The Camera on my E71x won't open.

Question

Yesterday i got my new Nokia E71x. I really liked it and all of it's features until i tried to open the camera and it refused to. Every time i go to open it, i get a message saying: Camera in use by another application. I don't know if this is just a little thing that i don't know how to fix, or a serious problem. I've looked up how fix this is the user guide and in the help menu on the phone. niether of them had any information supporting my problem. any help is much appreciated. 
-cl 
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Answer 1

I've had a nokia as my primary phone for the better part of a decade and the E71x is my first smart phone.  I've only had it a matter of days, but I've found the same problems with the camera as described above.  I've found two ways to fix/avoid the problem.
First: Just turn the phone off and restart.  In other words, all applications using the camera are terminated.
Second:  This is where I believe the problem is.  The phone was designed to multitask.  If you hold the home (house button) down you can toggle between open applications.  This is much like holding alt and pushing the tab button on a standard windows pc.  The inherent problem is that the camera function WHEN CLOSED IMPROPERLY is no longer accessible or recognized by the firmware.  In other words, if you just push the red/'end call' button to exit your camera session you will run into this problem.  The SOLUTION is that you MUST exit the camera operation EACH TIME.  Note:  If you start using your 'multitask' button you will find how this applies to all the programs we're used to on nokia phones.  So, as annoying as it is, while you are in the OPERATIONAL camera mode, push your soft left button (topmost left) to access the options menu.  Select your options and scroll to exit.  If you EXIT THE CAMERA MODE PROPERLY the phone will no longer consider it a running program.  THIS IS A GLITCH.  In the end it is a good habit to terminate programs that are not in use, but the problem with the camera access is testiment to firmware problems that we are more than likely not going to see a fix for.  This is a good phone and I've never been unsatisfied with owning a nokia, but this particular problem seems like an oversight in firmware.  With proper application closing in mind, you should never run into any major problems with this phone.  But like I've said, I've only had it a matter of days.