android camera failed when using the camera api

Question

I'm having trouble taking a picture in android using the camera api. Using the camera intent seems to work fine, but not when I call the api directly.

Error: java.lang.RuntimeException: takePicture failed at android.hardware.Camera.native_takePicture

Code

public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {

  super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
  setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

  cameraId = findFrontFacingCamera();
  camera = Camera.open(cameraId);
  Parameters params = camera.getParameters();

  SurfaceView dummy=new SurfaceView(context);
  try {
      camera.setPreviewDisplay(dummy.getHolder());
      camera.startPreview();
      camera.takePicture(null, photoHandler, photoHandler);

  } catch (IOException e) {
      camera.stopPreview();
      camera.release();
  }  
}

 private PictureCallback photoHandler = new PictureCallback() {   
      @Override
      public void onPictureTaken(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
      }
 }

Manifest

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.CAMERA"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET"/>
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED"/>
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera"/>
<uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera.autofocus" />

log cat output

07-17 10:16:02.523: D/MakePhotoActivity(14591): Camera found
07-17 10:16:02.773: D/dalvikvm(14591): threadid=1: still suspended after undo (sc=1 dc=1)
07-17 10:16:18.229: D/AndroidRuntime(14591): Shutting down VM
07-17 10:16:18.229: W/dalvikvm(14591): threadid=1: thread exiting with uncaught exception (group=0x40c4f930)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591): FATAL EXCEPTION: main
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591): java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{tv.fakelove.stationtostation/tv.fakelove.stationtostation.MainActivity}: java.lang.RuntimeException: takePicture failed
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2180)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2230)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.ActivityThread.access$600(ActivityThread.java:141)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1234)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:99)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:137)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5041)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:511)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:793)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:560)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591): Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: takePicture failed
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.hardware.Camera.native_takePicture(Native Method)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.hardware.Camera.takePicture(Camera.java:1095)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.hardware.Camera.takePicture(Camera.java:1040)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at tv.fakelove.stationtostation.MainActivity.onCreate(MainActivity.java:59)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5104)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1080)
07-17 10:16:18.309: E/AndroidRuntime(14591):    at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2144)

that's pretty much it, the only code I have is the above and the stack trace shows error at the line camera.takePicture — MonkeyBonkey, Jul 17 '13 at 14:55
Very odd, there should be a bit more information available than that. Have you checked the ADB logcat for any further information? — Seidr, Jul 17 '13 at 14:56

score 1 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:32

Check out the answer provided in a previous question: Android: "Camera.takePicture failed" Exception

Apparently you need to start the preview before taking a photo, which includes setting a valid preview surface (which I don't think you are doing).

Also, check out step 5-6 laid out at http://developer.android.com/reference/android/hardware/Camera.html

Obtain an instance of Camera from open(int).

Get existing (default) settings with getParameters().

If necessary, modify the returned Camera.Parameters object and call setParameters(Camera.Parameters).

If desired, call setDisplayOrientation(int).

Important: Pass a fully initialized SurfaceHolder to setPreviewDisplay(SurfaceHolder). Without a surface, the camera will be unable to start the preview.

Important: Call startPreview() to start updating the preview surface. Preview must be started before you can take a picture.

When you want, call takePicture(Camera.ShutterCallback, Camera.PictureCallback, Camera.PictureCallback, Camera.PictureCallback) to capture a photo. Wait for the callbacks to provide the actual image data.

After taking a picture, preview display will have stopped. To take more photos, call startPreview() again first.

Call stopPreview() to stop updating the preview surface.

Important: Call release() to release the camera for use by other applications. Applications should release the camera immediately in onPause() (and re-open() it in onResume()).

One thought - as you're using a dummy SurfaceView, would you need to set the width / height of the SurfaceView, to match the width / height of the preview size of the Camera?

Without the full stack trace, there's not a whole lot more I can discern that's wrong with your code.

added the logcat output... I do add a surfaceview to the preview and call startPreview before taking the pic... as for the dummy surface view code, I got that from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/10959767/invisible-surfaceview-for-camera-preview — MonkeyBonkey, Jul 17 '13 at 15:03
If you're still having issues later I'll put together a replica application when I get back from work, and see if I can get it working. My gut feeling is it's something to do with the SurfaceView. Have you tried setting a 'real' Surface as the Preview Surface (i.e. one that is in the main activity layout, and has a implicit width/height)? — Seidr, Jul 17 '13 at 15:12
As an additional..are you sure that the camera is being opened successfully? — Seidr, Jul 17 '13 at 15:15
It looks like changing surfaceview to surfacetexture fixes the error. From what I've read it looks like surfaceview is only for older android versions? — MonkeyBonkey, Jul 17 '13 at 15:17
Very odd especially as there are so many examples out there using SurfaceView as the dummy preview. Have you tried using a lower API / target device with the SurfaceView, to see if it'll work? Glad you managed to resolve the issue :) — Seidr, Jul 17 '13 at 15:19

android camera failed when using the camera api

1 Answers1