Hello all,
looking to buy a z-wave camera for security purpose at my house.
looking for :
-camera that works with smartthing, without strange/complicate integration
-camera without a monthly/annual fee
-cloud or external hdd/usb stick
-day/night vision
-best quality for the price
does it exists?
thanks!
No such thing as a z-wave camera.
Zwave is a mesh topology intended for tiny messages sent infrequently and does not guarantee the sequences of how the messages will be received. For that reason, it is not suitable for video or audio streaming.
There are a number of Wi-Fi or ethernet cameras that can work well with SmartThings. And any camera that has an IFTTT channel on the free IFTTT service can get some integration with SmartThings that way.
There is an official integration with SmartThings/Arlo, but if you just search the forums you will find people discussing many different camera brands that they are using. They just won’t be Z wave. 
thanks a lot!
You may want to review an article like this one to get a better understanding of wireless communication protocols that are used in home automation.
hey guys, after more research, I can be more specific
-I want a cloud system, so that a thieft can’t steal the sd/hdd
-I want an indoor cam with a wide range
-Could be integrated to ST “easily”
-Not too expensive
-Could be wire or wireless
-No subscription fee (or small)
I read about arlo pro, foscam, smartcam pro, hikvision, but on the cloud basis Arlo seen to fit, but it’s 315$ cad for 1 camera and the base station
Any other option less expensive ?
thanks!
Blink is cheaper than Arlo. Unfortunately the only ST integration that’s working right now is through IFTTT and it’s somewhat limited.
This referral code will get you another 25 bucks off if you’re interested.
does someone think that the integration will be fully working again for the blink or it’s done since they got bought out by amazon?
thanks
I don’t think so, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if Alexa integration was pulled some day as the companies begin to compete more in the same market. Just like how Google and Amazon have been duking it out.
@plboucher
There are so many camera systems out there it is mind boggling. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. Firstly, determine precisely what you want to accomplish. Do you want to do 24/7 monitoring like a baby cam or do you want to monitor a specific area and only have the camera trigger when motion is detected? Do you want to use it indoors or outdoors? If outdoors, do you have a way to provide power to the cameras or will they need to run on batteries? Do you want local and cloud storage or just cloud storage? How many cameras do you think you will eventually end up with as the cost of subscription fees must also be considered? Do you want a great integration with Smartthings or only use what is available through IFTTT? Will you have a strong wifi signal where you want to mount them? Do you want them inside looking through windows, (there are different types of Infrared systems)?
I see too many people not doing enough research and ending up purchasing the wrong system then going to the manufacturer’s website and saying they just bought a bunch of garbage. Once you have these questions answered, then come back and we can give you further advice. But, do your research!
Brian
also know that there is no wireless camera that can compete with the wired cameras for reliability and resolution. If you are wanting to really identify people and license plates and have better night time/low light clarity then a wired Poe system is going to be better for that.
Hello
Right now, I want a camera in my living room, so that is someone enter from our 2 doors, an event will be trigger and start recording
I also want to be able to monitor my house on demand (maybe on vacation) and be able to see the footage on demand.
Since the place I want to put the camera is close to my router and some outlet, I could hide the wire without problem.
I want to be able to have a day/night vision
I prefer a complete integration with ST, but is a smartapps can do the same without having to give 2 days for integration, I could live with that
I have standard internet connection (10 mb/s)
I want to start with one camera, but I want to be able to add more cameras in the future, without having to change the whole systems.
With those criterias, any suggestions ?
thanks a lot for your help!
May be im taking it little bit out of scope, but why do you need to integrate into ST?
I have a great NVR with 4K POE outdoor cameras, fantastic resolution, 10 days recording (including backup to cloud) and mobile app.
I can playback and see recording include those with motion alert. (yellow bars on the picture).
the system is connected to UPS. Router too. 1Gb internet.
I also have few internal cameras like WYZE, no integration, but can playback manually based on ST motion sensor alert.
Thanks for the reply
I’m new to ST, but ideally, I don’t want to manage multiple app for my accessories. If I can see the cam feed in the app, and use SMH OR webcore to trigger the recording, that will be fine
Also, I want to be able to setup the camera easily without having to read 10k pages or manage a lot of devices
If that can be done with POE/NVR, for a similar price than Arlo, I’m all hear!
thanks
I saw another option to avoid running cable all around the house with a poe system
IP wireless camera with an NVR
Seem to be less expensive than Arlo, better video quality and record 24/7 with an HDD connected to the NVR
Since it’s recording 24/7, I guess we don’t need that much integration with ST or SMH, ST can alert me if my siren goes on and I can view the footage on the cam app, my thinking is right?
Any good option for that kind of setup (good quality/ good price)
thanks
Currently my cameras are all Arlo cameras and they are working great for me, but do not fulfill all my needs. I saw the EZViz Mini cameras on Amazon for $35 each and decided they were worth the gamble. If they don’t work out I am not out too much money, but they had a ton of good reviews on Amazon including many who used IFTTT with ST.
I’ll let every one know how they work out when they arrive next week.
Brian
For $35 each, these are awesome cameras. Setup of both cameras took about 10 - 15 minutes. One of the problems is there is little to no documentation so it took me three days to understand how to load the PC app and how to save pictures and videos. They claim to work with Smartthings through IFTTT but after looking at the IFTTT sites for both products I see no way to integrate them. The motion sensing is very if not too sensitive. Other than that, Fantastic cameras. I hope someone will be able to integrate with Smartthings soon.
Brian
