A blast from the past: Photographing high-speed drifting with a modified Game Boy Camera
posted Thursday, January 27, 2022 at 11:00 AM EDT
Manufacturers, such as OM (formerly known as Olympus), Canon, Nikon and Sony, have all released cameras featuring sophisticated autofocus modes designed specifically for tracking high-speed subjects, such as cars and motorcycles. These modern cameras work amazingly well and capture sharp, high-resolution photos in challenging situations. However, photographer and motorsport enthusiast Conor Merrigan has shown us that you don't need the latest and greatest gear to shoot motorsports. Merrigan recently photographed a drifting event with something a bit more old-school, a Game Boy Camera that he modified to accept a DSLR lens.
Now, when I say 'modified,' I don't mean that the Game Boy Camera suddenly captured images with more resolution than the off-the-shelf Game Boy Camera. No, Merrigan's Game Boy Camera still shoots monochrome images that are a mere 128 x 112 pixels. A far cry from the 8640 x 5760 pixels from a Sony A1. Instead, Merrigan modified the lens.
Using a 3D printer, Merrigan crafted an adapter to attach a Tamron lens (Canon EF mount) to his Game Boy Camera. He then used an Arduino and did a bit of wiring to trick the Game Boy Camera into thinking that it was connected to the Nintendo Game Boy Printer – a device that allowed you to print postage-stamp-sized thermal prints from your Game Boy Camera – when it was actually connected to Merrigan's computer. The Game Boy Camera was strictly intended to work by itself or with the Game Boy Printer, so getting images from the GBC to a computer requires a workaround, or an Analogue Pocket.
Modifying the lens is a big deal. The Game Boy Camera's built-in lens is wide-angle, which is useful for fun portraits or snapshots but is ill-suited to any sort of long-range photography. Merrigan could get up close and personal with the drift cars with a DSLR lens attached to the camera.
The resulting images don't feature the resolution and detail of images shot with a modern camera, of course, but their style is undeniable.
To see more from Conor Merrigan, follow him on Instagram and check out his YouTube channel. Merrigan's channel is full of interesting videos, including DIY projects, drifting videos, car repair, and much more.
(Via The Drive)
All images courtesy of Conor Merrigan and used with permission.