Logi Mevo Core 2024 (ROLLING ACTIVE)
(Rolling reviews are updated in descending date order. This is to make it easier to revisit and always see the latest content. Start from the bottom, and read up if this is your first visit)
5/27/2024 (Lumix 45-175 Lens)
We picked up the Lumix 45-175 to get some deep outfield shots. At this point, the results are pretty impressive on the reach for such a physically small lens. As with most lenses we have tried with the Core, "auto focus" can be tricky. It generally requires a couple attempts and when it hunts really badly. So, especially at the long distances, it is best to turn on peaking and manually focus. This was a shot from about 367'. We manually held the tripod over the fence; hence the camera shake.
The initial view in this video is optically zoomed to the full 175mm focal length. We then backed out to the 45mm and back to 175mm. We then punched in with a digital zoom. Shooting in 4K, this digital zoom will still allow enough quality to produce a 1080p stream or recording with minimal loss.
This is a large collegiate field. So I would feel comfortable using this lens for the home plate shot in just about any field.
There's no getting around that a telephoto lens must be longer than wide angle and prime lenses. But all in all, it is still a very manageable lens and still produces quality results. In the image below you can see this lens on the Core. Then below that is the 14-45 Lumix. Below that is the Olympus 9mm Pancake. So for these kinds of setups, we would recommend the 45-175 in the outfield and the 9mm pancake on the fence. Unfortunately the 14-45 has an extended barrel that protrudes too far out when wide. We just do not recommend this behind the backstop. But it is a good general lens that we use for most of our videos outside the ballfield.
5/22/2024 (Power Button "Failure")
Interesting issue preventing the power button from working on the Core. Solution discussed in the video. In short, be careful using the top tripod mount.
5/7/2024 (Correction on Rode NT1 capability)
While this doesn't related directly to the Core, it corrects some imformation we posted below in the audio test. The NT1 will certainly work with most smart phones and tablets:
3/30/2024 (Torture Test #3:L Record at high heat...120°F)
Finally cranked up the torture test to our max testing temperature of 120°F. Set the camera to record at 4K and let it run. As usual, we checked the app stream every now and again to make sure it was still recording. While the temperature of the camera continued to rise, we see no issues. But lots of max temperatures were reached. 136.3°F, again on the right side of the camera (when looking behind). This makes sense because when looking into the camera from the front, the lower left corner of the sensor seems to get the hottest. Maybe the guys at Mevo/Logitech can provide some insight on that. Here are the test results over on the Torture Test Blog:
Mevo Core, Record 4K, External Power, 120F (TEST ID 032924231112)
And the sensor was quite hot as well. Again, we don't compare thermal image to thermocouple readings. But comparing test to test, this is the hottest the sensor has reached. And while we won't repeatedly test at this temperature, it would be interesting to know how long the sensor would last if this was done on a regular basis. But 140°F on the sensor...wow!
But the file capture was as expected. Spot checking the video, we don't see any quality issues that might have been caused by heat.
3/29/2024 (Torture Test #2; Stream/Record...still 95°F)
Before bumping up the chamber temperature, we are going to do a few more tests to get a feel for how various features impact the temperature. In this test, we performed a 1080p stream to YouTube while recording 4K locally. HEVC was turned on and we streamed via StarLink ISP. Happy to report that this did not impact the temperature. While the charge may look a little different than the recording only test, this is because we moved the second sensor to the right side of the camera. In the first test, we mounted the sensor near the SD card to see if the card caused any heat. Since it did not, we moved to the right as these heavy support members seem to hold the most heat. This is the link to the Torture Test data for this test:
Mevo Core, Stream and Record, External Power, 95F (TEST ID 032924162213)
After the test was complete, we quickly captured thermal of the sensor before it started to cool down. The lower left corner of the CMOS sensor seems to consistently produce the hottest temperatures. In this case, if the accuracy can be trusted (and it isn't always), 117°F is pretty hot given the ambient temperature is 95°F.
We struggled to get the stream we wanted when we first started. The file structure was broken up accordingly. We started the stream and then realized that we forgot to set the resolution to 1080 (was 720). So we stopped, changed the value and restarted. But because we continued the existing stream on YouTube, it continued to push 720p. So we stopped it again and started a new stream at 1080 which was successful. While this is an asterisk in the test, I don't think it impacted the overall results.
