I have had 2 Olympus cameras and I loved the picture quality but I noticed the same thing...I was spending a fortune buying batteries because they were always dead when I wanted to take a photo. I had heard about taking the batteries out of the camera when not in use, but that is really a hassle. So, I sent the cameras to Goodwill and bought myself a Nikon that comes with its own rechargeable battery and charger. I love the fact that I have never had battery issues again. My rationalization was that the amt of money I was spending on batteries over the course of a couple years would easily pay for a new camera. It might be something you would want to think about doing.