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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2021-04-07
I am not the original poster but I wish to add to this thread, if I may. On my phone, it can take about the same amount of time (some six seconds). Admittedly my phone is ancient (see attachment) but it is tweaked and well-maintained and few other apps are so slow to open and a camera app especially needs to be fast to open.
I think this is a separate issue to the one I describe in my comment below, since you're not using Storage Access Framework option, and you're not on Android 10+. How quickly do other camera applications open? Also how many photos/videos do you have in your save location do you know?
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The pause at the start was due to the fact that there are a lot of files in the directory on the memory card /OpenCamera.
3904 files 1.2 GB.
At the start, apparently, the directory was being scanned.
Created a new directory on the map /Open Camera 1.
The start was instantaneous.
Thanks for the info. Glad you have found a workaround for now - the issue really comes down to the "scoped storage" changes introduced into Android 10, and the fact that the alternative APIs applications now have to use (Storage Access Framework) are poor performance. The issue is that Open Camera looks for the latest photo/video for the gallery thumbnail, and this takes several seconds if there are ~1000s of files in the folder - which really is quite rubbish on any modern platform.
The next version of Open Camera will have improvements to reduce the impact:
I already used a background thread, but opening camera was inadvertedly queued until that was completed - now they will run in parallel, so this won't stop the camera from opening quickly.
The same issue occurs when clicking on the thumbnail icon to go to the gallery, but it will now do more to cache the last known photo/video instead of rechecking.
Last edit: Mark 2021-04-08
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2021-04-09
@Mark (if I may continue here, and thank you for the help)
'How quickly do other camera applications open?' Google Camera opened in some five seconds - and showed an intro screen; on a subsequent open a few seconds later it took three seconds.
'Also how many photos/videos do you have in your save location do you know?' I had some trouble locating the directory (does OpenCamera give the path anywhere? It should) but it seems I had nine photos in the top level and a subdirectory with a few photos in it. No videos. I delete all the top-level items but I am unsure start-up time is improved. For, I am unsure I fully exited the app.
Also, I had jolly fun when, having run OpenCamera with Google Camera still running, I saw an error about the camera being locked - but only after I'd managed to escape OpenCamera settings which for some reason were locked in landscape view. And then somehow I got stuck for a while on a fully black screen. Also: why is it that, when (and only when) the app is set to make a shutter sound, various non-taking-photo actions, such as pressing the settings cog, makes a sound?
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I appreciate 6 seconds is slower than 3-5 seconds - but that still seems very slow in general. I'm not sure what would cause camera applications to open slowly on a device I'm afraid.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2021-04-12
@Mark
Do please look into the matters that I described. Thank you.
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+1 for slow startup time and it's now got a lot worse with update to Android 11.
On a Samsung A40, the default camera opens in less than half a second. Open Camera takes 8 seconds, which is never going to work if I'm trying to capture a moment.
Why does open camera need to concern itself with the contents of the save directory at all? I don't use open camera to view photos, only to take them.
Can't we choose to disable this?
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"Why does open camera need to concern itself with the contents of the save directory at all? I don't use open camera to view photos, only to take them."
It needs the thumbnail of the latest photo/video to display on the gallery icon, which has slowed down on Android 10+ under the Storage Access Framework option due to having to use poor performance APIs due to the changes introduced in Android known as "scoped storage", but as I say I have a fix for the next version which means that will run in parallel.
But note, this issue is for when Settings/More camera controls/"Use Storage Framework" is enabled, and probably only with at least 100s of files in the save folder.
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There are two at least somewhat separate problems here:
1) slow start of the camera application on Android >=10;
2) slow start of the camera application on Android < 10.
My problem is 2. The problem of the other posters is 1.
Is there some sort of official bugtracker to which we can take these matters? I note though that Mark has described a fix that is in the works (within the Open Camera) app for - only? - 1.
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The only similar open ticket that I could find - and it was not that similar (to either 1 or 2) - was from 2016 and appears to have been ignored, even though the person who opened it gave copious information.
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Updated my Samsung SM-A515F to Android 12, One UI 4.1
Open Camera began to start slowly, for 1-2 minutes.
Tried reinstalling - doesn't help.
