Canon ME20F-SH Ultra-Low Light Camera Impressive Performance Shown In New Footage

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We often featured the Canon ME20F-SH specialized camera, and wrote about the impressing low light capabilities. New footage adds to the set.

The Canon ME20F-SH does ISO 4,500,000, and that definitely opens some possibilities. The ME20F-SH 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.

The Canon ME20F-SH does a pretty well job, as explained and shown in the video below. All our Canon ME20F-SH coverage is listed here.

Awavena trailer:

DxO Released PhotoLab 4 With AI Powered DeepPRIME Demosaicing & Denoising Technology

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DxO released PhotoLab 4. The main new feature is an artificial intelligence technology capable of simultaneously denoising and demosaicing images.

DxO PhotoLab 4 new features at a glance:

  • DxO DeepPrime: a revolutionary demosaicing and denoising technology based on artificial intelligence and trained with deep learning. 
  • DxO Smart Workspace: a new dynamic interface with a simpler workflow with batch renaming.
  • DxO Advanced History: a new and exclusive editing history tool to scroll back to different moments in the editing process.
  • Selective Copy Paste: to synchronise the settings of several similar images by applying individual edits from one photo to another.
  • Instant Watermaking: to add watermarks directly to your photos.

DxO PhotoLab 4 has a launch discount of 30%, that’s $99 for PhotoLab 4 Essential (reg. $129) and $149 for PhotoLab 4 Elite (reg. $199). More about the new features can be found here. A fully-functional, one-month trial version of DxO PhotoLab 4 is available on the DxO website. You do not need a subscription to use DxO PhotoLab 4. You can install the program on two computers with the DxO PhotoLab 4 ESSENTIAL Edition or on three computers with the DxO PhotoLab 4 ELITE Edition.

DxO press release:

DxO PhotoLab 4: revolutionary in every respect

Today, DxO, one of the most innovative companies in the field of photography and image editing, is unveiling DxO PhotoLab 4, a major update of its multiple award-winning photo-editing software. This latest version features DxO DeepPRIME, a revolutionary demosaicing and denoising technology based on artificial intelligence and trained with deep learning. DxO PhotoLab 4 has also added a new dynamic interface system called DxO Smart Workspace, enriched its photo library with a batch renaming feature, and created an even simpler workflow by adding a new and exclusive editing history tool called DxO Advanced History and the ability to selectively copy and paste specific settings. Lastly, the new DxO Instant Watermarking feature lets users sign their photos by adding a watermark directly to the image.

DxO DeepPRIME has revolutionized denoising and RAW conversion technology

Trained using the millions of photos DxO’s laboratories have analyzed for more than 15 years, DxO DeepPRIME employs cutting-edge artificial intelligence and drastically improves digital noise reduction while also delivering more effective demosaicing. The resulting photo quality is nothing short of spectacular, especially for photos taken in low light conditions that require brightening certain areas, photos with small pixels, and photos taken with early-generation cameras.

To reduce noise and demosaic RAW images, DxO DeepPRIME was trained using several billion samples. Since its founding in 2003, DxO has earned an international reputation for calibrating hundreds of cameras and thousands of lenses using a protocol that is more extensive than any other in the industry. DxO has measured the distortion, vignetting, chromatic aberrations, loss of sharpness, and digital noise generated by each equipment combination and in every situation with an extraordinary level of precision.

Using a traditional approach, these two operations are performed separately, with each one introducing artifacts that degrade the quality of the other. With deep learning, DxO DeepPRIME has adopted a holistic approach that combines the two steps into one in order to deliver exceptional performance.

With DxO DeepPRIME, all information in a photo, especially photos taken in low light, is rendered beautifully. Color details are better preserved, and the transitions are more natural and regular. Compared to DxO PRIME, DxO’s previous denoising algorithm and the current standard among photo-editing software programs, DxO DeepPRIME delivers a gain of around two ISO sensitivity values at a comparable level of quality.

“There are a number of applications for DxO DeepPRIME,” explains Jérôme Ménière, CEO of DxO. “DxO DeepPRIME creates new creative opportunities by helping expert photographers overcome digital noise or a lack of light. For amateur photographers, DxO DeepPRIME compensates the drawbacks of the smaller sensors on compact and bridge cameras, which can typically only take high-quality images in bright light. Lastly, it can also be used to revamp photos taken by less advanced cameras from the start of the digital era.”

DxO Smart Workspace: You are unique, your workspace should be too

DxO’s dynamic Smart Workspace is based on a groundbreaking system of filters that can be accessed directly from the toolbar. It allows users to show tool palettes by correction type, only display their pre-selected favorite palettes, or only show palettes with activated corrections. In addition, DxO Smart Workspace can also instantly open the desired palette when users search for a tool in a dedicated search field.

