Long Shoot (alpha) - Camera for Stack Photography, Time Lapse and Long Exposure

Announcement

As you probably already seen, this project has not been updated in quite a long time, which has various reasons.

Not long after I finished the fundamental operations of some of the advanced functions, I realized that in order to achieve all the functions I want in an efficient yet elegant way, the basic framework of this project needs to be rewrite from the start. Because this is literally the first Android project I wrote, though I have some idea for maintainability from the beginning, I can see it will soon turn into a nightmare. However, now that I have experience of how the camera2 API works, I can construct a much better framework for this project.

The problem is when will I actually do it. It has been a tough time for me in the past year and I do not know how long it will last. I do have a strong intention to finish this project as the thing I initially planed, but it has to wait until I solve some much bigger problems.

No mater weather I eventually did it or not, the current state of this project probably still has some value in it. If you want to figure out how to use the camera2 API to capture photo, and what kinds of details should go into it, check the source code and comments in it.

Long Shoot is an Android camera application (app) using the camera2 API. It will give you the ability to manually control every parameters of the camera on your phone. With the Capture Sequence function and RAW support, it can produce photos for advanced stack photography and time lapse.

If you think the photo taken by this app is too flat, or wonder what is the point of this app when you have Google Camera or any other fancy camera that can provide you a good-looking photo straight out, please check out this part of the FAQ section.

Before you try to install, please check the Requirements section. Be aware that this is still alpha stage software.

• Latest signed APK file(s): GitHub Release Page (do not try any pre-release build if you do not know what it is)
• Telegram group for discussion and technical support: Long Shoot - Development
• Telegram channel for release news: Long Shoot - Distribution

If you want to request a feature or report a bug, you can create an issue, then please follow the corresponding issue template to provide information. Also check the Frequently Asked Questions and Known Bugs section first.

Content

• Requirements
• Features
• TODO List
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Known Bugs
• How to Get the Logcat

Requirements

These requirements can be checked using another app Camera Characteristics.

• Mandatory
  • Android API Level >= 26 (>= 28 will enable more feature)
  • Device has android.hardware.camera2 support
• Optional
  • CameraCharacteristics.INFO_SUPPORTED_HARDWARE_LEVEL >= FULL (have not tested much on devices with lower INFO_SUPPORTED_HARDWARE_LEVEL, highly possible to run into bugs or crash)

Should works great on Pixel and Nexus devices, or any manufacturer that doesn't do too much weird modifications to stock Android.

I personally have Nexus 6P and OnePlus 6 to test on, can not guarantee to be fully funtional on other devices. (BTW, OP6 with OOS is already weird, can't imagine how highly modified Android would be.)

Features

• Full control of shutter parameters
  • Focus
    • [x] Auto focus
    • [x] Manual focus
    • [x] Manual Focus Assistant (zoom in when adjust the SeekBar)
    • [x] Touch to set Focus Assistant center
    • [ ] Touch to focus
  • Exposure time (Shutter speed)
    • Format
      • [x] Numeric
      • [ ] "1/..." for exposure time less than 1s
    • Range
      • [x] Within device limit
      • [x] Bypass device limit
      • [ ] Simulate long exposure (Accumulate, like a normal long exposure)
      • [ ] Simulate long exposure (Average, like long exposure under neutral-density filter)
  • [x] ISO
  • White balance
    • [x] Auto White Balance
    • [ ] Manual White Balance
  • [x] Flash control (Flash lights on phones may not be a good choice for great lighting)
• Photo output
  • [x] Choice between RAW (DNG) / JPEG output
  • [x] GPS record for shots
  • [x] Write correct metadata into files or embed in shot
  • [ ] Custom output file name with patterns
• Capture Sequence (Replacement for BRK and Burst)
  • [ ] Basic elements
    • [ ] Single capture (Basic element)
    • [ ] Pause length (Pause time between previous and next capture)
  • [ ] Special elements
    • [ ] Repeat interval (a start and an end entry) (Repeat basic elements within the interval for a specified time)
    • [ ] Time condition (proceed next element not before a apecific time)
  • Both basic and special elements (except 'Time condition') have their own 'repeat count', can be endless
• Additional Tools for Capture
  • [ ] On Screen Display (OSD) of Elevation Angle and Azimuth
  • [ ] OSD of GPS information (Longtitude, Latitude, Altitude)
  • [ ] Information as a Reflected Light Meter
  • [ ] Bluetooth or Network remote control (reduce vibration)
  • [x] Alternative seekbar mode, improve accuracy within small range

