The mini camera project began with a friend, Martin Refseth, who had created a schematic for the re-flashable Game Boy Camera cart. However, he did not share the schematics publicly. Determined to pursue the project, I decided to reverse-engineer his work as well as the original sensor board to build my own version. Although I encountered some challenges along the way, such as accidentally frying one Game Boy Camera mapper due to a trace error, I was able to rectify the issues and achieve success with the second generation of my mini camera.
The first generation of the mini camera utilized the original sensor board. The Game Boy Camera consists of two PCBs – one for the cart and another for the sensor. These PCBs are connected by a set of wires, enabling the camera “eyeball” to twist around. Initially, I hesitated to remove the sensor board due to the resin encasing it, which is prone to damage from excessive heat. In a previous attempt to repair a GBCamera, I had damaged the resin, which made me apprehensive about trying again. However, with the confidence that my soldering skills had improved since then, I decided to give it another shot, and this time it was much easier to handle.
Achieving the thinness of an original GBCam cart posed a considerable challenge. One particular obstacle was a bulky aluminum capacitor that needed to be replaced with a smaller tantalum capacitor. Additionally, the original lens was quite large.
The switch to an iPhone lens was actually unintentional and occurred while I was experimenting with higher-quality replacement lenses. I reached out to companies on Alibaba, inquiring if they could manufacture a higher quality glass replacement for the original plastic lens. However, due to uncertainties surrounding the lens dimensions, finding a suitable replacement proved more challenging than I initially anticipated. Simultaneously, I was working on another Game Boy-related project that involved designing a camera with a glass-and-metal sandwich similar to that of an iPhone. It was during this process that I had an epiphany – why not integrate an iPhone lens into my mini camera design? The XR lens, which is the same as the X lens, seemed like the ideal choice since it offered both a good middle ground and the potential to match the metal camera lens ring. Furthermore, this lens provided opportunities for future makers to customize the camera’s color options when I eventually share the design files.
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Eager to explore various possibilities, I purchased a range of iPhone lens replacement parts on Aliexpress, ranging from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 14 Pro Max (which turned out to be too large for my project). Ultimately, the XR lens proved to be the most suitable, but I also recently acquired a 5C lens that may work without a camera bump. However, I am concerned that it may exhibit some vignetting, so I need to conduct further experiments. Additionally, the 13/14 lens shows promise as a slightly higher quality option, albeit with a larger camera bump.
The duration of the project, including my work on the original version, spanned approximately a year, with intermittent periods of dedication. Specifically, I began working on this particular version in March and completed it in May. Excluding the cost of equipment, I estimate that the project consumed around $150, taking into account expenses related to test lenses, shell iterations, and GBCams purchased on eBay.
In conclusion, the mini camera project started with a friend’s schematic and my determination to reverse-engineer it. Facing challenges and setbacks along the way, I managed to create the second generation of the mini camera by improving my soldering skills and successfully integrating an iPhone lens. This project took significant time and investment, but the end result is a unique and functional creation.
