Canon’s new camera and lens can see from miles away – even in the dark – but you probably won’t buy it

When Canon went out to test its latest camera, it captured ships that were ten miles away – in the dark. The new Canon MS-510 may not be the sort of camera that photographers will add to their kit – as a high-end security camera – but the tech that enables imaging from extreme distances and in extreme darkness is intriguing for any camera nerd (like myself).

The Canon MS-510 uses what’s called a SPAD sensor – a Single Photo Avalanche Diode sensor. The typical CMOS sensors found inside mirrorless cameras and compact cameras record the amount of light that hits each pixel. But SPAD sensors actually count each individual photon, or light particle.

The result? SPAD sensors eliminate read noise for extreme low-light imaging.

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The sensor inside the Canon MS-510 – which is more sensitive to infared light in night mode than the earlier MS-500 – allows the camera to see in the dark, but it’s Canon's new lens that helps the security camera monitor areas that are miles away.

Canon has also announced the CN30x40 IASJ, which will likely be better known by its street name: the Canon CineServo 40-1200mm. It’s a cinema lens in RF and PL Mounts, which means it's compatible with the new MS-510. That 1200mm reach, paired with a built-in 1.5x teleextender, gives the high-end security camera its long-distance imaging capabilities.

Like the MS-510, the new CineServo lens isn’t going to find its way into a lot of gear kits – it retails for $79,999 in the US (about £59,000 / AU$112,000 / CA$110,000) – but the launch offers some insight into what Canon is focusing on behind-the-scenes, and for the new cinema and broadcast lens, its size and versatility.

The new lens replaces the earlier CineServo 50-1000mm. Despite offering a wider zoom range on both the wide and telephoto ends, the new 40-1200mm comes in the same size and weight as the earlier lens – which is 14.6 pounds.

Camera fans like myself can expect more gear news to arrive in the coming days – as the NAB Show opens on Saturday, April 20, and often brings with it some new tech, particularly for video.

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