Camera Obscura (FF5)
The Camera Obscura featured in Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is the ninth Camera Obscura featured in the Fatal Frame Series. During gameplay, the Wii U Gamepad functions as the camera, showing the viewfinder and interacting with the display on the main screen. This camera belongs to Hisoka Kurosawa and is used by both Yuri Kozukata and Miu Hinasaki during the game. Ren Hojo has a different Camera Obscura of his own.
History of the Camera
The precise provenance is unknown. It belonged to an old woman who was friends with Hisoka and taught her Shadow Reading. When the woman died, her family agreed to let Hisoka keep the camera. Hisoka uses it for her work as a psychic investigator, and it helps her draw lost items out of the Netherworld. She teaches her protégée Yuri Kozukata how to use the camera as well. Hisoka takes the camera with her to search for Haruka Momose on Mount Hikami, but is attacked by a powerful spirit in the Lake of the Departed and spirited away. The camera is carried by the water to the Pool of Purification at the foot of the mountain, where Yuri finds it. Using the camera, she takes on Hisoka's responsibilities while searching for her.
Owners
- Hisoka Kurosawa
- Yuri Kozukata
- Miu Hinasaki (borrows the camera after Yuri disappears)
Upgrading and Equipment
The camera is upgraded with spirit points, which can be earned by photographing ghosts. Lenses can also be upgraded.
Lenses
Red lenses increase damage dealt to ghosts, green lenses benefit the player, and blue lenses have non-damaging effects on ghosts during battle.
Blow Lens
Crush Lens
Stun Lens
Zero Lens
Butterfly Lens
Fatal Lens
Restore Lens
See Lens
Bind Lens
Reward Lens
Slow Lens
Voice Lens
Note: The "Psychic Lens" available in the remaster is not equipped with the Camera Obscura, but is used in Snap Mode to make ghosts from previous games appear in photos.
Upgrades
Types of Shots
There are three main categories of camera shot during battle: Ghost Photograph (a weak, uncharged shot); Shutter Chance (a shot taken with more than five weak points in the capture area), and Fatal Frame (a shot taken during the Fatal Time opportunity when the alarm sounds, usually right before a ghost attacks). Within these categories, certain other types of shot are possible.
- Blast Kill
- A shot taken with the Stun Lens that kills the ghost
- Boost Shot
- A shot taken using a lens.
- Close Shot
- A shot taken when the ghost is near the player.
- Core Shot
- A shot taken with the ghost's face centred.
- Double Kill
- A shot that kills two ghosts at once.
- Double Shot
- A shot that captures two ghosts at once.
- Dry Shot
- A knockback shot that removes a ghost's Tainted effect.
- Escape Shot
- A shot that breaks a ghost's hold on you.
- Fatal Frame Kill
- A Fatal Frame Shot that kills a ghost.
- Full-body Shot
- A shot that captures the ghost's whole body in the capture area.
- Grasped Shot
- A shot taken while a ghost has hold of you.
- Multi kill
- A shot that kills three ghosts at once.
- Multi shot
- A shot that captures more than three ghosts at once.
- Overkill
- A shot that deals a lot more damage than necessary to kill a ghost.
- Rapid Shot
- A shot taken shortly after the previous one.
- Shutter Chance
- A shot containing five or more weak points.
- Special Kill
- A shot using a lens that kills the ghost.
- Tilt Shot
- A shot taken with the capture area tilted.
- Triple Kill
- A shot that kills three ghosts at once.
- Triple Shot
- A shot that captures three ghosts at once.
- ZERO Shot
- A Fatal Frame Shot containing five or more weak points.
Capture Circle
Unlike other cameras in the series, the charge points are gathered at the bottom of the capture circle, resembling drops of water. The health bar for spirits is also integrated into the capture circle as a curved band above the charge points, and appears when the camera is locked on to an enemy. Smaller, moving red circles indicate Spirit Fragments.
The rectangle marked around the capture circle is called the "capture area" and can be tilted to change the area included in the photograph. A shot taken with five or more ghost weak points (marked with circles) in the capture area is a Shutter Chance, and increases damage dealt without having to wait for a Fatal Frame chance.
Misc. Info
- When Miu uses the camera, she can also slow ghosts down to take more damaging shots. Since Yuri is not able to do this, it appears the ability is innate to Miu. This may be a reference to her mother's special ability in Fatal Frame III.