[camera] Camera Timeout on some devices

[Tomucha]

I have trouble with camera plugin (0.7.0+2) - the second time I try to:

  XFile file = await controller.takePicture();
  return file;

... the call ends up with "timeout". The first time I take a photo everything works fine, but all subsequent calls fail. It all happens with example application too:

https://github.com/flutter/plugins/tree/master/packages/camera/camera/example

I/flutter ( 4707): Error: captureTimeout
I/flutter ( 4707): Error Message: Picture capture request timed out
W/System  ( 4707): A resource failed to call release. 

It works on some low-level phone I have here (myPhone Hammer Iron 2).

---

tomucha@tomucha-mx:~$ flutter --version
Flutter 1.22.6 • channel stable • https://github.com/flutter/flutter.git
Framework • revision 9b2d32b605 (4 weeks ago) • 2021-01-22 14:36:39 -0800
Engine • revision 2f0af37152
Tools • Dart 2.10.5

Doctor summary (to see all details, run flutter doctor -v):
[✓] Flutter (Channel stable, 1.22.6, on Linux, locale en_US.UTF-8)
[✓] Android toolchain - develop for Android devices (Android SDK version 29.0.2)
[✓] Android Studio (version 3.5)
[✓] IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate Edition (version 2019.3)
[✓] VS Code (version 1.52.1)
[✓] Connected device (1 available)

[TahaTesser]

Hi @Tomucha
I see there's an open issue addressing the case you described. #74645
Please follow up on that issue, I'm closing the current one as a duplicate.
If you disagree, please write in the comments and I will reopen it.
Thank you

[Tomucha]

Hi, @TahaTesser sorry, I don't think so, please re-open :-(

#74645 is supposedly fixed by commit flutter/plugins@361567b so I applied the changes from that commit to local clone of camera 0.7.0+2 (because I cannot use non-null version). But problem is still there.

I can take the first photo, but all subsequent attempts fail. I can destroy camera controller and initialize it again, and I'm at the beginning: I can take the first photo but that's it.

I added some logging to the Camera.java and I see that "processCapture" method gets called many times and the last (hundred) calls are "case preCapture" with "aeState == 1", until it dies with CameraException(captureTimeout, Picture capture request timed out). At the beginning it goes through "case focusing" several times.

I can change whatever I want - flash mode, autofocus mode ... first photo is fine, all others fail.

//cc @mvanbeusekom

[Tomucha]

To ride the "cargo cult" wave a little bit longer, when I change:

            case preCapture:
              // Some devices might return null here, in which case we will also continue.
              if (aeState == null
                  || aeState == CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_STATE_PRECAPTURE
                  || aeState == CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_STATE_FLASH_REQUIRED
                  || aeState == CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_STATE_CONVERGED) {
                pictureCaptureRequest.setState(State.waitingPreCaptureReady);
                setPreCaptureStartTime();
              }
              break;

to

            case preCapture:
              // Some devices might return null here, in which case we will also continue.
              if (aeState == null || aeState == 1
                  || aeState == CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_STATE_PRECAPTURE
                  || aeState == CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_STATE_FLASH_REQUIRED
                  || aeState == CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_STATE_CONVERGED) {
                pictureCaptureRequest.setState(State.waitingPreCaptureReady);
                setPreCaptureStartTime();
              }
              break;

(aeState == 1) ... it seems to be working just fine.

Needless to say - I have no idea what that means :-)

[mvanbeusekom]

Thanks for the feedback @Tomucha, we will look into this. I quickly looked up what aeState == 1 means and it seems to be CONTROL_AE_STATE_SEARCHING (see here).

Now I am not yet sure how we should handle this and if simply advancing to the waitingPreCaptureReady state will solve all problems but will definitely look into it further.

[acoutts]

The same is happening on my pixel 4. It also takes 4-5 seconds to capture the image, does that happen on your pixel 2 as well?

[Tomucha]

@acoutts That seems like something different to me. In my case the first picture is captured quite quickly and all subsequent fail with CameraException(captureTimeout, Picture capture request timed out)

[szuwest]

I have the same problem on OPPO R11(android 8.1.1). It is always captureTimeout when I take picture.

[dinahapuque]

That's happening with me on Xiaomi Redmi Note 9. I can't even take the first picture after upgrading from version 0.6.0 to 0.7.0.
cameraTimeout
Picture capture request timed out

But on iPhone SE 2020 works fine.

[Tomucha]

(BTW in my case it's also after upgrade to 0.7.0, worked fine in previous versions)

[mvanbeusekom]

@szuwest, @dinahapuque, the bug related to the captureTimeout you get directly (starting from the first picture you take) should be solved as part of PR flutter/plugins#3558 (which was released with version 0.8.0-nullsafety.1).

The issue @Tomucha is having is a little bit different, I am still investigating if the suggested solution if the correct one but the issue is on the radar and I am working on it.

[szuwest]

@szuwest, @dinahapuque, the bug related to the captureTimeout you get directly (starting from the first picture you take) should be solved as part of PR flutter/plugins#3558 (which was released with version 0.8.0-nullsafety.1).

The issue @Tomucha is having is a little bit different, I am still investigating if the suggested solution if the correct one but the issue is on the radar and I am working on it.

