Impressive Canon ultra-high ISO full-frame sensor footage shot in complete darkness

Canon EXPO Paris posted a video showcasing the impressive performance of Canon’s prototype ISO 4.5M full-frame sensor. The Canon ME20F-SH camera is used to film glowworms in Waitomo Glowworm Caves in New Zealand. The glowworms are normally not visible to the humans eye. A comparison with a Canon professional HD camera is made (at 1:32, possibly Canon XA25), and the difference gets you an idea about how impressing the Canon ME20F-SH performance is. The professional HD camera sees only a light fluorescence when set to the highest gain (30db) while the ME20F-SH is able to get a clear image. It gets even more impressing. At 2:13 the ME20F-SH is used to shoot the glowworms in complete darkness. The video ends with video footage of the milky way

More Canon ME20F-SH coverage.

Canon ME20F-SHCanon ME20F-SH

Canon 250MP sensor in action (with “turbulence removal” technology)

Thanks for the tip. Fotografiapuntoit shared a video on YouTube that shows the impressing capabilities of Canon’s 250MP sensor. The video has English text.

A 800mm telephoto lens was used. The advertising on a hotel can be read with the 800mm from 15km distance. What’s interesting is a Canon technology called “turbulence removal”, i.e. it can stabilise the “fata morgana” effect you have when zooming on long distances. You can see “turbulence removal” from minute 2:04 on.

Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM announced, ships in November at $899

Sigma 20mm f/1.4
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  • EF Mount Lens/Full-Frame Format
  • Aperture Range: f/1.4 to f/16
  • FLD and Special Low Dispersion Elements
  • Super Multi-Layer Coating
  • Hyper Sonic AF Motor
  • Full-Time Manual Focus Override
  • Rounded 9-Blade Diaphragm
  • Thermally Stable Composite Material
  • Brass Bayonet Mount
  • Compatible with Sigma USB Dock

Sigma announced their new Sigma 20mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens. The Sigma 290mm f/1.4 will ship in November 2015 at $899. Pre-orders are available at B&H Photo and Adorama.

With a focal length of 20mm and F1.4 aperture, this lens delivers outstanding large-aperture brightness and bokeh, delivering unprecedented visual experiences.

SIGMA has extensive experience in leveraging its advanced design capabilities and leading-edge technologies to craft large-aperture prime lenses that bring out the full potential of ultra-high-megapixel DSLRs. As its latest achievement in this category, SIGMA has created an ultra-wide-angle lens with F1.4 brightness. With a focal length of 20mm and F1.4 aperture, this lens delivers outstanding large-aperture brightness and bokeh, delivering unprecedented visual experiences. Allowing the photographer to leverage the perspective provided by the wide -angle and the shallow depth of field provided by the large aperture, this lens is ideal not only for such ultra-wide-angle subjects as landscapes and starry skies, but also for snapshots in low light, indoor photography, portraits with a natural bokeh effect, and much more.

Art line delivers high-level artistic expression

SIGMA is organizing all its interchangeable lenses into three product lines: Contemporary, Art, and Sports, each with a distinctive concept. Designed with a focus on sophisticated optical performance and abundant expressive power, our Art line lenses deliver high-level artistic expression. Offering astonishing rendering performance that meets the highest standard, they are perfect for landscapes, portraits, still-lifes, close-ups, and casual snaps. They are made for the kind of photography that unleashes the inner artist. A powerful ally in every genre of photography, SIGMA’s Art line lenses excel both in the studio for formal works and outdoors for impressive shots of architecture, starry skies, and many other scenes.

More at Sigma.

Canon Receives U.S. EPA 2015 SmartWay Excellence Award

canon rumors

Canon U.S.A. Receives U.S. EPA 2015 SmartWay® Excellence Award

Company Recognized as a Top Environmental Performer and Leader for Freight Supply Chain Efficiency

MELVILLE, N.Y., October 14, 2015 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the Company has been honored with a SmartWay® Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for serving as an industry leader in freight supply chain environmental performance and energy efficiency. Canon’s proactive measures to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, including strategies such as modal shifting, load efficiency and encouraging carriers to join the SmartWay Transport Partnership, have earned the Company this esteemed distinction.

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Off Brand: Sony Cyber-shot RX1R II full-frame mirrorless camera announced

Sony RX1 R II
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Sony announced another technology-packed gadget camera, the Sony RX1 R II. The new mirrorless Sony features a 42MP full-frame sensor and a Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 fixed lens. The Sony RX1 R II will sell for $3,300 and ships in November. The most notable feature of the Rx1 R II is a variable optical low-pass filter that allows to choose between pure image resolution or moiré and aliasing reduction. When will Canon eventually show they can build a mirrorless FF camera?

On the cutting edge of imaging technology, the Cyber-shot DSC-RX1R II Digital Camera from Sonypacks in a full-frame 42.4-megapixel Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS sensor and BIONZ X processor behind a fixed Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2 lens that grants users the ability to capture finely detailed images in an extraordinarily compact body. In addition to this, the RX1R II has a world’s first variable optical low-pass filter system that can adjust voltage on a liquid crystal layer to adjust the light-splitting properties of the array. This feature allows users to prioritize detail, eliminate moire and aliasing, or strike a balance between the two.

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Canon shows resin 3D printer and MREAL virtual reality set a Canon EXPO 2015

At Canon EXPO 2015 the company is showing a 3D printer concept (video above).

Our first 3D printer developed entirely in-house has been designed to make the production process quicker than ever before.

We use a resin-based system, which gives any modelled objects superior strength. It also means you can use the same machine to create your prototypes and produce small runs of the final product.

With the highest level of precision in the industry we’ve reduced the need for time-consuming post-processing. Plus, higher modelling speeds and faster setting times mean you’ll spend more time innovating and less time waiting.

Another technology Canon is working since some time is Mixed Reality (MREAL). The video below introduces to the technology on display at Canon EXPO Paris 2015.

Canon’s Mixed Reality (MREAL) offers more realism than any other visual representation and enables you to interact with designs in real time, from any point of view.

MREAL combines a real-world environment with the virtual world of computer-generated imagery for a more innovative way of working. By wearing a headset, you’ll be able to design and create prototypes at actual size and assess them in 360°. MREAL will allow you to share and review these before the actual manufacturing starts, for more efficient, effective and quicker problem solving during the Product Lifecycle. Giving you the ability to look inside an object and interactively check its inner workings, the system is ideal for manufacturing and training.