3/29/2024 (Torture Test #1; a wimpy 95°F)
Today we fired up the LynkSpyder Torture chamber to start the process of heat rating this camera. The first thing we do is run the camera at max settings and at the top of the manufacturers rated range. In the case of the Mevo Core, that means 4K recording at 95°F. The test was a success in that we recorded beyond our 2 hour limit with no issues. We manually stopped the process at 2 hours 15 minutes. All of that data is posted on our Torture Test blog page which you can find here:
Mevo Core, 4K, External Power, 95F (TEST ID 032924104513)
There you can find all of the details including to the link to the Google Sheet and related temperature chart:
As you can see the temperature rose to about 110°F (13° over booth) and held pretty consistently throughout the test.
In this span, the Mevo broke up the recording into 3 files. The long files were exactly 1 hour and the final file was the remaining time of 17:42 (the recording ran longer than the captured test). This came to 38.6GB; roughly 3 minutes 34 seconds per 1GB of data (at the current settings)
In addition to the heat trials, after the first test, we try to capture thermal images of the device. This allows us to find any hot spots that might exist so we can better inform you where to ensure you allow airflow or coverage. In this camera, there were no alarming hot spots. As we increase the chamber temperature, we will continue to monitor this to ensure nothing new pops up. But currently, it appears that the solid aluminum mounting points are acting like heat sinks to evenly draw heat out of the camera.
When we are capturing thermal, we are always on a time crunch. With the camera off and in ambient temperature, it starts to cool down quickly. So the temperature readings are not as important as the images themselves. In this case, it was several minutes by the time we captured the image sensor temperature. Still quit hot, and possibly will be the hottest part of the camera, this is what we will measure before starting a new test. We like to ensure all of the camera has recovered to ambient temperature to ensure that each test accurately reflects the capability of the device, and not impacted by a previous test or other conditions.
Lastly, here are a couple shots of the test chamber setup for today's testing of the Mevo Core:
What's next? It get's a little scary at this point as we have to go beyond the manufacturers recommended operating temperature. This is important because even if the temperatures outside are below 95°F, you can be sure the sun contact on the device will be well above that. So we will keep increasing the temperature until the camera starts to fail, stopping at 120°F. Hopefully any failures are because the camera shuts itself down to protect itself. But there certainly is the risk at this point of causing irreparable damage to the device. And most certainly would not be covered by the warranty.
3/25/2024 (Audio Testing)
After the field testing of the Mevo Camera Core this weekend, we noticed the stock microphone was very susceptible to wind noise. So in this video, we produced several segments using many of the various microphone options we have in house. Hopefully this gives you some feel on ways to improve your audio game in the field.
Spoiler alert: The Rode Wireless Pro receiver plugged into the USB port on the camera is a game changer. Produced exceptional audio and is super easy to setup and use.
3/24/2024 (Video Samples from test Field)
With the power crash issue appearing to be resolved, we were able to setup at the test field and capture our standard shots. These are unedited video directly from the camera.
9mm Lens and mounted directly to the fence behind the plate (full view, no crop). Note, because we want to ensure the lens is safe from a direct fence impact, the camera was mounted back more than normal. This included fence in the shot. This can be resolved with a little pinch zoom (the next video). In all of the videos below, be sure to select 4K and watch at full screen.
This is the view of the setup:
This is the unedited video from that setup:
Same setup with the following amount of pinch zoom:
This the video of that setup:
This is a 1:1 crop of the original 4K video of the outfield fence area (for you pixel peepers):
The next thing we tested was to mount a Viltrox NF-M1 Nikon F to MFT adapter and Nikon 70-200mm VR lens to the Core. This was mounted on a tripod and place outside the fence in center field. A Atomos Shogun video monitor was used to aid in setting the manual focus. As the wind picked up, it is clear that an external mic will be needed with this camera. The onboard microphone should really only be used to synchronize external video in post. This is the setup of the hardware used:
This is the video of that setup with the lens focal length set to 70mm:
This is the same setup with the lens focal length set to 200mm. Note near the end of the video, when changing the focal length on this lens, the focus will have to be readjusted as well. It is highly recommended to use an HDMI source monitor when using this kind of setup. The delay from the app makes it very difficult to adjust focus.
1:1 crop of 200mm focal length video:
3/22/2024 (Replacement process...will update with information even from other days)
After some interaction with Mevo Support, it looks like they are planning to replace out this unit. All functions on the device work as expected. But any attempt to save to an SD card cause the camera to crash and hard power off. 3 different SD cards were used, and the process was attempted with and without the phone app. Mevo helped us enable debugging to try to capture what was happening in the background. Communication timeline with Mevo support is outlined below (central times):
Ticket Created: 3/21/2024 2:39 PM
Mevo first contact: 3/21/2024 4:32 PM
Last interaction of the day: 3/21/2024 6:04 PM
First interaction next day: 3/22/2024 9:21 PM
Information sent to start replacement process: 3/22/2024 10:10 AM
Mevo reached out to say that a possible software solution would be available: 3/22/2024 1:20PM
Mevo discussed a possible bug with Android app: 3/23/2024 10:22 AM
Suggested to Mevo Support that we use the iPhone app to test the theory: 3/23/2024 1:06PM
That test was conducted and confirmed to fix the issue: 3/23/2024 2:34 PM
At this time, the issue appears to be resolved.
