[Q] Can't connect to camera and I've tried everything - Galaxy S III Q&A, Help & Troubleshooting

This problem has been encountered by tons of people and there are tons of threads, which I think I have read all of, but I still can't solve the problem. My problem started when I decided I want to put CM10.2 (cyanogenmod for those who don't know) on my Galaxy S3 (i9300 intl version). I use a mac and so I looked up how to root from a mac. I found this site and followed the instructions. After finishing, my phone was not rooted and for some strange reason, my camera stopped working. I decided to ignore that since I figured once I rooted it and put CM on it, it would solve itself. Note: I didn't make a backup. I know, stupid stupid stupid. Once I got CM on there however, the problem persisted. I have now spent 3 days and untold number of hours on this and I can't solve it.
The following is a log of everything I have done from the very beginning:
1. Tried to root using method from this site. It tells you to download a zip file which contains: heimdall suite 1.3.2 (mac) and CWM-SuperSU-v0.87.zip which further contains an apk called Superuser.apk and also su command for xbin. It also contains a file called s3pit.pit which you flash via heimdall first. Result of this was camera on original stock rom not working and not rooted.
2. I rooted my s3 using the proper method which involved using my PC using Odin3 v1.85 to flash CF-Auto-Root-m0-m0xx-gti9300.tar.md5. This worked fine.
3. Flashed clockworkmod recovery using Odin3 v.3.07 and file recovery-cwmtouch-6.0.3.2-GTI9300.tar
4. Installed CM 10.2 without any issues. Tried camera, no go.
5. I am in spain and bought my phone here unlocked. I did the best I could to find out what my original stock rom was. Using This thread as a guide I restored GT-I9300XXEMG4_KOR_MULTI_FACTORY which included new pit, modem and bootloader. Still no dice.
6. I read multiple posts in which people were able to fix the problem by simply putting the correct camera firmware .bin file into the /data/cfw folder. I downloaded every .bin I could find and put them in there but... no dice.
7. Using the dialer, I enter *#34971539# to find out what firmware and camera I have but nothing comes up. It just says "Standard Firmware"
8. I flashed an updated stock firmware: PHE-I9300XXUGMK6-20131228140138. Everything great... except for the camera
9. Opened up ADB and started looking for clues in the log. Here's the log I got under this ROM:
E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): camFW =
E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): FimcV4l2 init: error -1, VIDIOC_S_INPUT
E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): initCamera X: error, /dev/video0
V/SecCameraHardware( 1919): FimcV4l2 deinit EX
E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): createInstance: error, camera cannot be initialiezed
E/SecCameraHardware( 1919): Instance is not created
E/SecCameraCoreManager( 1919): Could not open camera 0: -38
D/SecCameraCoreManager( 1919): SecCameraCoreManager destroyed: pid=1919
I/SecCameraCoreManager( 1919): Destroying camera 0
E/CameraEngine(20826): service cannot connect. critical exception occured.
"destroying camera" (and soul)
I'm not convinced the fw files I placed in the /data/cfw folder are being recognized or used because where it says in the log "camFW=", the value is null. Other users' log files for this problem usually have a value in there for the firmware.
10. I decided to hell with this, I need my phone back to at least usable state so I reflashed my nandroid backup of CM10.2 (still no camera) but had a look at the log to see if it was different and it is. I guess because of exynos:
--------- beginning of /dev/log/main
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_number_of_cameras()
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41255c18)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0x41738c18)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3
--------- beginning of /dev/log/system
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902c18)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0xbeed47d0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3
V/CameraHolder( 6705): open camera 0
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738bb0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738ba0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open(0x40dca004, 0, 0x40d8e8dc)
E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_start: Unable to set inputs
E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open: Unable to start camera
E/CameraHolder( 6705): fail to connect Camera
E/CameraHolder( 6705): java.lang.RuntimeException: Fail to connect to camera service
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at android.hardware.Camera.native_setup(Native Method)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at android.hardware.Camera.<init>(Camera.java:366)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at android.hardware.Camera.open(Camera.java:322)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.CameraManager.cameraOpen(CameraManager.java:304)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.CameraHolder.open(CameraHolder.java:210)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.Util.openCamera(Util.java:457)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.PhotoModule$CameraStartUpThread.run(PhotoModule.java:311)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902c18)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0xbeed47d0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3