I'm using the Camera2 API
With the original API, the camera starts faster, but the capture button also appears with a delay, although somewhat less.
Pictures are saved to the memory card.
What do you advise?
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Default camera also saves to SDcard, but no startup delay.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2022-04-06
It is generally beneficial to organize the photos using a directory structure, and not keep them all in one huge folder like /DCIM/OC. Based on time or subject matter or occasion or such. The Open Camera save folder will never be bloated, it is easier to scrap all the test shots, and it is easier to share just the particular shots of the particular interest.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2022-04-06
A. Solution: Dev improves the app so that it is at least as fast as the default camera app.
B. Workaround: Accept that dev is not improving the app, and instead, do something else on the phone to compensate for the very bad speed.
I hope for a solution, not more workarounds.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2022-04-06
Just return the purchase and demand full refund.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2022-04-06
It's just explaining the difference between solutions and workarounds. It's engineering purity versus "whatever, just make it go away". If you think money would solve it, that's fine too.
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The issue affects when using the Storage Access Framework option (so needed for SD cards or video subtitles), with a large number files in that folder, on Android 10+. Open Camera needs to know the most recent photo/video both for displaying the gallery thumbnail, and for knowing what photo/video to show when the user clicks on the thumbnail.
The problem is due to Android, both that (a) with "scoped storage" on Android 10+, if an application doesn't have permission to view all user's photos/videos, then when photos/videos are saved with the Storage Access Framework API, they can only be read/discovered by using the Storage Access Framework APIs, and (b) the performance of the Storage Access Framework APIs suck.
These issues have been raised with Google ( https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/170027143 and https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/149420530 ), but have been closed as "Won't Fix". (Rather contradictorily, the first issue means that applications must use Storage Access Framework APIs to read files saved with that API, but the response to second issue says applications shouldn't use those Storage Access Framework APIs for traversing several files...)
A possible workaround is to request permission to view all user's photos/videos (this may be one way that other applications get round this - I see my Galaxy camera application has this permission), but (a) that seems poorer for security/privacy (Open Camera only really needs to those saved by itself) and defeats the whole point of scoped storage, (b) it puts me at risk of a random Google Play ban for over-using a permission.
There have been various articles on Android sites about the problems and poor performance that scoped storage and Storage Access Framework have caused for developers, and ultimately this is now end users seeing those problems (but unfortunately blaming application developers instead of Android) (most articles have focused on file manager applications, but it affects other applications too).
There is potentially another workaround, in that there now appears to be a newer way for applications to save photos/videos to SD cards without using Storage Access Framework. But that is a workaround, not a fix for the original problems. It is frustrating having to spend time working around things that Google themselves won't fix. It leads to further fragmentation in the user interface (yet more ways to save files - and whose to say that won't change yet again in a future version of Android). And it takes time away from developing other features. Also note that Storage Access Framework would still be the only way to save .SRT files (for the video subtitles feature)
It's possibly I've missed something of course, especially with the way that the file access rules keep changing - I welcome any developer tips that could help performance here.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2022-04-11
In my opinion, the requirement of showing, at the moment when Open Camera opens, a thumbnail of the very last photo/video that there is in the save -folder is rather stiff. From the viewpoint of users, the picture/video thumbnail gives the very important information: Was the picture that was just taken, framed and exposed (~) correctly or not. But, it is not very informative for users to see, at the very moment when Open Camera opens, a thumbnail of the pic/video that happens to be the most recent in the save folder, it depends on what the user has been doing using other apps.
So, the following functionality could be considered: Always when the Open Camera gets to be the active app (is opened or is bought from background to active) show e.g. the grey camera icon, or the icon of the linked gallery app. Just after the taken photo/video, show the thumbnail of the photo/video. During video recording, show something other, informative.
Closely related, could there be an option to choose if the gallery app is opened either with the save -folder in the browse -mode, or with the last pic in full frame -mode.
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Anonymous
Anonymous
-
2022-04-17
Open Camera could do the same what all(?) digicams and dSLR's do. Enforce the use of subfolders by date.
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Slow start of the app.
It takes 5-7 seconds from clicking the icon to being ready to shoot.
What do you recommend?
Can you post the info in Settings/About please?
