The S and M modes on the dial..show black images when taking a pic; any idea why?
I'd say you're severely underexposing. The M mode is for manual exposure. This means you're responsible for setting the appropriate shutter speed and aperture. The aperture controls how much light passes through the lens, the shutter speed controls how long that light hits the sensor. The two of them have to be adjusted properly to suit the amount of light hitting the subject. If the lens doesn't admit enough light and/or the shutter is opened for too short an amount of time, not enough light gets to the sensor and you get a black image.
The S mode is for shutter priority. This lets you set the shutter speed and the camera automatically adjusts the lens aperture for correct exposure. However, the lens has a maximum aperture beyond which it cannot open. If the shutter speed is too fast, again not enough light gets through the lens and you get a black image.
Since you didn't specify the model of your Nikon camera, I can't tell you exactly how to adjust the shutter speed and aperture. If you can't find the procedure in your manual, please feel free to reply to this post, specifying the model.
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