Chinese camera accessories company Hollyland enters the camera business with a social media-centric streaming camera.
The VenusLiv promises to give social content creators the ability to choose between shooting native vertical 1080p video or going horizontal for a more cinematic look.
The newcomer uses a half-inch 12 MP CMOS sensor and a 5” vertically mounted articulating LCD touchscreen, with twin 1/4-20 tripod mounts on the side and bottom.
Image Credit – Hollyland
A built-in gyroscope automatically rotates the screen user interface to make it easier to operate.
Image Credit – Hollyland
The camera has a built-in 3x optical zoom lens which equates to a 24-70mm focal length. With a minimum focusing distance of a half inch, the VenusLiv can also combine that optical zoom with a 2x digital zoom to boost that length to 135mm.
Image Credit – Hollyland
The sensor with HollyOS offers an 80° field of view and is professionally calibrated for easy setup for RMTP streaming. The camera also offers USB Video Class (UVC) protocol for smooth video streaming that promises to be fast and reliable.
Users can stream to a host of social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter), and Instagram.
Image Credit – Hollyland
Through the HollyOS operating system, the VenusLiv also offers what the company calls the “Color Correction Magic” function, an internally developed color science for adjusting color saturation and hues for dialing in skin tones and dynamic range with simple sliders.
Users can also adjust sharpness, contrast, and even sound control with simple preset onscreen buttons.
Image Credit – Hollyland
Connections-wise, the VenusLiv is built with options, including three USB connections consisting of a single USB-C 3.1 connection, a standard USB-C type 2 connection, and a USB Type-A connection.
The USB Type 2 connection is specifically designed for plugging in a digital microphone like Hollyland’s Lark C1 or LARK MAX external microphones.
Other connections include Ethernet and an HDMI out connection, plus a 3.5mm minijack for plugging in an analog microphone option.
The VenusLiv can also connect via WiFI for 24/7 live streaming and can save archival backup footage through a single SDXC card slot.
Image Credit – Hollyland
For continuous power, the VenusLiv has DC in and support for Sony NP-F batteries. A single NP-F 970 battery can provide an uninterrupted stream for 4 to 6 hours, or continuously through the camera’s 12v DC adapter.
On the whole, being that the camera captures only 1080p, it would clearly state that the Hollyland VenusLiv has come far too late to the party.
But considering the video quality of social media sites that live and die on a mobile device, a second thought just might be that Hollyland has tailor-made this camera for the mobile content creator. Then again, isn’t that what a mobile phone is for?
Pricing and availability
The Hollyland VenusLiv is available now for a retail price of $999. There are also plans for a smaller Venus Air without the pullout LCD screen. More details can be found on the Hollyland VenusLiv website.
Order Links:
Hollyland VenusLiv Streaming Camera (Amazon)
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