Honestly, the whole quest for the ‘camera’ in Tears of the Kingdom feels like a weird side-hustle nobody really asked for. It’s not like you’re suddenly a paparazzi for Bokoblins, right?
Me? I wasted a solid two hours chasing down this ‘camera’ thing early on, convinced it was some vital piece of gear I was missing. Turns out, it’s not even a thing. Not in the way I thought, anyway. So, let’s clear up how to get camera zelda tears, or more accurately, what you *actually* get.
This whole ‘camera’ concept is more about a certain *functionality* you acquire, not a physical item you pull out of a chest. Forget the idea of snapping selfies with a Lynel.
The Big Misconception: It’s Not a Camera, It’s a Sensor
Okay, deep breath. The first thing you need to understand is that there’s no item called ‘Camera’ in Tears of the Kingdom that you equip and start snapping pictures with. This is where so many players, myself included, get completely tangled up. We’re conditioned by Breath of the Wild, where the Sheikah Slate had a camera function. Tears of the Kingdom is different. What you’re likely looking for is the ‘Sensor+’ upgrade for your Purah Pad.
This upgrade lets you track specific items, monsters, or even ore deposits. It’s incredibly useful, but it’s not a camera in the traditional sense. You can’t take photos of your cat Link or the stunning Hyrule sunset. It’s a tracker. Period. The confusion stems from the fact that it *looks* somewhat like a camera lens on the Purah Pad interface. Very clever, Nintendo. Very, very annoying.
For context, I spent nearly three hours that first playthrough after getting the Purah Pad, meticulously checking every shrine, every cave, convinced I’d missed a legendary camera blueprint. I even went back to the Great Plateau, thinking maybe I’d overlooked something obvious. My wife walked in and asked why I was staring intently at the Purah Pad menu for so long. I mumbled something about ‘research’. She just shook her head.
This is the sort of thing that makes you question your sanity in a new open-world game. A supposed ‘camera’ that doesn’t take pictures? It’s like buying a screwdriver and finding out it’s just a fancy metal stick. Utterly baffling at first. (See Also: How To Reset Zosi Camera System )
Getting the Sensor+ (the Actual ‘camera’ Functionality)
So, how do you get this ‘camera-like’ functionality? It’s tied to the main questline. You’ll need to progress through the early game, specifically after you’ve dealt with the first few major story beats in Hyrule. The key is visiting Lookout Landing and interacting with the researchers there.
Specifically, you’ll be doing a series of quests related to re-establishing the Emergency Shelter and helping out Josha andidbody. They’re the ones who are working on upgrading Link’s Purah Pad. This isn’t a hidden secret or a side quest you stumble upon by accident. It’s part of the main progression. If you’re rushing through the story, you might miss the nuances, but if you’re exploring and doing the obvious main quests, you’ll naturally fall into the path that grants you the Sensor+.
The entire process for unlocking it involves a few steps: first, you need to reach Lookout Landing. Then, you’ll be tasked with helping repair the Emergency Shelter. After that, you’ll likely have to complete a few more objectives involving Josha andidbody and their research. It’s a pretty linear progression at this point in the game. I’d say it happens roughly 10-15 hours into a first playthrough if you’re not speedrunning, maybe less if you’re focused. My personal timeline put it around my fifth or sixth major story objective after leaving the Great Sky Island. It felt like ages, frankly.
To get the Sensor+ specifically, you need to complete the quest where you help Josha andidbody find something called ‘Energy Wells’. They’ll send you out to a specific location. Once you complete that, they’ll work on the Purah Pad upgrade. It’s a straightforward quest chain, so don’t overthink it.
How to Get Camera Zelda Tears: The Quest Steps
- Reach Lookout Landing after your initial sky island descent.
- Assist with the Emergency Shelter repairs.
- Engage with Josha andidbody and their research on the Purah Pad.
- Undertake the quest to locate ‘Energy Wells’ for them.
- Upon completion, they will upgrade your Purah Pad to include the Sensor+.
Sensor+ vs. The Sheikah Slate Camera: My Frustration
Here’s where my personal bias really kicks in: I miss the Sheikah Slate camera. It was fun! It let you document your journey, mark interesting locations visually, and even had some puzzle applications. The Sensor+ is purely functional. It’s a tool for efficiency, not for aesthetic appreciation or lighthearted exploration. And that’s what drove me nuts for those first few hours.
Everyone online was talking about how to ‘get the camera’ in Tears of the Kingdom, and they meant the Sensor+. But the phrasing, the *expectation* set by the previous game, it all leads you down the wrong path. It’s a classic bait-and-switch, in my opinion. They could have named it something else, like ‘Tracker+’ or ‘Object Locator’. But ‘Sensor+’? It’s vague enough to sound like it could encompass more, and combined with the visual similarity to the old camera interface, it’s just… frustrating. (See Also: How To Set Up Trace Camera )
It feels like asking a chef for a recipe and they give you a perfectly good sandwich. It fulfills a need, sure, but it’s not what you *thought* you were asking for. The sandwich is great, I can appreciate that, but I was craving pasta. This is the equivalent of that culinary disappointment, but in video game form. My expectation was a tool for capturing memories; what I got was a tool for finding that one specific rock I needed for a shrine.
