---
title: "Camera API in Android"  
description: "Hi everyone in this article I’m explaining about Camera API in Android"  
author: "Manoj Pandey"  
published: 2015-03-10  
updated: 2019-09-07  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1641/camera-api-in-android  
category: "android"  
tags: ["android", "api(s)"]  
reading_time: 6 minutes  

---

# Camera API in Android

The Android [framework](https://yourviews.mindstick.com/view/81101/time-for-improvement-in-healthcare-facility-framework) includes support for various cameras and camera features available on devices, allowing you to capture pictures and videos in your applications. This article discusses a quick, simple approach to image and video capture and outlines an advanced approach for [creating custom](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/34070/creating-custom-annotations-in-java) camera [experiences](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/13062/designing-compelling-site-experiences-for-seo) for your users.\

The Camera class is used to set image capture settings, start/stop preview, snap pictures, and retrieve frames for encoding for video. This class is a client for the Camera service, which manages the actual camera hardware.

First of all you have need to [permission](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/33390/how-to-enable-api-access-in-salesforce-by-permission-set) for using camera in [your application](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/95487/how-do-you-troubleshoot-when-your-application-link-is-not-responding). Show you must be add permission in [AndroidManifest.xml file](https://www.mindstick.com/interview/2588/explain-androidmanifest-xml-file-in-detail)

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

##### *\*

##### *Here I am creating a sample for capturing image and capturing video via using*

##### *camera in your device.*

##### *\*1. Create an Android project

##### \
2. Add views in activity_main.xml file

```
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"    xmlns:tools="http://schemas.android.com/tools"    android:layout_width="match_parent"    android:layout_height="match_parent"    android:orientation="horizontal"    android:paddingBottom="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"    android:paddingLeft="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"    android:paddingRight="@dimen/activity_horizontal_margin"    android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_vertical_margin"    tools:context=".MainActivity" >     <LinearLayout        android:layout_width="0dp"        android:layout_height="wrap_content"        android:layout_gravity="center"        android:layout_weight=".40"        android:orientation="vertical" >         <Button            android:id="@+id/btnCapImage"            android:layout_width="wrap_content"            android:layout_height="wrap_content"            android:text="Capture Image" />         <Button            android:id="@+id/btnCapVideo"            android:layout_width="wrap_content"            android:layout_height="wrap_content"            android:layout_marginTop="5sp"            android:text="Capture Video" />    </LinearLayout>     <LinearLayout        android:layout_width="0sp"        android:layout_height="fill_parent"        android:layout_weight=".60"        android:background="@drawable/customborder"        android:orientation="vertical" >         <TextView            android:layout_width="fill_parent"            android:layout_height="wrap_content"            android:gravity="center"            android:text="preview" />         <ImageView            android:id="@+id/myImage"            android:layout_width="fill_parent"            android:layout_height="fill_parent"            android:visibility="gone" />         <VideoView            android:id="@+id/myVideo"            android:layout_width="fill_parent"            android:layout_height="450dp"            android:visibility="gone" />    </LinearLayout> </LinearLayout> 
```

3. My AndroidManifest.xml file

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><manifest xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"    package="com.example.androidcamera"    android:versionCode="1"    android:versionName="1.0" >     <uses-sdk        android:minSdkVersion="8"        android:targetSdkVersion="18" />     <uses-feature android:name="android.hardware.camera" /><uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE" />    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO" />     <application        android:allowBackup="true"        android:icon="@drawable/ic_launcher"        android:label="@string/app_name"        android:theme="@style/AppTheme" >        <activity            android:name="com.example.androidcamera.MainActivity"            android:label="@string/app_name"            android:screenOrientation="landscape" >            <intent-filter>                <action android:name="android.intent.action.MAIN" />             <category android:name="android.intent.category.LAUNCHER" />            </intent-filter>        </activity>    </application> </manifest>
```

4. Add following code in MainActivity.class

