I'm glad you asked this question because I've discovered, just as I have with every other digital camera I've used, that pictures tend to be overexposed - and highlights burnt out - if you don't use negative exposure compensation: With the camera open click on the cog and then "Exposure Value" and move the slide down to minus 1 or 2.
You will immediately see an improvement in your pictures.
I've also found that in highly contrasty situations - like taking a picture of people in a room with bright windows all around, if I use the HDR setting the exposure is evened out. Along the same vein, the panorama setting will even out exposures as well (of course you should be making a panorama).
In situations like this one:
Ricky sunbathing photo - Isabel Cutler photos at pbase.com
...a minus exposure value keeps the highlighted areas from burning out.
Let us know what happens when you try that minus exposure setting.
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