I found that, but it is not on release branch. 0.8.0-nullsafety.1 requires on Dart 2.12 above, which my env not support now

[acoutts]

@szuwest, @dinahapuque, the bug related to the captureTimeout you get directly (starting from the first picture you take) should be solved as part of PR flutter/plugins#3558 (which was released with version 0.8.0-nullsafety.1).
The issue @Tomucha is having is a little bit different, I am still investigating if the suggested solution if the correct one but the issue is on the radar and I am working on it.

I found that, but it is not on release branch. 0.8.0-nullsafety.1 requires on Dart 2.12 above, which my env not support now

You can use null safety packages in your app before migrating - it's designed to be backwards compatible.

[szuwest]

@szuwest, @dinahapuque, the bug related to the captureTimeout you get directly (starting from the first picture you take) should be solved as part of PR flutter/plugins#3558 (which was released with version 0.8.0-nullsafety.1).

The issue @Tomucha is having is a little bit different, I am still investigating if the suggested solution if the correct one but the issue is on the radar and I am working on it.

I upgrade to 0.8.0-nullsafety.2, It still has the same problem...

[acoutts]

I've resolved this issue in my PR here- give it a try and let me know if it works for you too. Confirmed on my pixel 4.
flutter/plugins#3651

[Tomucha]

I can confirm - the issue is still present in 0.8.1, but it seems to be fixed in flutter/plugins#3651

I have no excuse why this took me so long 👎

Thanks!!!!!

[wisnuwiry]

Are there any updates on this issue?

I am using the latest version of the camera plugin on pub.dev which is version 0.8.1 but the issue is still the same.

Log:

Picture capture request timed out

cc: @TahaTesser , @Tomucha , @mvanbeusekom

[ghost]

CameraException(Previous capture has not returned yet., takePicture was called before the previous capture returned.)
CameraException(captureTimeout, Picture capture request timed out)
I'm also getting this issues in version 0.8.1
@TahaTesser @Tomucha @mvanbeusekom

[wisnuwiry]

The devices that I tested had issues like the one above:

1. Xiaomi Redmi 4X
2. Samsung A20
3. Samsung J2 Prime
4. Polytron 4G502
5. Samsung J7
6. Samsung J2
7. Samsung Galaxy Note 4
8. Samsung sm n910
9. Samsung J5 2016
10. Sony xperia docomo

Please fix this problem immediately.

[syahnurizal]

I'm having same issue with the version 0.8.1 on Xiaomi MiA1 device. After calling takePicture() , device flash turn ON continuously and log return timeout

[Wian-TMC]

Consistent captureTimeout error also occurs on a Vivo 2015 smartphone running Android 10. Cannot take any pictures

[droplet-js]

any news update?

[joharputr]

still occur

[mobisolhu]

On Nokia 3.1 Plus the same problem. The last working version is 0.6.3+2. After that version always "capture timeout" error. The example app do the same.

[akshayarhata]

Issue Still occurs on
Redmi 6 pro, Redmi 9 Pro, Pocco m2, One plus 6
with latest version ^0.8.1+7

Is there any workaround or fix for this yet?

below are the logs:
I/Camera (18861): [FPS Range Available] is:[15, 15]
I/Camera (18861): [FPS Range Available] is:[7, 30]
I/Camera (18861): [FPS Range Available] is:[30, 30]
I/Camera (18861): [FPS Range] is:[7, 30]
E/SensorManager(18861): registerListenerImpl sensorName:BMI160_ACCELEROMETER Accelerometer Non-wakeup,isWakeUpSensor:false,callingApp: com.arhata.assetcues,callingPid:18861,callingUid:11114
W/Camera (18861): The selected imageFormatGroup is not supported by Android. Defaulting to yuv420
E/libc (18861): Access denied finding property "persist.vendor.camera.privapp.list"
W/rhata.assetcues(18861): type=1400 audit(0.0:208093): avc: denied { read } for name="u:object_r:persist_camera_prop:s0" dev="tmpfs" ino=16693 scontext=u:r:untrusted_app:s0:c90,c260,c512,c768 tcontext=u:object_r:persist_camera_prop:s0 tclass=file permissive=0
I/flutter (18861): Error: captureTimeout
I/flutter (18861): Error Message: Picture capture request timed out

[syahnurizal]

Anyone know any update on this issue? I think its quite critical since the camera is not usable at all for the affected devices

[Tomucha]

I just use camera plugin in version from this pull request:
flutter/plugins#3651

[TahaTesser]

Hi @Tomucha
I cannot reproduce the issue when trying multiple Android devices with the latest camera: ^0.9.0.

The PR is mentioned is closed for similar PR flutter/plugins#3651 (comment), the issue might have been fixed in this new camera release

Can you please upgrade the package to the latest camera: ^0.9.0. and try again?

[Tomucha]

Sure, but not now, I have some deadlines here, so give me about 3 weeks. But I'm optimistic. It works for me when using flutter/plugins#3651

[darshankawar]

Without additional information, we are unfortunately not sure how to resolve this issue.
We are therefore reluctantly going to close this bug for now.
Please don't hesitate to comment on the bug if you have any more information for us; we will reopen it right away!
Thanks for your contribution.

Could everyone who still has this problem please file a new issue with the exact description of what happens, logs, and the output of flutter doctor -v.
All system setups can be slightly different, so it's always better to open new issues and reference related issues.

[github-actions]

This thread has been automatically locked since there has not been any recent activity after it was closed. If you are still experiencing a similar issue, please open a new bug, including the output of flutter doctor -v and a minimal reproduction of the issue.