```
package com.example.androidcamera;import java.io.File;public class MainActivity extends Activity {                // Activity request codes                private static final int CAMERA_CAPTURE_IMAGE_REQUEST_CODE = 100;                private static final int CAMERA_CAPTURE_VIDEO_REQUEST_CODE = 200;                public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE = 1;                public static final int MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO = 2;                // directory name to store captured images and videos                private static final String IMAGE_DIRECTORY_NAME = "Hello Camera";                  private Uri fileUri; // file url to store image/video                private ImageView imgPreview;                private VideoView videoPreview;                private Button btnCapturePicture, btnRecordVideo;                 @Override                protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {                                super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);                                setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);                                imgPreview = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.myImage);                                videoPreview = (VideoView) findViewById(R.id.myVideo);                                btnCapturePicture = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnCapImage);                                btnRecordVideo = (Button) findViewById(R.id.btnCapVideo);                                                     // Capture image button click event                                                        btnCapturePicture.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {                                                 @Override                                                public void onClick(View v) {                                                                // capture picture                                                                captureImage();                                                }                                });                                            // Record video button click event                                                          btnRecordVideo.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {                                                 @Override                                                public void onClick(View v) {                                                                // record video                                                                recordVideo();                                                }                                });                                // checking camera availability                                if (!isDeviceSupportCamera()) {                                                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),                                                                                "Sorry! Your device doesn't support camera",                                                                                Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();                                                // will close the app if the device does't have camera                                                finish();                                }                }                                 // Checking device has camera hardware or not                                private boolean isDeviceSupportCamera() {                                if (getApplicationContext().getPackageManager().hasSystemFeature(                                                                PackageManager.FEATURE_CAMERA)) {                                                // this device has a camera                                                return true;                                } else {                                                // no camera on this device                                                return false;                                }                }                               //Capturing Camera Image will launch camera app requrest image capture                           private void captureImage() {                                Intent intent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_IMAGE_CAPTURE);                                 fileUri = getOutputMediaFileUri(MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE);                                intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, fileUri);                                // start the image capture Intent                                startActivityForResult(intent, CAMERA_CAPTURE_IMAGE_REQUEST_CODE);                }                // Here we store the file url as it will be null after returning from camera app                       @Override                protected void onSaveInstanceState(Bundle outState) {                                super.onSaveInstanceState(outState);                                // save file url in bundle as it will be null on scren orientation changes                                outState.putParcelable("file_uri", fileUri);                }                 @Override                protected void onRestoreInstanceState(Bundle savedInstanceState) {                                super.onRestoreInstanceState(savedInstanceState);                                 // get the file url                                fileUri = savedInstanceState.getParcelable("file_uri");                }                              // Recording video                           private void recordVideo() {                                Intent intent = new Intent(MediaStore.ACTION_VIDEO_CAPTURE);                                 fileUri = getOutputMediaFileUri(MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO);                                // set video quality                                intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_VIDEO_QUALITY, 1);                                intent.putExtra(MediaStore.EXTRA_OUTPUT, fileUri);                            // set the image file name                               // start the video capture Intent                                startActivityForResult(intent, CAMERA_CAPTURE_VIDEO_REQUEST_CODE);                }                                // Receiving activity result method will be called after closing the camera                                 @Override                protected void onActivityResult(int requestCode, int resultCode, Intent data) {                                // if the result is capturing Image                                if (requestCode == CAMERA_CAPTURE_IMAGE_REQUEST_CODE) {                                                if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {                                                                // successfully captured the image                                                                // display it in image view                                                                previewCapturedImage();                                                } else if (resultCode == RESULT_CANCELED) {                                                                // user cancelled Image capture                                                                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),                                                                  "User cancelled image capture", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT) .show();                                                } else {                                                                // failed to capture image                                                                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),                                                               "Sorry! Failed to capture image", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT) .show();                                                }                                } else if (requestCode == CAMERA_CAPTURE_VIDEO_REQUEST_CODE) {                                                if (resultCode == RESULT_OK) {                                                                // video successfully recorded                                                                // preview the recorded video                                                                previewVideo();                                                } else if (resultCode == RESULT_CANCELED) {                                                                // user cancelled recording                                                                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),                                                              "User cancelled video recording", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT) .show();                                                } else {                                                                // failed to record video                                                                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),                                                                "Sorry! Failed to record video", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT) .show();                                                }                                }                }                               //Display image from a path to ImageView                          private void previewCapturedImage() {                                try {                                                // hide video preview                                                videoPreview.setVisibility(View.GONE);                                                imgPreview.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);                                                // bimatp factory                                                BitmapFactory.Options options = new BitmapFactory.Options();                                                // downsizing image as it throws OutOfMemory Exception for larger                                                // images                                                options.inSampleSize = 8;                                                final Bitmap bitmap = BitmapFactory.decodeFile(fileUri.getPath(),                                                                                options);                                                imgPreview.setImageBitmap(bitmap);                                } catch (NullPointerException e) {                                                e.printStackTrace();                                }                }                              // Previewing recorded video                                 private void previewVideo() {                                try {                                                // hide image preview                                                imgPreview.setVisibility(View.GONE);                                                videoPreview.setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);                                                videoPreview.setVideoPath(fileUri.getPath());                                                // start playing                                                videoPreview.start();                                } catch (Exception e) {                                                e.printStackTrace();                                }                }                                // creating file uri to store image/video                                 public Uri getOutputMediaFileUri(int type) {                                return Uri.fromFile(getOutputMediaFile(type));                }                              // returning image / video                            private static File getOutputMediaFile(int type) {                                 // External sdcard location                                File mediaStorageDir = new File(                                                             Environment  .getExternalStoragePublicDirectory(Environment.  DIRECTORY_PICTURES),IMAGE_DIRECTORY_NAME);                                 // Create the storage directory if it does not exist                                if (!mediaStorageDir.exists()) {                                                if (!mediaStorageDir.mkdirs()) {                                                                Log.d(IMAGE_DIRECTORY_NAME, "Oops! Failed create "                                                                                                + IMAGE_DIRECTORY_NAME + " directory");                                                                return null;                                                }                                }                                 // create a media file name                                String timeStamp = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss",                                                                Locale.getDefault()).format(new Date());                                File mediaFile;                                if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_IMAGE) {                                                mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator                                                                                + "IMG_" + timeStamp + ".jpg");                                } else if (type == MEDIA_TYPE_VIDEO) {                                                mediaFile = new File(mediaStorageDir.getPath() + File.separator                                                                                + "VID_" + timeStamp + ".mp4");                                } else {                                                return null;                                }                                 return mediaFile;                }}
```

5. Add shape for custom [background](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/65/how-to-change-background-color-of-tab-control-in-c-sharp) as name customborder and paste following code.

```
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <shape xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android" android:shape="rectangle">   <corners android:radius="20dp"/>    <padding android:left="10dp" android:right="10dp" android:top="10dp" android:bottom="10dp"/>   <solid android:color="#CCCCCC"/> </shape>
```

Now run your application

![Camera API in Android](https://www.mindstick.com/mindstickarticle/c6dc98f4-2de2-4291-894b-4796a1f52c6d/images/41dc3090-bb3a-469b-b6fa-92755661026d.png)

---

Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/articles/1641/camera-api-in-android

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