V/CameraHolder( 6705): open camera 0
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902bb0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902ba0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open(0x40dca004, 0, 0x41efbc44)
E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_start: Unable to set inputs
E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open: Unable to start camera
E/CameraHolder( 6705): fail to connect Camera
E/CameraHolder( 6705): java.lang.RuntimeException: Fail to connect to camera service
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at android.hardware.Camera.native_setup(Native Method)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at android.hardware.Camera.<init>(Camera.java:366)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at android.hardware.Camera.open(Camera.java:322)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.CameraManager.cameraOpen(CameraManager.java:304)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.CameraHolder.open(CameraHolder.java:210)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.Util.openCamera(Util.java:457)
E/CameraHolder( 6705): at com.android.camera.PhotoModule$CameraStartUpThread.run(PhotoModule.java:311)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41902c18)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(1, 0xbeed47d0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5K6A3
V/CameraHolder(12444): open camera 0
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738bb0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_get_camera_info(0, 0x41738ba0)
D/exynos_camera( 1911): Selected camera: S5C73M3
D/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open(0x40dca004, 0, 0x40d9b6cc)
E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_start: Unable to set inputs
E/exynos_camera( 1911): exynos_camera_open: Unable to start camera
E/CameraHolder(12444): fail to connect Camera
E/CameraHolder(12444): java.lang.RuntimeException: Fail to connect to camera service
E/CameraHolder(12444): at android.hardware.Camera.native_setup(Native Method)
E/CameraHolder(12444): at android.hardware.Camera.<init>(Camera.java:366)
E/CameraHolder(12444): at android.hardware.Camera.open(Camera.java:322)
E/CameraHolder(12444): at com.android.camera.CameraManager.cameraOpen(CameraManager.java:304)
E/CameraHolder(12444): at com.android.camera.CameraHolder.open(CameraHolder.java:210)
E/CameraHolder(12444): at com.android.camera.Util.openCamera(Util.java:457)
E/CameraHolder(12444): at com.android.camera.PhotoModule$CameraStartUpThread.run(PhotoModule.java:311)
To my knowledge, there is only one thing I have not tried yet which I read in another thread which is that in addition to putting the .bin FW files into /data/cfw, you also need to place them into /system/cameradata. For some reason, even with root access I cannot copy files into that folder. I get a permission denied if I try to do it with ES File explorer app and via ADB I cannot do an mv command between the data folder and that system folder. I'm not a very experienced linux user.
I really don't know where to go from here. I have a feeling it all went to sh*t with the original s3pit.pit file but I really do not have the expertise to know what could have happened there. I know very vaguely that a pit file allocates the partitions but I wouldnt know what the implications of changing it are. Yeah... shoulda done a full nandroid backup first. DOH!!!!

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I feel your pain.. There is a pool of people out there, me included, that have this issue with the s3 and aosp ROMs. I hope a fix comes along soon.

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How I fixed the camera error
I have had the same error as lots of other folk.
I flashed the AOKP latest nightly and the error occurred, needed to reboot after taking one photo.
I than flashed the latest Liquidsmooth rom and that did exactly the same.
Yesterday as the camera would not work after taking one photo without a reboot.
I did as suggested elsewhere and un-installed a lot of the apps to no avail.
I then decide to re-install the original AOKP rom that I first flashed.
aokp-i9300-kitkat-nightly-2014-03-27
I then installed all my apps using Titanium backup and guess what the camera works faultlessly.
All the apps are updated so not them causing the problem
Conclusion:
The cause of the camera failing is the Rom.
Both the Liquidsmooth and AOKP latest roms cause the same problem.
Not technically savy enough to understand why this should be but it is a fact.
Camera error Remedy is flash an earlier rom.
I may flash some later ones and see if I can determine when the error started happening.
Hope this help
If anyone does flash later roms than the one I did and no fault occurs please post which one here.