Summary of THIS GUY DESIGNED AND 3D PRINTED A MOUNT TO USE CANON EF LENSES ON HIS GAMEBOY CAMERA AND THE RESULTS ARE AWESOME
Conorsev modified a Nintendo Gameboy Camera by 3D printing an adapter to mount Canon EF lenses, overcoming the device's poor optics. He also used an Arduino with custom code and schematics to bypass the printer-only limitation, allowing raw image data to be transferred to a computer via serial connection for decoding into usable files. This niche project yields high-quality images from the retro hardware.
Parts used in the Gameboy Camera Lens Adapter Project:
- Nintendo Gameboy Camera
- Canon EF mount lenses
- 3D printed adapter (remix of Herr_Zatacke design)
- Arduino microcontroller
- Computer with serial connection
- Raw data decoder software
- Code and schematics by mofosyne
Well, we’ve seen a few experiments with the Gameboy camera over the years, but this one is pretty wild. YouTuber, car nut and 3D printing fanatic Conorsev has developed and printed an adapter that lets him mount Canon EF mount lenses to his Nintendo Gameboy Camera and it produces images far greater than the Gameboy ever deserved. While it might be a pretty crazy idea, it makes for some particularly intriguing and very unique photographs.
There are two big problems with the Gameboy Camera. The first is the fact that Nintendo has provided zero methods for getting images out of the Gameboy Camera other than using the little printer that comes with it. Getting a copy of the actual image file is essentially impossible. At least, it is using Nintendo’s hardware. Fortunately, this issue is fairly easy to overcome with a little assistance from an Arduino.
Using the code and schematic developed by mofosyne, Conorsev was able to convince the Gameboy Camera that it was connected to the little printer in order to tell it to print. Except, it wasn’t a printer that was listening, it was the Arduino, which then relayed that information to his computer via a serial connection. This information is then fed into the raw data decoder to turn it into an image file.
With that problem solved, the other issue with the Gameboy Camera is the fact that the lens is pretty terrible and it has a fixed, fairly wide, field of view. And this is where Conorsev put his 3D design and printing to work, developing a mount adapter to replace the stock lens and let him mount his EF lenses to it. Conorsev’s adapter is a remix of this one by Herr_Zatacke which was modified to provide a cleaner connection to the Gameboy Camera module itself as well as fixing the flange distance between the lens and sensor and providing a twist lock for the EF lens mount, rather than just the tolerance push-fit of the original design.
A very cool project, a very niche project, but it provides some fantastic results, as you can see at the end of the video. It’s a project that Conorsev says he plans to continue in the future and I can’t wait to see the results he produces!
If you’ve got an old Gameboy Camera lying around with nothing better to do and want to give this a go for yourself, you can download the 3D printable EF mount adapter on Thingiverse and get the code and schematics to pull the images onto your computer on GitHub.
- How can I get image files out of a Gameboy Camera?
You must use an Arduino connected via serial link to trick the camera into sending data instead of printing it. - What problem does the 3D printed adapter solve?
The adapter replaces the stock lens to allow mounting Canon EF lenses and fixes the flange distance. - Can I use Canon EF lenses on a standard Gameboy Camera without modification?
No, you need a custom 3D printed adapter to replace the stock lens and provide a twist lock mount. - Where can I find the code to extract images?
The code and schematics developed by mofosyne are available on GitHub. - Is the original Gameboy Camera lens considered good quality?
No, the article states the stock lens is terrible with a fixed wide field of view. - Does the adapter require a push-fit connection for the lenses?
No, the modified adapter provides a twist lock mechanism rather than a tolerance push-fit. - What is required to turn the raw data into an image file?
A raw data decoder is needed to process the information relayed from the Arduino. - Who designed the original 3D print that Conorsev remixed?
The original design was created by Herr_Zatacke before being modified for better connectivity.
