History Main / MagicalCamera

[[folder: Film ]]

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** At one point an admin [[AppliedPhlebotinum applied]] various SCPs to create an [[MundaneUtility incredibly high definition camera]].

'''Neville Bell:''' "[[AntiClimax No,]] [[CameraObscurer you got lens-cap on it]]."

* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book ''Say Cheese And Die'' is about a camera which causes tragedy to befall any person shot with it.

** [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP]]-[[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-978 978]] is an instant one Polaroid camera that when, taking a picture of a person, the photograph is not of that person but of what that person wants to be doing at that time.

* ''VideoGame/{{Onryo}}'': The PlayerCharacter has a camera, which is the only thing that can harm the spirit (provided it's in the right position for it to work properly).

* The Camera Obscura in ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'' can take pictures of spirits, which are not normally visible. It can also sap the spiritual energy of hostile ghosts (probably inspired by the aforementioned belief that cameras stole a person's soul), with the power of each shot depending on the film used. In the first game, a hostile spirit would be exorcized if defeated enough times, but later games dropped this: a hostile spirit can only be warded off, never permanently defeated.
* In ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', Joshua's cell phone camera can take pictures of the past, and Neku's is later upgraded to be able to do the same.
* {{Snapshot}} is a puzzle platformer where you can photo an area of the level to cut and paste objects around.

* In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong64'', a fairy gives Tiny (and by extension, all other Kongs) a camera whose main purpose is taking pictures of lost Banana Fairies. A successful shot returns them to the main Banana Fairy, who, in return, increases your film, orange, and Crystal Coconut capacities, and refilling all of those plus your ammo.

* Similar to the ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' story above, ''Series/AreYouAfraidOfTheDark'' had ''The Tale of the Curious Camera'', where a camera would predict misfortune in its photos and make them happen. Worse is that it gains its power by being inhabited by a gremlin that can jump from the camera into other electronics, like a camcorder, vcr, and computer...

* Iconographs, as they are called on the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'', are little more than boxes containing a very tiny imp with a sketchpad and set of paints. Because the imps have no imagination whatsoever, the images they create are accepted as objective. The flash works by frightening a captive Salamander, a magical lizard which absorbs light and can release it suddenly. In ''Discworld/MovingPictures'', movies were created using six imps triggered in succession, suggesting an imp can paint an image in only 1/4 of a second.

* The Camera Obscura in ''VideoGame/FatalFrame'' can take pictures of spirits, which are not normally visible. It can also sap the spiritual energy of hostile ghosts (probably inspired by the aforementioned belief that cameras stole a person's soul). In the first game, a hostile spirit would be exorcized if defeated enough times, but later games dropped this: a hostile spirit can only be warded off, never permanently defeated.

[[AnomalousArt Magic employing a photograph itself]] also counts.

Magic employing a photograph itself also counts.

* The ''Series/TwilightZone'' episode "A Most Unusual Camera". It shows the future.

[[folder: Literature ]]
* Iconographs, as they are called on the Literature/{{Discworld}}, are little more than boxes containing a very tiny imp with a sketchpad and set of paints. Because the imps have no imagination whatsoever, the images they create are accepted as objective. The flash works by frightening a captive Salamander, a magical lizard which absorbs light and can release it suddenly. In ''Discworld/MovingPictures'', movies were created using six imps triggered in succession, suggesting an imp can paint an image in only 1/4 of a second.
** Also in the Discworld universe, [[ConMan Moist Von Lipwig]] uses the "steals your soul" argument, but he really has [[DarkAndTroubledPast other reasons]] [[BoxedCrook to avoid]] being photographed. His avoidance naturally makes authority figures suspicious.
** A notable example was the use of a different creature as a flash source. Its light caused psychological visages of its subjects thoughts to pop up in the picture.
* The ''Literature/{{Goosebumps}}'' book ''Say Cheese And Die'' is about a camera which causes tragedy to befall any person shot with it.
* Marginal example: Photographs and paintings alike in ''Literature/HarryPotter'' are animate and semisentient, due to some kind of special darkroom process. Considering the penchant some wizards have for tinkering, there are probably magical cameras too, but they aren't played up.

