iPhone Camera not saving pictures

Question

iPhone Camera not saving pictures

Everything looks like it's working, I aim at what I want, click the shutter button. It makes the clicking noise and acts like it's saving the image. But when you go to look at the image there is an empty box like there should be a picture, but nothing is in it. When syncing, iPhoto shows no photos on the iPhone.

I did a hard reset holding down both buttons until the Apple logo appears, no change in behavior. I did a restore in iTunes, no change in behavior.

Any other suggestions?

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.2), 2ghz Intel Dual Core w/2GB RAM -8GB iPhone

Posted on Feb 22, 2008 6:03 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 22, 2008 6:06 AM in response to Derek Schaible

I should also mention that this phone has had a bunch of problems post 1.1.3 update. Prior to that, no issues what so ever. Since then, this is the latest in a slew of issues which everyone here, including Apple, has blew off as nothing to worry about.

Arrgggghhhhh.

Methinks 1.1.3 has some real problems. Anyone else experiencing this? (Well, I know you have but when we try to discuss those issues our threads conveniently disappear as I'm sure this one will, too....)

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Answer 2

Feb 29, 2008 11:22 PM in response to Derek Schaible

my camera also stopped saving pictures

I found a workaround

use the application CameraPro. First touch the Capture button on the lower left. Then take a photo with Camera Pro.. wait about 5 seconds for the spinning dial to stop. Quit camera Pro.

Take a normal iPhone camera photo.. it will now save..

However, if you delete those photos, and put the iPhone to sleep, you will have to start over with "initializing the saving" with Camera Pro again.

If you figure out how to solve this, let me know too!

It started one day while I was on 1.1.1.... after updating to 1.1.3.. the problem persists..

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Answer 3

sjdavie

Level 1

29 points

Feb 29, 2008 11:34 PM in response to jon_slider

This sounds like a software issue. I would suggest doing a restore. The only catch is I would delete the backups to the phone first before doing the restore.

This means you will have to select the music you want. Re-sync your bluetooth devices, and enter you wifi keys. You will also loose your notes and any alarms and such.

The contacts should come back from your email client. Music/Videos from iTunes. Emails accounts also from your email client.

Now the benefit is if you have a corrupted file or config in you backup it wont return because you deleted the backup before the restore.

Now I know this sounds like some work, but might fix the issue and give you a fresh start with 1.1.4.

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Answer 4

Mar 1, 2008 6:09 AM in response to sjdavie

Actually, after going to my local Apple store they swapped out my phone for a new one. As I mentioned in my original post, restoring did not work. I called Apple support who had me do a couple of restore variations to no avail. Even restoring and setting up the phone as a new one did not work. So, something hardware related was going on.

I have a new phone now with 1.1.3 (about to try 1.1.4 on a different phone) and all is working as it's supposed to.

Thanks for the advice, however and good luck to those who are still experiencing the issue. I'd put a call into to Apple about it.

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Answer 5

Mar 1, 2008 2:27 PM in response to Derek Schaible

I have experienced the same problem, exactly as described here. When opening the blank images, the Camera application on iPhone crashes and it returns to the Home screen.

This problem happened about exactly the same timeline (third week in Feb) and sequence (firmware updates). This makes me think there may be a software fix for it, however I just installed firmware update 1.1.4 and the problem persists.

Hoping for a fix..

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Answer 6

Mar 1, 2008 2:28 PM in response to killstead

forgot to mention, I tried resetting and restoring as well, and the problem persists.

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Answer 7

Mar 1, 2008 3:14 PM in response to killstead

My feeling is that there was/is a factory making iPhones where something is different. It is not a main manufacturing, but they supplied a very small percentage of phones pre 1.1.3 update. After 1.1.3, an incompatibility was introduced for this very small percentage.

The reason I say this is because I have multiple iPhones, all purchased pre 1.1.3. All worked flawlessly. Once 1.1.3 came out, only this one phone had issues from day one. Most annoying was my thread on loosing the signal and not getting a cell signal again until the phone has it's power cycled. A very annoying issue. Just drive out of range of a tower and you cannot get any signal whatsoever without rebooting the phone. That thread got deleted and the problem persisted with that phone right up to to the moment Apple replaced it (about 6 days ago). We had other issues with it as well, all post 1.1.3. Prior to 1.1.3 this phone worked perfectly. After 1.1.3, immediately upon first reboot I might add, this phone had these issues.

