Grab the beta of the DSS - that may help with using RAW files for your camera.
For these images, you need a bit more post-processing work, particularly with levels to fix the blackness more.
I took your second shot, and in GIMP, did some messing around, mostly with the levels and contrast. As it was a jpg to start with, I probably went a bit far - starting from a higher quality image will make this work a lot easier.
EDIT: Yeah, overcooked it. :p
