Irrlicht Engine

I'm trying to user camera->getUpVector() to take the camera up vector in order alter the direction the player (3rd person) moves in response to conrtols (I.E. player presses up, and the character moves in the direction of the camera's up vectore (towards the top of the screen))

For some reason the camera's up vector only ever returns straight up
X = 0
Y = 1
Z = 0

even when I know for a fact that the camera is at an upward or downward angle.

Is this the intended behavior?
thanks.