Following up on the original Mevo Live Event Camera — a video camera designed specifically for Facebook Live, which was super easy to use, allowed you to create live broadcasts on Facebook, and even edit them while recording — is its second generation version to hit the market, the latest Mevo Plus.
The Mevo Plus, a much improved camera from Livestream that addresses the limitations and bugs, which the first iteration possessed. The Plus is stronger, faster, more stable, and is still one of the easiest live event cameras around. Better yet, it now records 1080P and 4K, works with Android (not just iOS), and also supports more live-stream platforms other than Facebook Live, including Periscope, Vimeo and YouTube.
The Mevo Plus is still price at $499, but the improvements make it a much better buy, particularly if you do a lot of live internet broadcasts.
Mevo Plus Upping the Ante
Don’t get us wrong, the first Mevo was very cool, with a great design…a design which the Plus has kept. The only difference is a switch from a red grill to a gray color, covering the mics and speaker.
The more significant changes are within the guts of the device, which are the essence of the improved performance. Firstly, Livestream has added 2×2 MIMO antennas, which offer improved data transmission speeds. There’s also a new 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip, whic also increases performance and range. You can also stand farther from the camera when operating it remotely, and if you’re handholding the camera for action shots, there’s now electronic image stabilization.
As for the main internals, the Mevo Plus is the same as the original, using a 12-megapixel Sony 4K CMOS sensor and a 150-degree glass lens. However, you can now record to the included 16GB MicroSD card up to 4K and stream in 1080p, whereas before, you were limited to 720p. You can also stream to more places, like Periscope/Twitter, Vemeo, YouTube, and of course Facebook Live. Livestream also has its own service you can stream to, which actually works really well.
Another nicety with the Mevo Plus is the support for Android devices 6.0 or higher. This opens up the Mevo Plus to many more users, and of course, it still ofers support for iOS 9 or higher.
The Mevo Plus works with the existing Boost accessory that increases battery life by up to 10 times. The Boost runs $249, and also offers an external audio feature, Ethernet and standard USB jacks for more stable connectivity, ideal for broadcasting important live events where you can’t rely on Wi-Fi or LTE, and a USB port that works for recharging the battery or attaching a better microphone.
Mevo Plus Performance
The Mevo Plus and the Mevo app…again…pretty identical to the first generation model, work exactly the same as the first-generation Mevo. In short, the Mevo Plus is a portable, live-broadcasting camera that gives independent producers the features that you would get with a camera crew.
Coupled with a tablet or smartphone, Mevo Plus allows you to be the director of your own movie. You can create smooth zooms or pans by pinching or sliding, or shoot a wide scene, zooming in quickly by tapping on any part of the frame. There are still the adjustable picture settings in the app, and the face-tracking feature that automatically follows a subject.
Performance with the Mevo Plus is pretty great. Pairing with a smartphone or tablet is easier and there are never any connection drops, something that we experienced with the original Mevo. Wi-Fi and LTE seem stronger, image stabilization adds much greater stability if you’re moving the Mevo Plus around, and the ability to film in 4K makes videos stunning, although with this feature, there are some limitations. You can’t live-stream in 4K to Youtube, Facebook Live only supports 720p (although Facebook plans to add 1080p support next year), zoom-and-pan functions are disabled in this mode, and it sucks up a lot of battery and memory. Still though, the 4K option is nice to have.
Battery life is good, but not great. The Mevo Plus is rated for up to one hour, which is the same as the original. That’s why the Mevo Boost is a great option to add to your kit, offering you 10 additional hours of juice.
Bottom Line
The Mevo Plus is certainly a vast improvement from its already stellar first-iteration product. It’s addressed most of the main problems present in the original, particularly the ability to record in 4K and also improved connectivity.
As a general consumer product, it’s a bit salty at $500, but it does offer you a complete studio-quality camera with excellent editing capabilities, perfect for the Indie filmmaker. The Mevo Plus is an ultra powerful, little live-broadcasting tool that’s easy and fun to use. Even if you never live stream, the Mevo Plus is probably the most capable camera for recording videos on the market. You can purchase it here.
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