Some quality problem with dark picture

Hi, just bought a E510 two weeks ago. I love to take some good quality picture , but im beginner with SLR. My current main problem is that i seen to have noise on DARK picture*i thnik*.. The noise redustion options is enable. i dont use a tripod. My second question is that it worth the cost to buy tripod to get higher quality picture?

let me see these example...

On the first picture, maybe it's hard to see but the dark area on the boat as noise or it,s blurry.

Second one, look tree at the right in dark area.

#1 Metadata

Exposure mode auto
Focal lenght 18 mm
Lens 18-42mm
ISO 100
F 9.0
1/200

#2 metadata

Exposure mode auto
Focal lenght 18 mm
Lens 18-42mm
f 7.1
1/100


Thx to you guys for taking your time to answer to my question.

The pictures here look ok to me. To reduce the noise shoot as low an ISO setting as you can. With the 510 it can get noisy in the darks above 400iso. With the image stabilization it will eliminate the use of a tripod in many cases but if the shutter speeds get any higher the 1/10 sec you probably need one. If you want to shoot water falls you will need one.
Welcome to PR...I hope you hang around. Don't forget to write a review on the 510 as well.
If you post pictures in the critiques forum you will be a pro in a matter of weeks.

Thank you for the quick answer!
It,s good to know for waterfalls picture, i love shooting natural landscape. I want to do good picture with a nice silky water effect at a slow shutter speed .

Some of the noise in the second shot appears to me to have a yellow tint to it so it could be a flare.

Your second photo is terrific. Same advice about the noise. Try the noise reduction and noise filters too. Play around with it. It's free.. no film to process.

the best advice I can give is for you to STOP USING AUTO. Just dont do it.

Hi Folks,
I'm a new member here, and
I have similar problem with my E520. Can you help me?

http://fotok.atomanti.fotoalbum.hu/v...tureid/5243688
(noise test image)

Data:
Exposure time 0.769231 s
F-number f/5.6
Exposure program Manual
ISO speed ratings ISO 100
Date/time original 2008.12.10. 18:38:13
Date/time digitized 2008.12.10. 18:38:13
Component config YCbCr
Exposure bias value 0.00 eV
Max. aperture value f/3.5
Metering mode Center weighted average
Focal length 14 mm

I have the same problem with dark parts of images. I wrote to european headquarter, but they said it is the standard for Olympus. Is it right, what's your oppinion?

Thankx a lot!

normally you will have noise problems with a picture that is underexposed by so much.

but, one thing that you will probably want to change on an E-520 is the gradation. i think the default is "auto" which will boost the iso in dark areas. this will give you big noise problems, even banding while still using iso 100 setting.
i guess that some people like to use auto gradation in well lit, contrasty scenes. but in dark shots you want to make sure to put that to "normal".
a great example shot would be to take a photo of the moon at night. even at iso 100 you will have major banding through the entire sky if you leave that on auto gradation. but as soon as you put it on normal then it will work correctly.

imo, auto gradation hurts more than it helps. i would always leave it on normal.

That was it. Thank you!

great. im so glad i could help.