It's so crazy, it could just be true: is Canon prepping a 4K camera with 4 million ISO, using the RF mount? Bear with us while we explain.
According to reports, Canon has just registered a pair of new multi-purpose cameras: the Canon ML-100 and Canon ML-105. And what exactly is a multi-purpose camera, you ask?
• Read more: Best Canon cameras
It's Canon's line of network video cameras – with cube-shaped, modular bodies that are incredibly compact, lightweight, and highly configurable for specialist shooting situations. As Canon explains:
"With incredible versatility plus high quality output and wide ranging flexibility over configuration installation and control, these multi-purpose video cameras add new dimensions to applications like wildlife and nature documentaries, live theatre, studio and remote recordings and surveillance."
So, why exactly do we think that one of these newly registered multi-purpose cameras will have 4 million ISO? Because that's exactly what Canon's last multi-purpose camera had. In fact, earlier this year, Canon won an Emmy Award for it.
The Canon ME20F-SH is a $20,000 EF-mount camera that can literally see in the dark, cranking the ludicrous ISO4,000,000 out of its 2.26MP full-frame sensor (with massive 19μm pixels, 5.5 times larger than on normal sensors). However, the video it captures is limited to 1080p.
Get the Digital Camera World Newsletter
The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!
See where we're going, here?
The two most obvious upgrades that Canon could make to its multi-purpose line are to up the video resolution to 4K UHD, and to introduce an RF mount (a la the Canon EOS C70).
As impressive as the ME20F-SH sensor is, it was introduced way back in 2015. So it's long overdue an update – and five years is a long time for Canon to refine that technology for 4K.
Obviously right now this is complete speculation; all we know for sure is that Canon has registered the ML-100 and ML-105 (as reported by Nokishita). But if the manufacturer has taught us anything this year, it's that it is no longer resting on its laurels and is now guns-blazing for the leading imaging tech in the industry…
Read more:
The best Canon camer: Canon's DSLR, mirrorless and compact cameras
The best camera for video: how to choose the best camera for filming
The best cinema cameras: stepping up to full scale filmmaking
