Can't go into picture taking mode.

If Try one or more of the following

Ready light does not turn on and the camera does not work.

• Turn on the camera (Turning on the camera).

• Install new batteries (Loading the battery) or charge rechargeable batteries.

• Turn camera off, then back on.

Ready light blinks green.

• Camera is operating normally.

Ready light blinks amber.

• Wait. Resume picture taking when the light stops blinking and turns green.

Ready light blinks red and camera turns off.

• Install new batteries (Loading the battery) or charge rechargeable batteries.

Ready light glows steady red.

• Transfer pictures to the computer (Transferring pictures with the USB cable), delete pictures from the camera (Deleting pictures/videos), switch image storage locations (), or insert a card with available memory (Using an optional SD/SDHC or MMC card).

• Wait. Resume picture taking when the light turns green.

• Change the image storage location to internal memory (), or use a different card.

Ready light is off or glows steady green.

• Camera is operating normally

it probably remained locked on the viewer and there are no images capture stored into the camera ..that's why it says that ....and it must be a way to restore the function of that button cause no matter if you lock it permanently into the the shooting mode its still a issue of getting pics out of it ....most cameras have to be on viewing mode when are plugged on the data cable ...but ..if you can open it and switch it on the mode that allow you to take pictures...you can always get the pictures from the SD card directly via an card reader ...adapter ( USB) that cost only a few dollars...

a little switch on the side of the memory card

LOL, sounds like you're in "picture review" mode. Except that you haven't taken any pictures yet, so there's "NO IMAGE" on your card just yet. To take a picture, you need to put your camera in "camera" mode. Slide that tiny slide switch in the upper right all the way up until it's next to that little red camera. Now take a picture.

Ok, all you need to do is:

1.Hold the camera normally like you would take a picture.

2.Turn it on and review a picture.

3. While looking at a picture, take your index (pointer) finger and rotate the front "wheel" right under the shutter release button. This switches the viewing mode, and should solve your problem.

When I take a picture, there will be know image. Black. I went into the "share" and the image is black. I kept my smart card and the other images are ok but the knew ones are black. Camera has power. I took the smart card off. Still the problem, black. Took the old images off and took some more shots. All black!! MMMMM?

See this link.

Two things to try...
A) If you have a card with some photo's on it then put it in the camera... Will the camera display the photos from the card in view/play mode? If so then the screen is working but the sensor in the camera may have died (the but that captures the image).
B) Try taking a picture with the camera (go through the steps to take one even though you can't see anything on the screen). Then put the memory card in a reader or a friends camera and see if the picture did get taken. If so then the sensor is still okay and the fault may be with the display.

If the display will show images from the memory card but doesn't show anything when in picture-taking mode but the camera does take pictures then the camera has a fault that isn't either the sensor or the LCD. It could then be an electronic failure or a problem with the mode selection switch.

Hope this helps to figure it out.

Cheers,
TS

Check for corrosion or dirt in your cameras battery compartment.