I had the same problem with my S7000. I tried the above check and got black pictures. I know it's not a quality fix, but I took the camera in one hand and slapped it into the other hand a few times. I was hoping to jiggle any loose electrical connections into making contact. Well it worked and the camera has been working again for 2 weeks now. I don't know how long the fix will last or if it will quit working again the next time I bump it. I loved the pictures it could take with the large optical zoom, and I didn't wanted to go out and buy another one without at least trying to get it working. Good luck.