3/21/2024 (9:00 PM)
Last bit of update for the day. We still cannot record to SD card. But all other aspects were tested, including streaming to YouTube as well as recording via OBS and a HDMI capture card. We used a new 9mm pancake lens that should be a better option for those who want to try to mount fo the fence. It is much shorter, has a wider FOV and does not have a zoom or focus ring. So less things to break in the event of a fence impact.
Live stream footage:
OBS recording upload:
3/21/2024 (1:00 PM)
Mevo Core and lenses (ordered separately) arrived today. Initial mount proved our expectations: The camera quite large and not terribly stable, even on the Husky Slyder mount. Additionally, the lens (14-42) was not wide enough to capture our test field. To make matters worse, the barrel of the lens (which extends away from the camera for a wide shot) extended through the fence opening. That simply won't do.
But in an even bigger gut kick, the camera appears to have a technical problem. We have created a ticket with Mevo. But in short, the camera powers off in mid-recording (when when we try to stop recording to save the file). So we haven't been able to capture any sample data at our test field. We have tried multiple lenses and multiple SD cards (both brand new and historically known to be solid cards purchased from trusted vendors). And the issue is isolated to the camera; meaning, we have turned the phone connection off to ensure it isn't app related. It is not. Starting a recording from the button on the camera leads to the same failure.
We were very pleased with the turn around time on the order (we placed it the morning of the announcement). But not happy that we cannot save files. Until we get some direction from Mevo, we are currently down. Not a good start.
3/19/2024 (Edited 7:17PM central)
Today is drop day. Logitech released various bits of information in the early hours this morning. Not too many surprises at this point as the leaks pretty much covered what was released. As we felt during the initial leaks, this camera is really focused in the protected studio environment. While sports capture is doable, it is really going to be a risky move.
Here are some highlights that we have noted:
- $999, no lens included (required)
- Micro 4/3 standard mount.
- 3.5" x 3.5" x 3.25" (without lens)
- WiFi 6E
- Bluetooth 5.1
- Will record in 4K but only stream up to 1080p; but possible future capability with software update.
- 6 hour internal battery; user changeable.
- Can be powered directly via USB-C
- Outputs via HDMI, NDI HX, SRT, USB-C (Webcam)
- Note: Some settings limit the output of HDMI to 1080p, or even disable
- Max SD Card size appears to be 400GB at this time. Joe Capehart from Mevo says that the card specs match the Mevo Start. We will test various sizes. So the 400GB isn't the limit, just the largest they have tested. No physical limit given the quality of the card.
- No support for MFT adapters at this time. We were hoping to use some of our good Nikon glass. Perhaps no support doesn't mean impossible. Will be testing that too. Mevo responded that MFT devices might work, but would not power zoom and focus. So manual operation may be available given the correct combination.
- Is NOT...NOT water resistant.
The last bullet item is a big one. Historically, when Mevo says not water resistant, they aren't just talking about rain. This covers humidity as well. So if the camera has a problem where service is required, if there is any hint of water damage, it most likely would not be covered.
Quick Links for more information:
- Supported lenses (note, the Olympus link was incorrect at the time of post)
- Hardware Tour
- Jason Hoffman
- Joe Mevo
Sponsored "reviews" that we gained some information from. Just be aware that sponsored reviews are tricky. Many of these folks are respected in the industry. But there is no way to avoid a bias
3/18/2024 @ 7:50 PM
So one last (probably) update before Logitech/Mevo announce their new camera tomorrow. Again, we don't have any inside information. But I think there is at least one thing that is guaranteed:
It's a Micro Four Thirds sensor and mount (MFT for short). It has to be. Unless Mevo is advertising a different picture on their announcement than what will be released, the 11 pins shown in the image give the mount away. There will be a lot of talk about the MFT sensor and mount for some time. But for now, in short, the sensor is about 4 times the size as the one in the Mevo Start (a Sony IMX307 1/2.8" 1080p sensor). This is good because the 4K capability that is suspected in this camera is 4 times the resolution of 1080p.
Some things are not guaranteed. But the images we have seen show multiple tripod mounts at 90 degrees from each other. That means portrait videos should be available for the first time from Mevo. This doesn't do much for streaming or recording ball games. But all of you Insta-Tockers will be pleased.
