Pontoon & Deck Boat Magazine – February 2019

666812345759084 Pontoon & Deck Boat February (^201943)
http://www.playcraftboats.com
Leave It All Behind.
As the cruise went on, we all became
more and more comfortable using the
Aurora as we dialed in the functions
including the ability to zoom and adjust
for the perfect exposure. Worth noting,
the lens focus is manual only, but it is
surprisingly easy to focus in the dark,
thanks to the bright OLED EVF.
Smaller boats would pass by, completely
unaware that we were all able to view them
perfectly as they cruised by in darkness.
The Aurora uses infrared technology and a
specially developed sensor with large pixels
to shoot in conditions as dim as 0.001lux
and has three shooting modes: Night
(F1.4), Twilight (F2.0), and Day (F5.6).
SiOnyx says the camera’s performance
compares to night vision optics that cost
‘tens of thousands of dollars’ and that
this is the first time such night-vision
capabilities have been available to the
consumer.
The Aurora uses a 1-inch sensor with
0.9 million large pixels that are created
using what the company describes as a
proprietary laser process. The process
creates ‘the ultimate light-trapping pixels’
that have increased quantum efficiency
and so avoid excessive noise and restricted
dynamic range while producing images
10x brighter than a standard CMOS sensor.
The sensor design is based on military-
grade IR sensors that the company usually
makes only for the defense market.
The pixels have extended sensitivity
to light between 850 and 940nm in the
near-infrared area of the spectrum, and a
maximum ANSI of 820,000 - and so can
produce viewable images even in what
would appear to the human eye to be
darkness. The camera can also shoot still
images (albeit obviously at a very low
resolution), as well as time-lapse sequences
and 720p video.
The camera is also fitted with GPS,
an accelerometer and a compass for
adventurers, and can be used underwater
for 30 minutes to a depth of 3 feet.
The Aurora retails for $799 and for all
that it’s capable of I would recommend it
to those who do a lot of boating at night.
I do however want to stress what the
camera is  not  for. It's neither designed for
capturing high-resolution images for prints
or HD monitors nor for shooting video for
professional productions. Hence, it is not
in the same category as low-light mirror
less cameras or DSLRs. The camera is very
useful as a device to do tasks in the dark—
especially when safety might be an issue—
and to capture outdoor activities and the
natural world at night in a fun and easy
way. The uses are truly endless. •