I am not the original poster but I wish to add to this thread, if I may. On my phone, it can take about the same amount of time (some six seconds). Admittedly my phone is ancient (see attachment) but it is tweaked and well-maintained and few other apps are so slow to open and a camera app especially needs to be fast to open.
My system info - attached.
I think this is a separate issue to the one I describe in my comment below, since you're not using Storage Access Framework option, and you're not on Android 10+. How quickly do other camera applications open? Also how many photos/videos do you have in your save location do you know?
Good afternoon!
Figured it out!
The pause at the start was due to the fact that there are a lot of files in the directory on the memory card /OpenCamera.
3904 files 1.2 GB.
At the start, apparently, the directory was being scanned.
Created a new directory on the map /Open Camera 1.
The start was instantaneous.
My settings are in the attached file.
Thanks for the info. Glad you have found a workaround for now - the issue really comes down to the "scoped storage" changes introduced into Android 10, and the fact that the alternative APIs applications now have to use (Storage Access Framework) are poor performance. The issue is that Open Camera looks for the latest photo/video for the gallery thumbnail, and this takes several seconds if there are ~1000s of files in the folder - which really is quite rubbish on any modern platform.
I've reported this to Google, see https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/170027143 for full details.
The next version of Open Camera will have improvements to reduce the impact:
Last edit: Mark 2021-04-08
@Mark (if I may continue here, and thank you for the help)
'How quickly do other camera applications open?' Google Camera opened in some five seconds - and showed an intro screen; on a subsequent open a few seconds later it took three seconds.
'Also how many photos/videos do you have in your save location do you know?' I had some trouble locating the directory (does OpenCamera give the path anywhere? It should) but it seems I had nine photos in the top level and a subdirectory with a few photos in it. No videos. I delete all the top-level items but I am unsure start-up time is improved. For, I am unsure I fully exited the app.
Also, I had jolly fun when, having run OpenCamera with Google Camera still running, I saw an error about the camera being locked - but only after I'd managed to escape OpenCamera settings which for some reason were locked in landscape view. And then somehow I got stuck for a while on a fully black screen. Also: why is it that, when (and only when) the app is set to make a shutter sound, various non-taking-photo actions, such as pressing the settings cog, makes a sound?
I appreciate 6 seconds is slower than 3-5 seconds - but that still seems very slow in general. I'm not sure what would cause camera applications to open slowly on a device I'm afraid.
@Mark
Do please look into the matters that I described. Thank you.
+1 for slow startup time and it's now got a lot worse with update to Android 11.
On a Samsung A40, the default camera opens in less than half a second. Open Camera takes 8 seconds, which is never going to work if I'm trying to capture a moment.
Why does open camera need to concern itself with the contents of the save directory at all? I don't use open camera to view photos, only to take them.
Can't we choose to disable this?
"Why does open camera need to concern itself with the contents of the save directory at all? I don't use open camera to view photos, only to take them."
It needs the thumbnail of the latest photo/video to display on the gallery icon, which has slowed down on Android 10+ under the Storage Access Framework option due to having to use poor performance APIs due to the changes introduced in Android known as "scoped storage", but as I say I have a fix for the next version which means that will run in parallel.
But note, this issue is for when Settings/More camera controls/"Use Storage Framework" is enabled, and probably only with at least 100s of files in the save folder.
@mark-h , and all
There are two at least somewhat separate problems here:
1) slow start of the camera application on Android >=10;
2) slow start of the camera application on Android < 10.
My problem is 2. The problem of the other posters is 1.
Is there some sort of official bugtracker to which we can take these matters? I note though that Mark has described a fix that is in the works (within the Open Camera) app for - only? - 1.
Ah - same poster as immediately above here: I see that this site has a 'tickets' functionality.
So: someone with problem 1 should open a ticket.
I have opened a ticket for problem 2 - here.
The only similar open ticket that I could find - and it was not that similar (to either 1 or 2) - was from 2016 and appears to have been ignored, even though the person who opened it gave copious information.
Hi all!
Updated my Samsung SM-A515F to Android 12, One UI 4.1
Open Camera began to start slowly, for 1-2 minutes.
Tried reinstalling - doesn't help.
I'm using the Camera2 API
With the original API, the camera starts faster, but the capture button also appears with a delay, although somewhat less.
Pictures are saved to the memory card.
