My brand new iPhone 3GS, free from AT&T with a two-year contract extension and $15 data plan upgrade, began exhibiting the same problem--the app activates to a blank screen, sometimes if I double tap the app it go to a closed shutter for a split second and then back to black/blank/grey or whatever.
A hard reset, as suggested here, seems to have done the trick.
The phone being new and within the 30-day swap period, I decided to call AT&T to find out what they knew and they were more than happy to tell me they knew nothing about the problem, had never heard of such a thing, had never had a phone returned for such an issue, and to call 800-my-apple for help. Realizing I was dealing with lazy idiots, I called Apple instead and the rep was very helpful.
She informed me that there was a fifty-fifty chance as to whether it was the software or the camera mechanism and sent me links to a tutorial as to how to back up all of my information on the phone to iTunes, how to delete and reinstall the operating system, and then how to restore my data and contacts from the backup. I've also been given a case # in case I need to follow up with them.
Once that's done, if the camera keeps malfuncitoning, I should either try to exchange it at the AT&T store if they decide to be helpful, or I can drive fifty miles north to my nearest Apple store and get it exchanged for another phone.
Hopefully the reset fixed the issue for good. Otherwise, I hope it's the software and the recommended reinstall will do the trick. If my phone keeps screwing up, I'll exchange it for another.
I hope sharing my experience will be helpful to someone else having the same problem. I was totally bummed and positive that I was going to have to replace my phone and lose all of my information, but this blog and the lady at 800-my-apple was as helpful as the teenagers at the AT&T store weren't.
Thanks, everyone.
-L.