* Creator/StephenKing's story ''The Sun Dog'', one of the novellas of Literature/FourPastMidnight. The protagonist receives a polaroid camera for his birthday, but every picture it takes, regardless of what it's pointed at, is of a "dog" that gets closer and closer to the camera (and looks less and less like a dog) with each successive shot.
* Shallan Davar, of ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' can take a Memory of a scene, recording it with photographic accuracy for later drawing. Drawing a Memory removes it from her head, greatly increasing the probablility that this is some kind of magic. ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'' reveals that most Lightweavers possess this power.

[[folder:Live Action TV]]

* Creator/StephenKing's story ''The Sun Dog'', one of the novellas of Literature/FourPastMidnight. The protagonist receives a polaroid camera for his birthday, but every picture it takes, regardless of what it's pointed at, is of a monstrous dog that gets closer and closer to the camera with each successive shot.

On a related note: it is a superstition of many RealLife religions and cultures that cameras and photography are harmful, with many believing that being photographed may steal their soul and taking great pains to avoid it (This is ostensibly the SoulJar variant of the PhantomZonePicture). This is a handy excuse for shy individuals or people wishing to remain anonymous, usually because of some criminality or witness protection system. Nevertheless, the claim that cameras steal souls is a functional form of the Magical Camera, and one you'll occasionally encounter in straight fantasy as a reasonable fear.

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

[[folder: Music Videos ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Web Comics ]]

[[folder: Web Original ]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* Subverted in ''Film/CrocodileDundee''

** In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', it's one of the capabilities of the [[DataPal Sheikah Slate]], which allows it to not only take pictures, but logs the ones of things like weapons and enemies into a compendium providing useful information about them, and a means to use the Slate's sensor to hone in on them. It also plays a role in many side quests where characters ask to be shown pictures of things; given the generally Medieval tech level, they'll often assume that they're hand drawn, and comment on how remarkable Link's artistic skills are. The camera function also serves as a major plot point, since [[spoiler: the fact that Zelda was the previous owner means that several of her own photos are still logged in its memory, providing vital clues to sites where Link can regain his lost memories.]]

* ''[[VideoGame/{{Touhou}} Double Spoiler]]'' has Hatate's camera, which has some sort of magical Google image search function that allows her to get pictures without actually taking them. [[GameplayAndStorySegregation In game, the only difference between Aya's and Hatate's cameras are the zoom distance and charge speed.]]

* The Camera Obscura in ''FatalFrame'' can take pictures of spirits, which are not normally visible. It can also sap the spiritual energy of hostile ghosts (probably inspired by the aforementioned belief that cameras stole a person's soul). In the first game, a hostile spirit would be exorcized if defeated enough times, but later games dropped this: a hostile spirit can only be warded off, never permanently defeated.

* The Picto Box in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTheWindWaker'' functions more or less like a normal camera, except that it develops instantly and can only keep three pictures at once. In order to upgrade it to the Deluxe Picto Box, which takes colour pictures, you need to capture and use a special kind of firefly that emits prismatic light. In the HD remake, the Picto Box can now hold 12 images at once, and the firefly is no longer needed to upgrade it ([[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall if you give Lenzo the firefly anyways]]).
** Furthermore, you can take a picture of a character or enemy and take it to Carlov, he can make a figurine of it. If this were a normal photograph, he may or may not have to guess what a character looks like from the other angles, but apparently, he gets it right, so...

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'', it's one of the capabilities of the [[DataPal Sheikah Slate]], which allows it to not only take pictures, but logs the ones of things like weapons and enemies into a compendium providing useful information about them, and a means to use the Slate's sensor to hone in on them. It also plays a role in many side quests where characters ask to be shown pictures of things; given the generally Medieval tech level, they'll often assume that they're hand drawn, and comment on how remarkable Link's artistic skills are. The camera function also serves as a major plot point, since [[spoiler: the fact that Zelda was the previous owner means that several of her own photos are still logged in its memory, providing vital clues to sites where Link can regain his lost memories.]]

* In an epsiode of ''WesternAnimation/RekkitRabbit'', Jay uses a magic camera from Chakabrak to take some headshots of his mom and step-dad, Henrietta and Lorne before they audition for a music agent. Unfortunately, when Jay takes their picture with the camera on "Rock Star" setting, [[spoiler: it turns Henrietta and Lorne into a pair of grotesque monsters (according to Rekkit, all rock stars in Chakabrak look like monsters).]].