This is an experimental technology
Check the Browser compatibility table carefully before using this in production.
The MediaStream Image Capture API is an API for capturing images or videos from a photographic device. In addition to capturing data, it also allows you to retrieve information about device capabilities such as image size, red-eye reduction and whether or not there is a flash and what they are currently set to. Conversely, the API allows the capabilities to be configured within the constraints what the device allows.
MediaStream image capture concepts and usage
The process of retrieving an image or video stream happens as described below. The example code is adapted from Chrome's Image Capture examples.
First, get a reference to a device by calling MediaDevices.getUserMedia()
. The example below simply says give me whatever video device is available, though the getUserMedia()
method allows more specific capabilities to be requested. This method returns a Promise
that resolves with a MediaStream
object.
navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia({ video: true }) .then(mediaStream => { // Do something with the stream. })
Next, isolate the visual part of the media stream. Do this by calling MediaStream.getVideoTracks()
. This returns an array of MediaStreamTrack
objects. The code below assumes that the first item in the MediaStreamTrack
array is the one to use. You can use the properties of the MediaStreamTrack
objects to select the one you need.
const track = mediaStream.getVideoTracks()[0];
At this point, you might want to configure the device capabilities before capturing an image. You can do this by calling applyConstraints()
on the track object before doing anything else.
let zoom = document.querySelector('#zoom'); const capabilities = track.getCapabilities(); // Check whether zoom is supported or not. if(!capabilities.zoom) { return; } track.applyConstraints({ advanced : [{ zoom: zoom.value }] });
Finally, pass the MediaStreamTrack
object to the ImageCapture()
constructor. Though a MediaStream
holds several types of tracks and provides multiple methods for retrieving them, the ImageCapture constructor will throw a DOMException
of type NotSupportedError
if MediaStreamTrack.kind
is not "video"
.
let imageCapture = new ImageCapture(track);
Interfaces
ImageCapture
- An interface for capturing images from a photographic device referenced through a valid
MediaStreamTrack
. PhotoCapabilities
- Provides available configuration options for an attached photographic device. Retrieve a
PhotoCapabilities
object by callingImageCapture.getPhotoCapabilities()
.
Specifications
Specification | Status | Comment |
---|---|---|
MediaStream Image Capture | Working Draft | Initial definition. |
Browser compatibility
ImageCapture
Desktop | Mobile | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ImageCapture | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
ImageCapture() constructor | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
getPhotoCapabilities | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
getPhotoSettings | Chrome Full support 61 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 61 | Chrome Android Full support 61 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 8.0 |
grabFrame | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
takePhoto | Chrome
Full support
60
| Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera
Full support
47
| Safari ? | WebView Android
Full support
60
| Chrome Android
Full support
60
| Firefox Android ? | Opera Android
Full support
44
| Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android
Full support
8.0
|
track | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support
- Compatibility unknown
- Compatibility unknown
- Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.
- Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.
- See implementation notes.
- See implementation notes.
PhotoCapabilities
Desktop | Mobile | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PhotoCapabilities | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
fillLightMode | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
imageHeight | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
imageWidth | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
redEyeReduction | Chrome Full support 59 | Edge Full support ≤79 | Firefox ? | IE ? | Opera Full support 46 | Safari ? | WebView Android Full support 59 | Chrome Android Full support 59 | Firefox Android ? | Opera Android Full support 43 | Safari iOS ? | Samsung Internet Android Full support 7.0 |
Legend
- Full support
- Full support
- Compatibility unknown
- Compatibility unknown
- Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.
- Experimental. Expect behavior to change in the future.