TODO List

• [x] A preview interface that matches capture parameters
• [x] UI of capture parameters controller
• Control of capture parameters
  • [x] Exposure Time
  • [x] Sensitivity
  • [x] Aperture
  • [x] Auto White Balance
  • [x] Optical Stabilization
  • [x] Focal Length
  • [x] Focus Distance
• [ ] Handle app lifecycle
• [x] Capture and store the photo
• [ ] Controller in UI for:
  • [ ] Switch camera
  • [x] Open torch
  • [ ] Gallery
• [x] Zoom in SeekBar for preciser adjust
• [x] Change text in adjust panel according to parameters
• [x] Another thread for storing image file
• [ ] Use captureRequest with empty target to create interval between shoots, prevent trigger each capture separately, hence prevent the capture lag problem.
• [ ] Different capture sequences for stacking or time-lapse
• [ ] More miscellaneous settings in setting interface
• [ ] Better handle of auto capture mode capture parameters
• [ ] Simulate long exposure under RAW format
• [ ] Shutter / Aperture priority
• [x] Handle Android permission request
• [ ] Redo the Icon (not a camera! should be a phone.)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why the app crashes?

A: Um, this can be complicated, you should create an issue and provide more information there. The problem can be a bug I didn't discover or compatibility issue.

Q: Why the camera won't focus after I touch on the screen? What is the crosshair for?

A: Touch to focus is not implanted yet. The crosshair is to indicate Focus Assistant center, it will work for auto focus in the future.

Q: Why there is big block of text in the viewfinder?

A: That is information about every frame been captured, for some debug purpose. I will add an option in settings to let user disable it.

Q: Who will ever want to turn off Optical Image Stabilization (OIS)?

A: When you are shooting handheld, OIS is greate to cancel some shake; but when you have mounted your device to a tripod, OIS is a source of shake.

Q: Why the Sequence button in the main screen leads to an empty interface?

A: Capture Sequence function is still under construction. I'm afraid it will take some time to arrive.

Q: After enabled Consecutive Capture in settings, the preview freezes after press the CAPTURE button.

A: This is expected, that's why the option is under Experimental & Temporary section. This is a temporary replacement of Capture Sequence.

Q: Why the About button in the menu of settings does nothing?

A: Expected, I didn't write the about interface yet.

Q: In china, the GPS location information is not correct.

A: The GPS coordinate gets from a standard Android system should be in WGS84 format, and this app will only store it as the way it is. However, every map provider in China use the GCJ02 format, try to directly overlay WGS84 cooridinate onto GCJ02 map will result incorrectly.

Q: What is the point of this app compare to something like Google Camera?

A:

Known Bugs

These bugs been documented here because I do not know what caused them or how to solve them.

• [ ] The focus distance used for capture can not match the one used for request. Seems to have hyper focal distance be the furthest focus distance.

• [ ] The first capture in every capture request (both repeating and capture) will take more time than the exposure time. The extended time depends on the previous capture's exposure time, usually triple of it.

• [ ] If the capture format is JPEG, image can not be saved after called captureSession.abortCapture().

• [ ] When the image format is RAW_SENSOR, the captureSize acquired from cameraCharacteristics will be slightly bigger than then actual result.

