take a picture with android ndk - camera api

Question

Is there a standarized API for taking pictures using Android NDK?

Or is it really necessary to go through Java for that?

Answer 1

In Android 7 (API 24) Google has added support for native camera access (Camera2 API).

In ndk-r12:

• Headers:

  1. $NDK_ROOT/android-24/$ARCH/usr/include/camera/Ndk*.h
  2. $NDK_ROOT/android-24/$ARCH/usr/include/media/Image*.h

• Libs:

  1. libcamera2ndk.so
  2. libmediandk.so

Answer 2

Yes. It is necessary to go through Java. Since NDK access will be specific to particular hardware.

Inspite there are few realizations through NDK.

Check the following links for relevant details.

http://nhenze.net/?p=253

http://osdir.com/ml/android-ndk/2010-10/msg00518.html

Answer 3

1) There was an access to Camera.h in older releases like Froyo, 2.3.3.

Now, I see a Camera.h in KitKat, 4.4.4. It changed completely.

This is an unofficial API, so it's subject to change. Be ready to code and deploy different versions for different Android releases.

2) There is a Camera component in OpenMAX. People managed to create an OpenMAX recorder for Raspbery Pi. I yet have to find a working solution for Android.

These two questions are unanswered:

• OpenMAX recorder on Android
• Access camera via OpenMAX in Android

and I'm going to try OpenMAX.

3) We ran into an Android device where video4linux2 works (one can access /dev/video0).

Answer 4

Post Android 7 or API version 24 : Camera 2 APIs are possible not just in Java space but in the native(NDK/C++) space too. This article give you all the details with code.