Using straight Android we can build a custom camera Activity.

Here are the basics:

package com.mobvcasting.snapshot;

import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;

import android.app.Activity;
import android.content.ContentValues;
import android.content.res.Configuration;
import android.hardware.Camera;
import android.net.Uri;
import android.os.Bundle;
import android.provider.MediaStore.Images.Media;
import android.view.SurfaceHolder;
import android.view.SurfaceView;
import android.view.View;
import android.view.View.OnClickListener;
import android.widget.Toast;

public class SnapShot extends Activity implements OnClickListener,
		SurfaceHolder.Callback, Camera.PictureCallback {

	SurfaceView cameraView;
	SurfaceHolder surfaceHolder;
	Camera camera;

	@Override
	public void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState) {
		super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);

		setContentView(R.layout.main);

		cameraView = (SurfaceView) this.findViewById(R.id.CameraView);
		surfaceHolder = cameraView.getHolder();
		surfaceHolder.setType(SurfaceHolder.SURFACE_TYPE_PUSH_BUFFERS);
		surfaceHolder.addCallback(this);

		cameraView.setFocusable(true);
		cameraView.setFocusableInTouchMode(true);
		cameraView.setClickable(true);

		cameraView.setOnClickListener(this);
	}

	public void onClick(View v) {
		camera.takePicture(null, null, this);
	}

	public void onPictureTaken(byte[] data, Camera camera) {
// data is a byte array already in JPEG form
		Uri imageFileUri = getContentResolver().insert(
				Media.EXTERNAL_CONTENT_URI, new ContentValues());
		try {
			OutputStream imageFileOS = getContentResolver().openOutputStream(
					imageFileUri);
			imageFileOS.write(data);
			imageFileOS.flush();
			imageFileOS.close();
		} catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
			Toast t = Toast.makeText(this, e.getMessage(), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
			t.show();
		} catch (IOException e) {
			Toast t = Toast.makeText(this, e.getMessage(), Toast.LENGTH_SHORT);
			t.show();
		}
		camera.startPreview();
	}

	public void surfaceChanged(SurfaceHolder holder, int format, int w, int h) {
		camera.startPreview();
	}

	public void surfaceCreated(SurfaceHolder holder) {
		camera = Camera.open();
		try {
			camera.setPreviewDisplay(holder);
			Camera.Parameters parameters = camera.getParameters();
			if (this.getResources().getConfiguration().orientation != Configuration.ORIENTATION_LANDSCAPE) {
				parameters.set("orientation", "portrait");

				// For Android Version 2.2 and above
				camera.setDisplayOrientation(90);

				// For Android Version 2.0 and above
				parameters.setRotation(90);
			}

			

			camera.setParameters(parameters);
		} catch (IOException exception) {
			camera.release();
		}
	}

	public void surfaceDestroyed(SurfaceHolder holder) {
		camera.stopPreview();
		camera.release();
	}
} // End the Activity

Here is the corresponding main.xml file from res/layout:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:orientation="vertical"
    android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent"
    >
<SurfaceView android:id="@+id/CameraView" android:layout_width="fill_parent" android:layout_height="fill_parent">
Don't forget to add CAMERA permissions into your AndroidManifest.xml file.