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Firmware Updates For Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS 6D Mark II

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Canon released firmware update for the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV firmware 1.3.0 (download) incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:

  1. Enables NFC connection with smartphones running Android 10 operating system. *For Android running v6.0 or later, use Camera Connect v2.7.10 or later.
    *For Android running v5.0 or older, use a connection method other than NFC.
  2. Enables support for the .CR2 image file format on image.canon.
  3. Fixes a phenomenon in which some camera operations may not be possible or an error may occur after an insufficient flash output is produced when shooting with the flash.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II firmware 1.1.0 (download) incorporates the following enhancements:

  1. Enables NFC connection with smartphones running Android 10 operating system.
    *For Android running v6.0 or later, use Camera Connect v2.7.10 or later.
    *For Android running v5.0 or older, use a connection method other than NFC.
  2. Enables support for the .CR2 image file format on image.canon.

Giveaway: Win A Handmade Hyperion Camera Strap, Or Get One With 15% Discount

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Together with our friend Pavlos at Hyperion Camera Straps we offer you the chance to win one of three handmade and customizable camera straps.

To enter the giveaway use the box below, or click here to visit the giveaway page. Taking part in the giveaway is easy. You can do one or all of the following (the more the merrier):

  • Follow Canon Watch on Twitter
  • Visit the Canon Watch page on Facebook
  • Visit the Hyperion Camera Strap page on Facebook
  • Tweet about our giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Three winners will be randomly selected and will get a customizable Hyperion camera strap. Check all colors and options at Hyperion Camera Straps. Camera straps are shipped worldwide without taxes or shipping fees.

Hyperion Camera Straps started as a personal DIY project of owner Pavlos to make affordable and durable, practical and pretty camera straps for his friend’s. The success was huge. One friend after another started asking him to make one for them too and so he started production. They are on Instagram too.

One more thing. When purchasing these beautifully crafted camera straps you get 15% discount by using our exclusive code “CanonWatch” at checkout. The straps are shipped worldwide.

Canon U.S.A. Announces Three New Industrial Imaging Sensors

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Here is the Canon USA press release for the two new imaging sensors we reported earlier today, and more sensors we missed entirely in the Japanese press release.

Canon has a dedicated page for these specialized imaging sensors.

Canon USA press release:

Canon U.S.A. Announces Three New Industrial Imaging Sensors

MELVILLE, NY, October 19, 2020 – Asimaging sensors continue to be an essential component of industrial processes, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce three new CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductors) sensors: the ultra-high-resolution LI8020 series, the ultra-high sensitivity LI3030 series, and the LI7050SAC. These sensors help expand the company’s lineup of industrial vision products while offering integrators and end-users additional capabilities when developing solutions for various applications.

LI8020SAC/LI8020SAM
The LI8020SAC (color)/LI8020SAM (monochrome) ultra-high resolution CMOS sensor features a pixel pitch of 1.5 μm (micrometer) and a resolution of approximately 250 million pixels, which provides detailed images in a wide range of applications and situations. The sensor will help meet the needs of manufacturers to inspect flat panel displays, which frequently exhibit 4K and sometimes even 8K content. The sensor can also be a tool for video production, digital archiving, wide-area monitoring, and the medical industry by providing ultra-high resolution and ultra-high-speed signal readouts. Due to the ultra-high pixel count of the sensor, images can be captured that maintain incredible image quality, even if an area of the moving or still image has been cropped and enlarged using an electronic zoom.

The new sensor can capture video at an ultra-high-resolution that is approximately 125 times higher than Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels) and about 30 times higher than 4K (3840 × 2160 pixels). Still images can be captured at a speed of approximately five frames per second even when reading all the pixels. A fast signal readout of 1.25 billion pixels per second helps to avoid the potential of any signal delay or deviation. The rapid signal readout is achieved by advancing circuit miniaturization and signal processing technology. When the Read Return on Investment (Region of Interest) feature is utilized, the frame rate of the sensor can be increased by selecting an area and reducing the amount of information to be read. If a user doesn’t need the input of every pixel, the ROI readout function allows you to read every pixel at five fps, 8K at 24 fps, 4K at 30 fps, and Full HD at 60 fps. The sensor also features a “thinning-out read function” that enables high-speed readout by reducing the number of vertical pixels to be read out of the full shooting area, allowing selection of an output data format that suits users’ needs.

