Switch flash in Camera2 API

Question

My problem is when I switch between different flashmodes and then want to capture an image, my captureBuilder won't set the chosen flashmode. It only works when i close and reopen the camera.

I took the https://github.com/googlesamples/android-Camera2Basic as a starting point.

my method:

   private void captureStillPicture() {
  try {
     final Activity activity = (Activity) context;
     if (null == activity || null == mCameraDevice) {
        return;
     }
     // This is the CaptureRequest.Builder that we use to take a picture.
     CaptureRequest.Builder captureBuilder =
           mCameraDevice.createCaptureRequest(CameraDevice.TEMPLATE_STILL_CAPTURE);
     captureBuilder.addTarget(mImageReader.getSurface());

     // Use the same AE and AF modes as the preview.
     captureBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AF_MODE,
           CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AF_MODE_CONTINUOUS_PICTURE);
     setCurrentFlash(captureBuilder);

     // Orientation
     int rotation = activity.getWindowManager()
           .getDefaultDisplay()
           .getRotation();
     captureBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.JPEG_ORIENTATION, getOrientation(rotation));

     CameraCaptureSession.CaptureCallback captureCallback =
           new CameraCaptureSession.CaptureCallback() {

              @Override
              public void onCaptureCompleted(@NonNull CameraCaptureSession session,
                    @NonNull CaptureRequest request, @NonNull TotalCaptureResult result) {
                 super.onCaptureCompleted(session, request, result);
                 Toast.makeText(context, "image captured", Toast.LENGTH_SHORT)
                       .show();
                 unlockFocus();
              }
           };

              mCaptureSession.stopRepeating();
     mCaptureSession.capture(captureBuilder.build(), captureCallback, null);
  } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
     Log.e(this.getClass()
           .getSimpleName(), e.getMessage(), e);
  }

This is the setCurrentFlash method:

   private void setCurrentFlash(CaptureRequest.Builder requestBuilder) {
  if (mFlashSupported) {
     switch (flashMode.name()) {
        case FLASH_AUTO:
           requestBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_MODE,
                 CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_MODE_ON_AUTO_FLASH);
           break;
        case FLASH_ON:
           requestBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_MODE,
                 CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_MODE_ON_ALWAYS_FLASH);
           break;
        case FLASH_OFF:
           requestBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.FLASH_MODE, CaptureRequest.FLASH_MODE_OFF);
           break;
        default:
           requestBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_MODE,
                 CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_MODE_ON_AUTO_FLASH);
           break;
     }
  }

Any ideas why the builder is not setting the flash correctly before capturing?

***** EDIT *****

Solved issue by setting the flash to previewRequestBuilder when calling runPrecaptureSequence() like Eddy Talvala suggested

   private void runPrecaptureSequence() {
  try {
     // This is how to tell the camera to trigger.
     setCurrentFlash(previewRequestBuilder);
     previewRequestBuilder.set(CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_PRECAPTURE_TRIGGER,
           CaptureRequest.CONTROL_AE_PRECAPTURE_TRIGGER_START);
     // Tell #mCaptureCallback to wait for the precapture sequence to be set.
     state = STATE_WAITING_PRECAPTURE;
     captureSession.capture(previewRequestBuilder.build(), mCaptureCallback, backgroundHandler);
  } catch (CameraAccessException e) {
     e.printStackTrace();
  }

Answer 1

You want to update the flash mode in your preview request as well; generally the camera device wants to know your desired flash mode when you trigger the precapture sequence (with AE_PRECAPTURE_TRIGGER), so that it knows if it should turn on the precapture flash, which it needs to determine the final flash power.

The usual sequence of events is:

1. Set preview flash mode to desired mode
2. Wait for user to hit the shutter button
3. Issue single preview request with precapture trigger set (but keep preview request on repeat otherwise).
4. Wait for AE_STATE_PRECAPTURE to stop being the AE state in your capture results
5. Issue the final capture request (keep the same flash mode)
6. Get final JPEG in your ImageReader

(This ignores ensuring focus is good, which generally is done before/in parallel to starting the precapture sequence)