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The fastest way to get a camera in ARC Raiders is to use the Basic Camera supplied for the Sizing Things Up quest. You can also craft one at a level-one Workbench with eight Plastic Parts and one Wire, buy one from Shani, or find one while scavenging. Once the camera is in your backpack, assign it to a Quick Use slot, select it from the gadget wheel, aim at the named subject, and take the photo. For the opening Sizing Things Up photo, stand on the bridge east of Old Town and frame the lower part of the fallen Emperor’s leg.
What the Camera does in ARC Raiders
The Basic Camera is an Uncommon Quick Use gadget used for photographs and selfies. It is an equipment item rather than a separate map interaction: objectives that ask for a photograph are completed by selecting the camera and taking the picture while the required subject is in view.
The Basic Camera was added with the Frozen Trail 2.0 update, according to the item reference. Because the game can change recipes, controls, trader stock, prices, and objective behavior in patches, treat the values below as current guidance rather than permanent rules. If your interface shows different prompts, follow the prompts displayed for your platform and control configuration.
Every way to get a Basic Camera
| Acquisition route | What you need | Best use case | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quest supply | No separate material cost | You are starting Sizing Things Up | Celeste supplies a Basic Camera for this quest. |
| Crafting | Eight Plastic Parts and one Wire; level-one Workbench | You want a camera before relying on a quest reward | All ingredients and the Workbench requirement must be available. |
| Shani’s trade screen | Coins | You need a replacement or want to obtain one immediately | A current guide reports 1,920 Coins; vendor prices and stock can change. |
| Scavenging | No fixed recipe or purchase cost | You are already searching for supplies | The item reference lists scavenging as an acquisition route, but no fixed location or guaranteed spawn is established. |
Use the quest-provided camera first
If your immediate goal is the photo in Sizing Things Up, accepting the quest is normally the most resource-efficient route. The quest reference says it grants a Basic Camera, and the walkthrough identifies Celeste as the character who gives it to you. Check your inventory after receiving the supplies; if it is not already assigned, you still need to place it in a Quick Use slot before you can use it.
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Craft one at a level-one Workbench
The Basic Camera recipe requires eight Plastic Parts and one Wire at Workbench level one. This is the predictable route when you have the materials but do not want to depend on a trader’s stock. Open the Workbench crafting interface, locate the Basic Camera recipe, confirm that the required materials are available, and craft it. The recipe creates the in-game gadget; it does not automatically perform a photo objective, so equip the finished camera afterward.
Buy one from Shani
Shani is listed as a seller of the Basic Camera. A current guide reports a price of 1,920 Coins, but that number is an in-game value that may change with balancing or vendor updates. Open Shani’s current trade screen and use the price shown there as the authoritative amount for your session. Confirm that the item is actually added to your backpack before leaving the trading interface.
Look for one while scavenging
Scavenging is another listed acquisition method. Unlike crafting, it has no guaranteed material requirement; unlike buying, it has no stated fixed price. The available item information does not establish a guaranteed container, room, or map coordinate, so do not treat a particular spawn claim as universal. If you find a camera, make sure it is the Basic Camera item and move it into your backpack before attempting to equip it.
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- Put the camera in your backpack. A camera that exists in storage but is not available to your current loadout cannot be selected from the gadget wheel.
- Assign it to a Quick Use slot. Open the equipment or loadout interface, choose an available Quick Use slot, and select the Basic Camera. The slot assignment is what makes the gadget available during the run.
- Open the gadget wheel. On PC, published walkthroughs report Q as the gadget-wheel key. Your keybinds may differ, so use the on-screen prompt or your customized control mapping if Q does not open the wheel.
- Select the camera. Highlight the Quick Use slot containing the Basic Camera and release the wheel input to equip it.
- Frame the objective subject. Move until the named object or character is clearly in view. A landmark’s general direction is not enough when the objective specifies a particular body part or structure.
- Aim and capture. PC guides report the right mouse button for aiming and the left mouse button for taking the photograph. Use the prompts shown by your version of the game if you play with a controller, use a different keybind, or see different labels.
- Wait for objective feedback. The photograph itself is the task. Reaching the location, looking at the landmark, or interacting with a nearby object does not substitute for pressing the camera’s capture control.
For an objective photo, compose the image around the requested subject instead of taking a random picture in the same area. If the objective names a body part, frame that body part; if it names a landmark, keep the landmark visible and avoid pointing at unrelated scenery.
Completing the Sizing Things Up camera objective
Sizing Things Up is the clearest example of how the camera objective works. Celeste’s quest supplies a Basic Camera, and the first photo objective concerns the fallen Emperor near Old Town.