LI3030SAI/LI3030SAM
The LI3030SAI (RGB-IR)/LI3030SAM (monochrome) sensor is a 35mm full-size ultra-high sensitivity CMOS sensor with a large pixel size of 19 μm that allows for image capturing in low-light environments where it can difficult for the naked eye to identify the subject. The sensor can read 2160 × 1280 pixels, which is wider than Full HD (1920 × 1080 pixels), enabling it to be a suitable solution for astronomical observation applications and the monitoring and industrial applications that require high-resolution images with a specific aspect ratio.

Compared to similar Canon models, the sensitivity of the LI3030SAI and LI3030SAM sensor is approximately 2.3 and 3 times higher in the near-infrared range, respectively. The sensitivity capabilities of the LI3030SAI allow users to see the pupil of a human-eye through sunglasses. The LI3030SAM sensitivity capabilities enable users to capture monochrome moving images and can reduce the appearance of dust, enhancing astronomical observation. By assigning one pixel of the color filter as a pixel for the near-infrared region, it is possible to simultaneously acquire color and near-infrared motion images with a single sensor even under low-light conditions. In addition, since the differences in the reflectance and absorbance of light in the near-infrared region can be detected from weak signals and the state of the inside of a substance can be observed, the sensor can be used in a wide range of industrial and medical fields. Use-case examples include long-distance monitoring at night, observation of crop growth in a wide area, inspection of foreign matter contamination in food factories, and visualization of biological tissues.

LI7050SAC
The LI7050SAC is a high resolution CMOS sensor that is ideal for security camera use because of its high sensitivity and price point. Featuring a pixel pitch of 4.1 μm and a resolution of approximately 2.12 million pixels, the sensor provides a High Dynamic Range (HDR) of equivalent to up to 20 stops with frame rates of 30fps and 60fps. What’s more, the sensor features a 54,000 green sensitivity level and can read 1936 × 1096 pixels, which is slightly higher than HD resolution.

For more information on Canon sensors including how to talk to a sales representative, please visit canon-cmos-sensors.com.

Canon Announces The Release Of A New 250MP APS-H Sensor

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A new super-specialised 250MP APS-H sensor from Canon is coming soon. Canon itself announced the release.

Canon Japan confirmed the market launch of this new sensor in late October 2020. The 250MP APS-H sensor will be available in both color and monochrome versions. The new sensors are named LI8020SAC (color) and LI8020SAM (monochrome). Typically, this kind of sensors are employed in scientific applications.

Canon has a long history in making multi-purpose or otherwise highly specialized cameras. It seems two more are going to be added. A few days ago two Canon multi-purpose cameras showed up at a Russian certification agency: the ML-100 and the ML-105. I wonder if this sensor will be featured on the ML-100 and the ML-105. Chances are good, in our opinion.

Presentation of the new sensor:

Here is the machine translated text from Canon Japan:

Main features

The new product is an ultra-high resolution CMOS sensor with approximately 250 million pixels, which enables you to capture detailed information in an image while shooting a wide range. In addition, by setting the pitch of one pixel to 1.5 μm (micrometer), we have achieved approximately 250 million pixels in APS-H size, making it possible to use it for various purposes. It can be used for various purposes such as FPD (flat panel display) inspection, which has become higher definition due to the development of 4K / 8K video technology, industrial inspection, video production, digital archive, wide area surveillance, microscope, etc. Meet the needs of users.

Get detailed information even in a wide range of shooting with ultra-high resolution of about 250 million pixels

The new product is capable of imaging at ultra-high resolution of about 250 million pixels, which is about 125 times that of full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) and about 30 times that of 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), and can be taken in any shooting range. Sufficient resolution can be obtained by trimming the area and enlarging it with an electronic zoom.

Achieves ultra-high-speed signal reading of approximately 1.25 billion pixels / second

With CMOS sensors, the amount of signal increases as the number of pixels increases, causing signal delays and slight timing deviations. The new product has an ultra-multi-pixel structure of approximately 250 million pixels, but by refining the circuit and advancing signal processing technology, it has achieved an ultra-high-speed signal readout of approximately 1.25 billion pixels per second. This enables ultra-high resolution imaging at a speed of approximately 5 frames / sec even when all pixels are read out.

Supports data output according to user needs with “ROI read function” etc.

The new product is equipped with a “ROI (Region of Interest) read function” that selectively reads only an arbitrary area. If you want to read only a specific area at high speed, you can use the “ROI read function” at 24 fps for 8K (7,680 x 4,320 pixels), 30 fps for 4K (3,840 x 2,160), and 60 fps for full HD (1,920 x 1,080). Video recording is possible. It also has a “thinning out reading function * ” that thins out the entire image area in the vertical direction to read out, so you can select the data output method that suits your needs.

  • *4 patterns of thinning are possible. 1/3 is about 15fps, 1/5 is about 25fps, 1/7 is about 35fps, and 1/9 is about 45fps.