All of this sounds great. And depending on the price point, we are intrigued. But there are a few drawbacks with this mount that we can think of. Again, this is from the perspective of a fence mounted device at the baseball/softball field.
1.) While this sensor is larger than the Mevo Start's, it is still considered a small sensor. And small sensors aren't typically great in low light. But, again, the sensor is about 4 times the size of most of the cameras being used (GoPro and Mevo). So hopefully those night games will produce better results.
2.) Removable lens cameras will most certainly come with some draw backs. Us old crusty cameras guys know that changing lenses in the field means you are going to get stuff on on the frame. And while mirrorless cameras are more forgiving, having to remove dust bunnies from a sensor is not for the faint of heart. The guy that taught me how to remove a dust bunny from my old Fuji S2 recommended a shot of Jack before starting. He wasn't wrong.
3.) Lenses have moving parts. There are gears and motors and very sensitive components in these things. How well will they handle a 100mph fence impact will remain to be seen. From a guy who occasionally mounted a DSLR on the fence, I can tell you they are not rated for impact. And certainly they cannot handle rain and other harsh weather conditions. Given Mevo's on again off again relationship with sports fence mounted use of their products, I'm sure there will be very open discussions on the recommended use of this device.
4.) Lastly, because this mount is essentially a 2x crop format, it would take an 8mm lens to give you about 94.5° FOV in the horizontal. For recording baseball and softball on large fields, I wouldn't want much less than this. The GoPro HERO12 in linear FOV is about 82-87° FOV in the horizontal. That means I'd want the ability to start at about 8mm and have some zoom capability. That's a rough combination in lenses.. And in the replaceable lens business, this is called a fish eye lens. And because of the distortion associated with these lenses (GoPro corrects for this in software), it isn't an appealing view. It also is expensive. I the range of 8-25mm, you are looking at about $1000 in a lens alone. Would you want to put that much money in the line of fire?
But as usual, if we think this is a device our customers will use, we will buy one and beat the living snot out of it to ensure it meets our very high standards.
3/14/2024 7:00 AM
Not a whole lot more add at this point. It seems the typical early leaks have run their course and lips are pretty tight now (we will see what happens right before launch). But one thing we have found interesting is that the chip-set being used is capable of processing 4K60fps. But most reports show the camera maxing out at 4K30. There a lot of reasons this could be. But it is also possible that streaming is being limited to 4K30, but recording may be a different situation. Or, it is limited to 30fps to avoid over taxing the camera. Again, all of this is speculation until we get confirmation on release day. T Minus 5 days.
3/12/2024 4:30 PM
Digging into things a bit more, it appears the device is roughly 3.5" wide x 3.5" tall x 2.75" deep (not including the lens mount or lens). The center of the tripod mount on the bottom of the camera to the end of the lens mount is roughly 1.5". So with a shallow lens, and the adapter add-on, there should be enough room to mount on the standard bracket.
The battery is an interesting story. It appears that the back of the camera is removable. But all of the fasteners have security torx heads. This typically means it is not customer serviceable. But, the battery does not appear to be soldered in place. So certainly a replacement is an option. And an adventurous type might be interested in opening the back and seeing if the camera will run without the battery. And for what it is worth, it might not even be an issue. It will all depend on how it runs in the heat. We test at 120°F. If it can handle that temp for 2 hours while streaming in 4K, the battery is probably a non-issue. But that's a big ask.
3/12/2024 6:30 AM
A little digging shows that the battery might actually be removable (but I'm still skeptical). If it is, that would be great as batteries (or, rather, charging batteries while recording) are typically what lead to camera heat issues. It is speculated that the battery will have a capacity of 6400 mAh. As compared to the 4900 mAh battery of the Mevo Start, that seems to be pretty small for 4K streaming and driving lenses. I would assume that the run time will be diminished (from the 6 hour spec'ed time of the Mevo Start) and/or are recommended to use external power whenever possible.
3/11/2023
The following is a rolling review of the new camera to be announced by Logitech in March of 2024. While no public information is currently available, the following has been speculated and will hopefully be confirmed in their official announcement on 3/19/2024:- Possible name: "Mevo Core" ... "possibly Stratos" (though, we think that is just a project name)
- Micro Four Thirds Lens Mount
- 4K Sensor (Sony ??) with Ambarella chipset
- Dual USB-C connectors (1 likely for dedicated for power; would love to see external hard drive support but unlikely)
- Internal/non-removable battery; unknown size
- MicroSD card slot
- 3.5mm TRS Audio input port
That's not a lot; certainly nothing official or confirmed. But if there is more to add before the 3/19/2024 announcement, we will update it here.