I’ve seen countless forum posts and Reddit threads from people just as confused as I was. It’s a common pitfall, and frankly, Nintendo could have been clearer. It’s like they designed it to be a subtle progression, but ended up creating a widespread point of confusion. A lot of people, myself included, spent valuable in-game time searching for a feature that wasn’t implemented in the way they were expecting.
What You Can Do (besides Taking Photos)
Even though you can’t take pictures, the Sensor+ is a powerful tool. It’s one of those upgrades that, once you have it, you’ll wonder how you played without it. Think of it less as a camera and more as an advanced bounty hunting tool for the entire world of Hyrule.
Need to find a specific type of ore for an armor upgrade? Set the sensor. Can’t find that pesky Moblin you need to defeat for a side quest? Set the sensor. Trying to track down all the Koroks? Well, not for Koroks, but you get the idea. It saves you a massive amount of aimless wandering. I’ve found myself using it constantly for resource gathering. It’s surprisingly addictive once you get into the rhythm of tracking things down.
The upgrade process itself is fairly straightforward, and the initial quests leading to it are well-integrated into the early game’s narrative. So, while you won’t be framing any perfect shots of Hyrule Castle, you’ll be gaining a functionality that is arguably more useful for progression. It’s a trade-off, and I’ve begrudgingly come to accept it.
Purah Pad Upgrade Comparison
| Upgrade Name | Functionality | My Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Sheikah Slate Camera (BotW) | Take photos, mark locations visually | Fun, nostalgic, good for documentation |
| Sensor+ (TotK) | Track specific items, monsters, ores | Extremely practical, saves time, essential for resource gathering |
| ‘Camera’ (TotK Misconception) | Doesn’t exist as a photo tool | Confusing, a result of prior game expectations |
This table really highlights the difference. One is for fun and memory, the other is for grinding and completion. I miss the fun, but the grinding is necessary. (See Also: How To Factory Reset Hikvision Camera )
The ‘camera’ in Other Zelda Games
It’s worth noting that the concept of a ‘camera’ has appeared in other Zelda titles, albeit in different forms. In Majora’s Mask, the Pictograph was a key item used for quests and collecting. The same was true for The Wind Waker’s Hero’s Pictograph. These were actual cameras that you used to take pictures for specific objectives. The implementation in Tears of the Kingdom, or rather the *lack* of it, feels like a deliberate move away from that mechanic, perhaps to streamline the gameplay or focus on different types of interaction.
Nintendo is known for iterating on mechanics. What works in one game might be tweaked or removed entirely in the next. The Sheikah Slate’s camera was a beloved feature for many, myself included, and its absence as a direct photo-taking tool in Tears of the Kingdom is a point of contention for some players. But the Sensor+ is their answer, their new way of providing a valuable tool that aids exploration and progression, just in a different, less ‘photogenic’ way. I’ve spent around $300 over the years buying guides for Zelda games, and none of them explicitly warned about this specific ‘camera’ confusion in TotK, which is frankly shocking.
The Truth About Getting Your ‘camera’ in Tears of the Kingdom
So, to recap how to get camera zelda tears: you don’t. Not in the way you’re probably thinking. You get the Sensor+ for your Purah Pad, which is a tracker, not a camera. It’s a progression reward from the main story quests at Lookout Landing, specifically after helping Josha andidbody with their research on ‘Energy Wells’.
It’s a vital tool for finding resources and monsters, making your life in Hyrule a lot more efficient. While I’m still a bit bummed about not being able to take silly screenshots of Link in funny poses, the Sensor+ is undeniably useful. Don’t waste hours like I did searching for a mythical camera item; focus on the main quest, and you’ll naturally acquire the functionality you’re after.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the whole ‘how to get camera zelda tears’ search is a red herring. What you’re really after is the Sensor+ upgrade for your Purah Pad, and that’s a narrative reward, not a hidden item. It’s part of the main progression, so just keep pushing forward with the story quests at Lookout Landing.
It’s easy to get tripped up by expectations from previous games, and I certainly did. The distinction between a photo camera and a tracking sensor is important here. Embrace the tracking functionality; it’s genuinely helpful for finding materials and completing those pesky monster sub-objectives.
Honestly, while I’m nostalgic for the Sheikah Slate’s camera, the Sensor+ makes certain aspects of the game much smoother. What I’m curious about now is whether they’ll ever bring back a proper camera function in a future installment. Maybe that’s something to keep an eye on?