Up until now, Apple has been claiming these issues were all "within spec". Any discussions about 1.1.3 issues were summarily deleted.

Thankfully, since that iPhone was swapped out we have had no issues. Updating to 1.1.4 went smoothly, too.

I would take my phone back to an Apple store if you are experiencing this issue. How do you intend to implement a software fix for a problem that isn't acknowledged and full restores and resets do not solve the problem?

Answer: It's a combination of hardware and firmware.

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Answer 8

Mar 2, 2008 3:18 PM in response to Derek Schaible

Answer: It's a combination of hardware and firmware.

That may be; I don't have multiple iPhone devices nor evidence to make this determination.

I am happy to report, however, that the problem with the camera not saving pictures was corrected after I did a restore as a new phone (not restoring the backup). A destructive "restore" - of course, I lost notes (I emailed them to myself before "restoring"), settings, passwords, et cetera. I had to re-configure a number of things, but the camera app saves pictures now. I will monitor the device's performance, in case some other functionality is affected.

This is not a solution, only a workaround, and a very unintuitive one ("restore" does not actually restore).

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Answer 9

Mar 3, 2008 3:03 AM in response to Derek Schaible

EZ Fix.
Go into your dcim folder and delete any .XML files.
That folder is only suppose to have .jpg files put some program like iflickr put XML files in there and if you delete them it should fix the problem.

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Answer 10

calden

Level 1

4 points

Mar 3, 2008 10:31 PM in response to reptile347

Awesome. I'm having the same problem as all the rest and would love a quick fix. However, I can't find the dcim folder. Any idea where to look? I'm on a Vista machine. Thanks!

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Answer 11

Mar 5, 2008 4:12 AM in response to reptile347

I am having the same problem, but it only started since updating to 1.1.4 firmware (the camera worked perfectly under 1.1.3 and everything else works OK under 1.1.4). My /var/mobile/Media/DCIM directory has a file called ":2eDS Store" in it, but no .XML files.

I have tried the CameraPro workaround, but that doesn't work either - when I try to take a photo with CameraPro the spinning dial just carries on forever (well, I left it for 10 minutes and it was still spinning) .

I am stumped - any ideas would be gratefully received.

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Answer 12

Mar 5, 2008 8:20 AM in response to killstead

Ok... I KNOW it's not my iPhone... As Apple just replaced my iPhone due to the one I had last week having bubbles under the glass.

This behavior started right before I sent my old iPhone in to be repaired (right after I installed 1.1.4). I mentioned this behavior to the guy on the phone and he said it was weird, but that it would be a moot issue since the repair people completely erase iPhones when they go in for repair. I get a brand new one yesterday, sync/activated it, and took a pic.

Shutter snaps, Picture zooms to lower left, just like normal.

Go to the camera roll and there's another empty box. AGAIN.

So, it's something they changed with the software, as every picture I take results (in both my old iPhone AND brand new one, with new install and restore and factory defaults - it came with 1.1.3 and I should have taken a pic before upgrading) in white boxes in the camera roll to which the camera app crashes to the home screen when a white box is selected.

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Answer 13

Mar 5, 2008 8:31 AM in response to Steven Richason

Unless you got two phones from the same faulty factory as I've surmised.

Like I said, my issues were certainly not software related. We (me and Apple Phone Tech as well as Apple Genius at the store) did every type of restore possible. That phone broke the day I upgraded it with 1.1.3 and wasn't fixed until I got a new phone. And prior to 1.1.3, that same phone functioned 100% properly.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

He shrugged off the "faulty factory" idea as well but gave me a new phone which functions 100% properly now.

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Answer 14

Mar 5, 2008 8:33 AM in response to reptile347

Oh, I should also mention that no such apps were ever on my phone. I never jailbroke it and the only web-apps ever used on that phone was solitaire from iTap software.

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Answer 15

Mar 5, 2008 3:56 PM in response to TimBrailsford

It looks like this is caused by corrupted configuration files. I fixed the problem by doing a full destructive restore twice (i.e. putting it into recovery mode, restoring, activating and the restoring from the iTunes backup). The first time I did this, the problem remained. The second time I tested the camera immediately after activation (it worked) before restoring from backup. I don't know whether I was just unlucky the first time to have the same file corrupted twice or maybe testing the camera on a newly activated system rebuilt the file. However, whatever the cause I now have a working camera again!

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