1. Travel to the bridge east of Old Town
The photo location is on the bridge directly east of Old Town, parallel to the Emperor’s southern front leg. Use the bridge and the fallen Emperor as the positional references rather than stopping at Old Town itself. The required photo spot is outside Old Town, so being in the settlement does not satisfy the location portion of the objective.
2. Aim at the lower part of the Emperor’s leg
Position yourself so the lower portion of the Emperor’s leg is visible, then use the camera’s aim and capture controls. The quest calls for the Emperor’s leg, not an arbitrary view of the whole machine. If the objective does not update, move closer or farther along the bridge and reframe the lower leg before taking another picture.
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3. Continue the remaining quest tasks
The camera photograph is only one part of Sizing Things Up. The quest reference lists additional objectives:
- Analyze near Railroad Junction.
- Reach the Emperor’s base.
- Search the Buried Harvester Payload.
- Deliver an ARC Conductive Coupler to Celeste.
Completing the photograph does not finish those tasks automatically. After the photo registers, follow the active quest tracker for the analysis, base, payload, and delivery steps. The camera is specifically required for the photograph; the later objectives have their own requirements.
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Why a photo may not count
The camera is not in a Quick Use slot
Having the item somewhere in your backpack is not the same as equipping it. Reopen your loadout, assign the Basic Camera to a Quick Use slot, and select that slot from the gadget wheel before trying again.
You selected the wrong gadget
The wheel can contain several Quick Use items. Check that the highlighted slot is the one containing the camera, not another gadget. If the equipped item’s interface does not present camera controls, return to the wheel and select the correct slot.
You are at the landmark but not aiming at the required subject
Photo objectives can be more specific than their map reference. For Sizing Things Up, the target is the lower part of the Emperor’s leg from the bridge east of Old Town. A picture of Old Town, the bridge surface, or a distant section of the Emperor may not satisfy the objective. Adjust your position and aim at the named section.
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You used an interaction instead of the camera
Standing in the correct place or interacting with a nearby landmark is not the same as taking a photograph. Select the camera, enter its aiming view, and activate the capture control. The objective should be evaluated from the camera action, not from simply reaching the area.
Your controls do not match the PC guide
The commonly reported PC mapping is Q for the gadget wheel, right mouse button to aim, and left mouse button to capture. These are control reports for PC configurations, not a guarantee for every player. Check the game’s current keybinds and follow the prompts shown in your interface, especially after changing input settings or playing on another platform.
The recipe, price, or stock is different
Recipes and trader inventories are update-sensitive. If the Workbench does not show the stated recipe, or Shani lists a different price or no camera, use the values currently displayed in your game. You can switch to the quest-supply route, crafting route, or scavenging route instead of spending resources based on an old listing.
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| Your situation | Recommended route | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| You are actively doing Sizing Things Up | Use Celeste’s quest supply | The quest is documented as granting a Basic Camera, avoiding a separate purchase or material search. |
| You have eight Plastic Parts, one Wire, and a level-one Workbench | Craft it | The recipe gives you a known path without relying on Shani’s current stock. |
| You have enough Coins and need a camera immediately | Check Shani | The trade screen may provide a direct purchase, although the reported 1,920-Coin price can change. |
| You are already looting and do not need the camera for a timed task | Scavenge | The item reference lists scavenging, but there is no guaranteed spawn to plan around. |
The available information does not establish that an Advanced Camera is required for the basic Sizing Things Up photo. Start with the Basic Camera unless a later objective or a current in-game description explicitly asks for a different item.
Practical checklist before you leave for the photo
- Basic Camera is present in your backpack.
- Camera is assigned to a Quick Use slot.
- You know which input opens your gadget wheel.
- You have identified the named subject, not just the general landmark.
- For Sizing Things Up, you are on the bridge east of Old Town near the Emperor’s southern front leg.
- Your aim view is pointed at the lower part of the Emperor’s leg.
- You press the capture control while the camera is equipped.
- You check the quest tracker for confirmation before moving to the next objective.
Keeping the instructions current after patches
Camera mechanics are tied to an online game and can be changed without preserving the same recipe, vendor price, control label, or objective behavior. The camera’s item classification, the Frozen Trail 2.0 introduction, the eight-Plastic-Parts-and-one-Wire recipe, and the reported 1,920-Coin Shani price should therefore be checked against the live item, Workbench, and trade interfaces when you play. Recheck the controls after a keybind reset or platform change, and rely on the active quest text if a future update changes the photo target.
Quick answer
For Sizing Things Up, accept Celeste’s quest and use the supplied Basic Camera. Assign it to a Quick Use slot, open the gadget wheel, aim at the lower part of the Emperor’s leg from the bridge east of Old Town, and take the photograph. If you need another camera, craft one at a level-one Workbench from eight Plastic Parts and one Wire, check Shani’s trade screen, or look for one while scavenging.
Quick Recap
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