Android - Fail to connect to camera

Question

I\'m using the Android APIDemo sample code.

When I run the CameraPreview example, at first it was giving me an error.

I traced that one down and the sample

Answer 1

I also get this type of issue on a HTC device. To solve add this code:

@Override
protected void onDestroy() {
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    super.onDestroy();
    if (camera!=null)
    {
        camera.stopPreview();
        camera.release();
        camera=null;
    }
}

And yet you cannot start camera then restart device.

Answer 2

It happens if your activity does not close the camera properly in surfaceDestroyed or onConfigurationChanged etc...

Don't forget to do this everytime you go out of your activity:

        if (camera!=null){
                camera.stopPreview();
                camera.release();
                camera=null;
        }

Answer 3

As others mention, you have to call release() on your camera object when you're finished.

I wasn't doing this initially, so I changed my code but it still gave me the same error. I was deploying directly to a physical handset and had to restart the phone before it worked

Answer 4

Also, if you are using the emulator, make sure you have selected to Emulate the Front Camera and/or the Back Camera.

Android Virtual Device Manager->Select Device->Edit->Front Camera->Emulated

Answer 5

Another reason of this error is when you try to open camera but some other application or even your application is already using camera.

Answer 6

Second @matt-burns however you might want to check that you're only trying to get the camera once. I had forgotten to comment out a line and was trying to launch two activities that would both try to obtain the camera.