Black images I take a picture in auto mode; everything appears to work normally and the image is black

CHANGING THE SCREEN ASPECT RATIO: ( From Manual )
The TV can display images in four different modes: Wide, Zoom, Panoramic, and Normal. Each mode displays the picture differently. To change the screen aspect ratio:
1. Press the MENU button on the remote.
2. Use the Arrow buttons to highlight the Wide icon. Press OK.
3. Use the Arrow buttons to highlight your desired screen mode and press OK:
• Normal preserves the content's original aspect ratio. Since the 4:3 aspect ratio is not large enough to fill the TV's screen, black bars are added to the left and right of the display image.
• Wide stretches a 4:3 aspect ratio picture to the edges of the screen. Since the picture is being stretched, the display image may appear distorted. If the program is already formatted for widescreen viewing (1.85:1 or 2.35:1), then black bars will appear on the top and bottom of the display image.
• Zoom expands images with black bars to fit the screen.
• Panoramic expands the display image to fill the screen.
images may appear wider than intended.
If you are watching widescreen (1.85:1 or 2.35:1) content, black bars will still appear on the top and bottom of the display image. This option is only available when the TV is displaying a 480i/480p source.

A stuck shutter is another common failure mode for digital cameras, particularly for the SD1000. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, sometimes with lines, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open). To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter. If so, please see this link for further info and a simple fix that may help.


By the way, my wife's SD1000 also has this problem every once in a while. I easily fix it by using the following steps from the link: powering on the camera, opening and closing the battery door, and flicking the end of the lens barrel with my fingertip (or you can tap it with a pencil as discussed in the link).

A stuck shutter is another common failure mode for digital cameras. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, sometimes with lines, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open). To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter. If so, please see this link for further info and a simple fix that may help.

If you can see the normal icons on the LCD but not an image, you probably have a bad image sensor (CCD). See this link for your options.

A stuck shutter is another common failure mode for digital cameras. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open).

To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter. If so, please see the following for further info and a simple fix that may help:

http://camerarepair.blogspot.com/2009/05/simple-fix-for-stuck-shutter.html

the only thing i can think of is the sensor being misconnected or kaput. are you viewing them on the camera screen or a pc? it could also be camara screen...

The image you selected for Custom WB is probably inappropriate - it may be shot somewhere else with different lighting or not enough of the image is white/grey. To do a proper Custom WB, take a picture of a white or grey card in the same lighting conditions as your subject. Go to menu, select Custom WB and choose that image. Then set your WB mode to Custom (if it's not already).

When you move to another site to take other photos, you must change your Custom WB image to another 'current' one. As the sun progresses through the day, your Custom WB will need to change as well. Auto WB will, in most conditions, be able to deal with changing light if you prefer not to keep updating your Custom WB.

According to the manual, you can reset the settings per directions on page 147 of the 211 page manual.

Press the Menu button
Scroll left or right to get to the Tools menu
Use the up or down arrows to select [Reset All]
Press the Func Set button

Check the card isn't set to write protect mode with the switch on it.
I will assume the picture is viewable through the LCD and everything else appears to be normal.

your camera needs repairs as the auto apparture system is not working.