Canon Powershot A80 problem

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

I've had a Powershot A80 for about a year and a half now, and there
seems to be a problem with the shutter. When I turn the camera on, the
lens comes out and the outer cover opens, but what I'm guesssing is the
shutter doesn't open. (is this the correct term for a digital camera?)
The LCD works normally, except the image is completely black. If I
try to take a picture it shows up completely black. The number
displays and previous photos show up fine on the LCD. Any ideas on how
to fix this? I saw a prior post that recommended whacking the camera
on your palm. That fixed it temporarily, but now the problem is back
and I don't want to damage something else by banging the camera around.