Game Boy Camera!?

[Family Computer]

Ok I am looking to buy a GB Camera to use as just a fun "toy camera" type device. For anyone that knows the details, what Game Boy is ideal to use with the camera? I was thinking of going with a Gameboy Light (JPN Pocket with Indiglo Backlight) + some type of worm light accessory as a light source.

Is there a better way to go?

[Oobgarm]

I'd say no. That's better than most US gamers, since we never got the GBLight proper.

[neuropolitique]

I'd say forget the worm-light. The camera's focus doesn't handle extreme close-ups very well, and the light on the worm-light is too weak to help at any distance. You'd just be wasting your batteries.

I'd prob also not use the Game Boy Light. It's too expensive to use as a toy camera, and really offers no benefit in this case. You won't be using the camera in the dark, it wouldn't work even if you did, so the backlight would be wasted. Just use a Game Boy Pocket. Cheap and nearly disposable.

[Captain Wrong]

^ yep.

You will gain nothing with a worm light and there's no reason to use a GB light except to be fancy. :)

The GB camera is pretty fun though.

[Family Computer]

ok thanks guys.

I can get a gameboy light for $15 and a GB Camera for $3.50, but I can probably find a GB Pocket in a cooler color for cheaper.

[Barbarianoutkast85]

I have a gameboy camera that I thought I'd use just to toy around with. So heres my two-cents, the worm light isnt going to help. Also the camera isnt all that great to toy around with...Thats just my opion.

[Family Computer]

which is why I think $3.50 (400 yen) is a good price for one!

[DefaultGen]

.....

[Family Computer]

Dude, gimme, now.


What are they worth? A local shop has 2 mint condition Game Boy Lights for 2000yen ($17). They have the champagne goldish one and the matte silver. No boxes but they are in really good condition.

[Family Computer]

I think I am just going to go with the Game Boy Light since I can get it for under $20, and can view stuff in the dark, even if I can't take the pictures in the dark. There are some cool colors of the Game Boy Pocket, but the limited editions will be more expensive than the price of a mint GB Light

[kedawa]

Somewhere on the internet, there are instructions for sending GB Camera pics to a PC. I don't remember all the details, but it's basically a hacked link cable and a piece of software that lets you 'print' to the serial port on the PC.

[Family Computer]

there is an easier way to do it now by putting the camera into some sort of flash linker or similiar

[kedawa]

That makes sense. I guess you'd just dump the SRAM and either access it via emulation, or use some homebrew app to extract the images. Very cool.

[rbudrick]

Use a Super GB or a GameCube GBA adapter. ;)

-Rob

[neuropolitique]

A scanner also works nicely.

[norkusa]

Somewhere on the internet, there are instructions for sending GB Camera pics to a PC. I don't remember all the details, but it's basically a hacked link cable and a piece of software that lets you 'print' to the serial port on the PC.

Yeah, I've got a Gameboy Camera PC link thingy from Mad Catz. Comes with a software cd and special link cable but It requires a parallel printer port to connect though. I've never owned a computer that had one, so I was never able to use it.

Anyone know where to find those instructions on using it with a flash linker?

[Jorpho]

Indeed, I recall a web site that used the Game Boy Camera as a webcam via a Super Game Boy.

I have also seen a web site that details how color pictures of stationary objects can be taken with a Game Boy Camera by using the proper filters for the lens.


Yeah, I've got a Gameboy Camera PC link thingy from Mad Catz. Comes with a software cd and special link cable but It requires a parallel printer port to connect though. I've never owned a computer that had one, so I was never able to use it.

Wow, you've never owned a computer with a parallel port? They didn't disappear that long ago; even the PIII I'm using right now has a parallel port.

You can always get a USB->Parallel Port adapter, or even a PCI card with a parallel port. Or you could just walk down the street until someone chucks an old Pentium out the window. ;)

[yoshi64]

Color photos: http://www.ruleofthirds.com/gameboy/

[norkusa]

Wow, you've never owned a computer with a parallel port? They didn't disappear that long ago; even the PIII I'm using right now has a parallel port.
)

Well, I've always had Macs and none of them ever had parallel ports. :-/

I thought about using one of those Parallel->USB adapters but I read somewhere that those wont work with the camera link software for some reason. Or the just won't work period.