However, poor image quality didn't stop many budding photographers in the late 90s from having a great time with the Game Boy Camera.
You could also add fun effects and frames to your photos. The camera also worked with a Game Boy Printer, sold separately, letting you make small stamp-sized thermal prints of your photos. The camera may not capture good images with its 0.014MP CMOS image sensor that records 2-bit images – meaning it displayed four shades of gray – but it was reasonably priced and made digital photography affordable. The camera is built into a Game Boy cartridge, and the fixed-lens camera can rotate 180 degrees, allowing for selfies, long before 'selfies' were commonplace. The Game Boy Camera was launched in Japan in early 1998 before making its way to Europe and North America later that year. It's one of the strangest digital cameras ever released. Given the camera's important history and continued popularity, Gordon Laing of Camera Labs recently reviewed the Game Boy Camera as part of his 'Retro Review' series. While it couldn't offer the resolving power of contemporaneous cameras like the Nikon Coolpix 900 and the Canon PowerShot Pro70, both of which offered optical zoom and roughly 1MP resolution, the 0.014MP Game Boy Camera offered Game Boy owners a new, fun way to interact with their handheld gaming machine and, for many, their first experience with digital photography. Find our list below, and for more camera recommendations check out these nostalgia-inspired photography cameras, and the best film cameras for any budget.Released in 1998, the Nintendo Game Boy Camera was many people's first foray into digital photography.
So whether you’re a dedicated collector, or simply want to pick up a new (well, technically old) camera, these Super 8 and 16mm cameras from Canon, Bauer, Braun, Bolex, and more brands will make the perfect addition to your collection. If you’re unable to make it to a local thrift store or antique camera shop to buy one in person, we put together a list of used cameras that you can buy online, which includes options from the ’60s and ‘70s, and a 16mm from the ’50s.Īll the cameras in our roundup have been tested by the sellers, reviewed by customers, and start at around $170 and up. To get started, you’ll want to narrow down what type of Super 8 camera works best for your film needs, and how much you’re willing to spend. Given how popular nostalgia has become, finding the right vintage camera can be a time-consuming task. Beyond that, these handheld cameras are mostly affordable, they look pretty cool, and whipping one of these babies out will surely turn a few heads. Super 8 cameras are a great collectors’ item, and a perfect gift for cinephiles or anyone who wants to add a vintage aesthetic to their film collection. If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Indiewire may receive an affiliate commission.