As for battery life, turn off the screen as much as possible. You don't really need it for taking pictures

This is one of my biggest problems with digital cameras. I find that I do need the screen, because the viewfinder is so far off. I mean, I recognize that it's not an SLR camera, but still.... And, really, for the kind of money that folks are spending on digital cameras, why can't someone make a decent SLR digital camera that isn't professional grade (and professionally priced)?