#Canon’s MS-500 Is One of the Best Color Night-Vision Cameras Ever – Review Geek

Intended for industrial and military security, the MS-500 clocks in at $25,000.

Canon is drifting into weird territory with the MS-500, an advanced SPAD camera that captures clear and colorful video in almost complete darkness. It costs $25,000 and is purpose-built for industrial and military security, but it’s an interesting example of how consumer-level cameras may develop over the next few decades.

The MS-500 camera uses a SPAD (Single Photon Avalanche Diode) sensor, which is a bit different from the CMOS sensors found in most digital cameras. While a CMOS sensor uses pixels to measure light exposure over a specified time frame, SPAD sensors count individual photon particles, which can be multiplied “like an avalanche” to create visual data with limited noise.

Essentially, SPAD cameras are great at shooting low-light photos. And they can be a lot smaller than night-sight CMOS cameras, meaning that SPAD is an ideal format for nighttime security operations. (This is not an IR camera. However, it does capture some of the near-infrared range.)

For whatever reason, Canon hasn’t published any recordings from its MS-500 camera. The only real-world example of this camera’s capabilities comes from a PRONEWS Global video shot at NAB2023. The video is embedded above. (You can also see an indoor photo from a SPAD camera on Canon’s website. It’s very impressive, although it looks like it came from a 1980s issue of Southern Living.)

The MS-500 is notable for its use of a 3.2-megapixel SPAD sensor—the highest-resolution SPAD sensor to date. It’s also equipped with Canon’s B4 mounting system, which accommodates broadcast zoom lenses. Such lenses can see up to several miles. The potential benefit to militaries, industrial shipping yards, and other large options is quite clear.

As for actual night-vision capabilities, the MS-500 can shoot clear color photos in light as low as 0.001 lux. For reference, 0.001 lux is equivalent to a moonless night with no ambient light. It also contains some “picture profiles” that are tuned to reduce noise in different atmospheric conditions. Camera operators may need to familiarize themselves with these profiles.

The MS-500 is available today. It retails for around $25k, but because the camera is for industrial and military customers, prices will vary. Note that while SPAD technology costs a fortune today, it’s an interesting sign of how consumer cameras (and especially security cameras) will improve in the future.

Source: Canon via No Film School