• [ ] When the Focus Assistant center was set to some point, the magnification will be smaller, even if the CaptureResult.SCALER_CROP_REGION is exactly what we want.

• [ ] When switching between bottom sheets too fast, the viewingControlBottomSheet will be set to 0. Because when close the bottom sheet, there is a STATE_SETTLING before STATE_HIDDEN, if user open a new bottom sheet before STATE_HIDDEN callback (this is quite easy), the viewingControlBottomSheet will be set to 0 and date in adjust pannel will not be synchronized with 3A results.

• [ ] On OnePlus 6 (enchilada), when the image format is RAW_SENSOR, the preview viewfinder will get anomalously brighter, but the captured image still have normal brightness.

• [ ] On OnePlus 6 (enchilada), when the image format is JPEG and the captureSize is the max available value 4k x 3x, the edge of result image will be cut out.

• [ ] On OnePlus 6 (enchilada), after captured single image several times, the imageReader will suddenly not recceive the capture result. This will not happen in repeatingRequest or after stopped the repeatingRequest of preview.

How to Get the Logcat

• What device you want to use
  • Computer
  • Just the device used to run the app

Computer

1. Get access to Android Debug Bridge (adb). (If you already have, you can skip this part)

   • If you have Android Studio installed, follow this page to install Android SDK Platform-Tools.
   • If you do not have Android Studio, download Android SDK Platform-Tools here. (If you are on Linux, you can also get it from the package manager)

2. Enable USB debugging. (If you already have, you can skip this part)

   • Go to System Settings > System > Developer Options > USB debugging (Under the Debugging section).
   • If you did not see Developer Options under System, first go to About phone under System, then tap on Build number several times.

3. Connect the device to the computer

   • Via USB cable: this is the simple way, just connect it, and tap OK in the Allow USB debugging? dialog.
   • Via adb over network: this is the wireless way if you prefer, please follow this part of the official guide.

4. Start getting the logcat

   • If the app can be launched (not crash right after you launch it)

     1. Launche the app
     2. Run the following command in your computer's terminal (Be sure to change the file path):

     adb shell 'logcat --pid=$(pidof -s com.tyroneil.longshootalpha)' > 'path_format_depending_on_system/LSA_LOGCAT.TXT'
     

     3. Reproduce the bug.

   • If the app can not launch

     1. Run the following command in your computer's terminal (Be sure to change the file path):

     adb logcat *:E > 'path_format_depending_on_system/LSA_LOGCAT.TXT'
     

     2. Launch the app (let it crash).

5. Stop getting the logcat

   • After collected the logcat, you need to manually stop it. You can:
     • When you are in the terminal, press CTRL + C on your keyboard.
     • Or you can just close the terminal window.
   • The logcat will be stored in the path you used above.

Just the device used to run the app

• It seems like you need root access to perform this method, or you can not store the logcat to a file.

1. Get access to a terminal (using a terminal app)

2. Start getting the logcat

   • If the app can be launched (not crash right after you launch it)

     1. Launche the app
     2. Run the following command line by line in the terminal (Be sure to change the file path, usually you can use /storage/emulated/0/LSA_LOGCAT.TXT):

     su
     logcat -f 'path_format_depending_on_system/LSA_LOGCAT.TXT' --pid=$(pidof -s com.tyroneil.longshootalpha)
     

     3. Reproduce the bug.

   • If the app can not launch

     1. Run the following command line by line in the terminal (Be sure to change the file path, usually you can use /storage/emulated/0/LSA_LOGCAT.TXT):

     su
     logcat -f 'path_format_depending_on_system/LSA_LOGCAT.TXT' *:E
     

     2. Launch the app (let it crash).

3. Stop getting the logcat

   • After collected the logcat, you need to manually stop it. You can:
     • Just close the terminal app (be sure to stop it, do not just press the Home button).
     • Or you can try to send CTRL + C into the terminal, if you know how to do that.
   • The logcat will be stored in the path you used above.