How to unlock the Camera & Compendium in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

How to unlock the Camera & Compendium in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Images via Nintendo

Written by 

Joshua Boyles

Published 

23rd May 2023 12:00

Contents

There's so much to do in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, with the game adding a tonne of new features that weren't in Breath of the Wild. However, unlocking many of these systems isn't obvious, so you may need some help in finding the relevant quests. 

Check out how our rundown of getting the Camera and Compendium in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom below. 

How to start the ‘Camera Work in the Depths’ quest

First things first, you must have advanced the story until you reach the first of the villages in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Once you reach Lookout Landing and have unlocked the Paraglider, you’re clear to start this questline.

Josha in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Click to enlarge

  • Head to the northern gate facing Hyrule Castle and speak to Josha and Robbie. Here, they’ll talk about their research into the Depths, and what lies beneath the Chasms that have recently opened up around Hyrule.
  • You’ll be tasked with helping Robbie with some research down there, and as a reward, he will enable the Tears of the Kingdom Camera feature on your Purah Pad.

The Hyrule Field Chasm in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Click to enlarge

  • Once the quest has been started, head south to the nearby Chasm in the Hyrule Fields. A marker will appear on your map, so it should be clear as to where you are going.
  • Once there, dive down into the Chasm. Just be sure to deploy your Paraglider before you hit the bottom!
  • You’ll spot one of Robbie’s research assistants who he has abandoned after gallivanting off on his own.

How to find Robbie in the Chasm

A Lightroom in the Depths of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Click to enlarge

Now, you must follow his trail of campfires to find him among the murky Depths. Make sure you’ve come prepared with plenty of Brightbloom Seeds - Josha should have given you some to prepare for this adventure.

  • Head towards the Iayusus Lightroot that you can see in the distance. Interacting with this will lighten up the nearby area, and also cleanse any of your hearts that have been affected by Decay.
  • Now, look to your west to spot another Lightroot in the distance. You’ll need to make a beeline for this while making sure to avoid the Decay ooze that blocks part of the path. There will also be some enemies along the way, so keep your weapons at the ready.

Robbie standing next to a Lightroot in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Click to enlarge

Once you reach the next Lightroot, you’ll spot Robbie hanging out to the left of it. Interact with him, and he will enable the Camera function on your Purah Pad. In turn, this will also unlock the Compendium tab, which will store all of the information about enemies that you have scanned so far.

There are a few more steps to finishing this quest, like taking a photo of the statue that Robbie is standing next to. Once this is done, you can fast-travel back to Lookout Landing and speak to Josha once again to turn in the quest. You will be rewarded with x5 Zonaite for your troubles.

How to use the Camera

Using the Camera in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is just as simple as it was in Breath of the Wild: Hold the R button to bring up the ability wheel and select the Camera function. This will bring up the camera’s interface, and you can snap away to your heart’s content.

gathering Zonaite in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Click to enlarge

Some quests may require you to use the Camera on your Purah Pad, so it’s definitely worth beelining this quest from the very start, especially as it doesn’t take that long to complete.

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For more Zelda guides, keep reading GGRecon. Alternatively, check out our guides for all of the Shrines, rune abilities to unlock, and the iconic Master Sword to reunite with.

Joshua Boyles
About the author
Joshua Boyles
Joshua is the Guides Editor at GGRecon. After graduating with a BA (Hons) degree in Broadcast Journalism, he previously wrote for publications such as FragHero and GameByte. You can often find him diving deep into fantasy RPGs such as Skyrim and The Witcher, or tearing it up in Call of Duty and Battlefield. He's also often spotted hiking in the wilderness, usually blasting Arctic Monkeys.
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