What do you advise?
Found a half solution:
Save photos to internal memory.
Periodically transfer them to a memory card.
The camera starts and shoots instantly.
P.S. Advise, please, a script or a utility to automate the transfer of files on a schedule.
Default camera also saves to SDcard, but no startup delay.
It is generally beneficial to organize the photos using a directory structure, and not keep them all in one huge folder like /DCIM/OC. Based on time or subject matter or occasion or such. The Open Camera save folder will never be bloated, it is easier to scrap all the test shots, and it is easier to share just the particular shots of the particular interest.
A. Solution: Dev improves the app so that it is at least as fast as the default camera app.
B. Workaround: Accept that dev is not improving the app, and instead, do something else on the phone to compensate for the very bad speed.
I hope for a solution, not more workarounds.
Just return the purchase and demand full refund.
It's just explaining the difference between solutions and workarounds. It's engineering purity versus "whatever, just make it go away". If you think money would solve it, that's fine too.
Just to summarise/answer a few things:
The issue affects when using the Storage Access Framework option (so needed for SD cards or video subtitles), with a large number files in that folder, on Android 10+. Open Camera needs to know the most recent photo/video both for displaying the gallery thumbnail, and for knowing what photo/video to show when the user clicks on the thumbnail.
The problem is due to Android, both that (a) with "scoped storage" on Android 10+, if an application doesn't have permission to view all user's photos/videos, then when photos/videos are saved with the Storage Access Framework API, they can only be read/discovered by using the Storage Access Framework APIs, and (b) the performance of the Storage Access Framework APIs suck.
These issues have been raised with Google ( https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/170027143 and https://issuetracker.google.com/issues/149420530 ), but have been closed as "Won't Fix". (Rather contradictorily, the first issue means that applications must use Storage Access Framework APIs to read files saved with that API, but the response to second issue says applications shouldn't use those Storage Access Framework APIs for traversing several files...)
A possible workaround is to request permission to view all user's photos/videos (this may be one way that other applications get round this - I see my Galaxy camera application has this permission), but (a) that seems poorer for security/privacy (Open Camera only really needs to those saved by itself) and defeats the whole point of scoped storage, (b) it puts me at risk of a random Google Play ban for over-using a permission.
There have been various articles on Android sites about the problems and poor performance that scoped storage and Storage Access Framework have caused for developers, and ultimately this is now end users seeing those problems (but unfortunately blaming application developers instead of Android) (most articles have focused on file manager applications, but it affects other applications too).
Please see https://sourceforge.net/p/opencamera/blog/2020/12/open-camera-and-scoped-storage/ and https://sourceforge.net/p/opencamera/blog/2021/09/version-1491/ for more details.
There is potentially another workaround, in that there now appears to be a newer way for applications to save photos/videos to SD cards without using Storage Access Framework. But that is a workaround, not a fix for the original problems. It is frustrating having to spend time working around things that Google themselves won't fix. It leads to further fragmentation in the user interface (yet more ways to save files - and whose to say that won't change yet again in a future version of Android). And it takes time away from developing other features. Also note that Storage Access Framework would still be the only way to save .SRT files (for the video subtitles feature)
It's possibly I've missed something of course, especially with the way that the file access rules keep changing - I welcome any developer tips that could help performance here.
In my opinion, the requirement of showing, at the moment when Open Camera opens, a thumbnail of the very last photo/video that there is in the save -folder is rather stiff. From the viewpoint of users, the picture/video thumbnail gives the very important information: Was the picture that was just taken, framed and exposed (~) correctly or not. But, it is not very informative for users to see, at the very moment when Open Camera opens, a thumbnail of the pic/video that happens to be the most recent in the save folder, it depends on what the user has been doing using other apps.
So, the following functionality could be considered: Always when the Open Camera gets to be the active app (is opened or is bought from background to active) show e.g. the grey camera icon, or the icon of the linked gallery app. Just after the taken photo/video, show the thumbnail of the photo/video. During video recording, show something other, informative.
Closely related, could there be an option to choose if the gallery app is opened either with the save -folder in the browse -mode, or with the last pic in full frame -mode.
Open Camera could do the same what all(?) digicams and dSLR's do. Enforce the use of subfolders by date.