for some kink relationship purposes i've decided to install a camera over my bed (alongside some other projects that may also have use for one). finding a proper model fitting all my requirements wasn't the easiest task, but i'm happy with the product choices and setup documented below.
my requirements for an "always-on IR IP camera" are:
- something i can ethernet-connect to reliably
- something that doesn't require any "cloud" shit or to be connected to internet
- an IR-based night-vision-capable camera including its own IR array
- something, ideally, that is supported by home-assistant
- something affordable (as affordable as IoT with this level of "restrictions" can be)
i found out that the best chance i would have for a first try would be to go with Reolink, so i went with the Reolink RLC-520A and took a 15W PoE injector with it to power it.
i was disappointed to find that the camera did need internet access for the first-time setup (firmware update, initial config, all that stuff), but as mentioned in some forums once that step was done i was able to re-address it and keep it fully offline without issue.
on home-assistant i added the reolink extension (NixOS module) which allowed me to add the camera itself using the credentials i created during camera setup, and it pretty much worked without any issue beyond the usual awkwardness of home-assistant UIs and such. the camera currently runs and produces a 2k video with a pretty stable and smooth framerate of 25fps as viewed through my VPN and across a few cities, the night mode handles itself well painting the entire room and providing a clear image without disturbing. it also has an integrated microSD slot for "last moments recording" which can always be useful to some, especially for this price.
an interesting point is that the camera's proprietary app (which is used for the camera's first setup) is fully functional offline if it can reach the camera, so even if the HASS integration were to crap out, or if the server it's running on were to go offline, i can still access and control the camera from their app without having to connect it to any sort of cloud or external gateway, so that's neat, you earned a star sticker in "acceptable proprietary apps".
the single issue i currently see is that there's (understandably) no physical way to shut off or cover the lens (like those laptop sliders that cover the laptop screen webcam, to illustrate) so for now the best way is to unplug the camera. since it's PoE, it simply means i have to disconnect one ethernet cable and the camera will be powered down and physically disconnected from the network. i tested the metal body but it isn't magnetic so my initial idea of 3D-modeling-and-printing a cover with some magnets to hold it won't work. i'll keep looking into how to make a proper one once i've got my 3D printer and more energy.
my tl;dr
i didn't expect much from a 60€ IP camera but the result is a positive surprise; likewise, that 10€ PoE injector working right away is reassuring. HASS being HASS, i had to struggle less with it than usual to get things running, and the fallback being a tolerable app is also pleasant.