high-sensitivity CMOS sensor. Additionally, using a 250 million pixel ultra-high-pixel-count CMOS sensor, Canon succeeded in capturing* video in which the lettering on the side of a plane flying approximately 18 km away could be clearly read. “Exciting Prospects for CMOS Sensors,” a video introducing these technologies, is now available to view on the Canon Video Square.

The video is here.

This is about the pioneering technology featured in the Canon ME20F-SH (images below), a commercially available multi-purpose camera that goes up to ISO 4M; it’s yours if you have $20,000 to spend.