OLYMPUS E510 Digital Camera (SLR)

OLYMPUS E510 Digital Camera (SLR)

Olympus E-510 digital SLR camera review

Olympus is making waves with the digital SLR cameras. The models are quickly being improved and renewed. We still await the successor of the E-1 (Olympus E-3), but the Olympus E-510 D-SLR gives us a taste of what is to come. The Olympus E-510 is the successor of the E-500, which was released more than a year and a half ago. The changes made to the E-400 in the E-410 were minimal, but the Olympus E-510 digital SLR is truly different from its predecessor.

Olympus E510 DSLR - LiveMOS image sensor

An important change is the image sensor. Olympus uses a Panasonic sensor for the E-510 instead of a Kodak sensor. The CCD has been replaced with the LiveMOS. As the name suggests, the Olympus E-510 also has Live View, just like other Olympus models have. Live View is now definitively the future of the DSLR. Not only Olympus and Panasonic are applying this, but also Canon and Nikon have included Live View in their new DSLR products. At first Olympus and Panasonic were looked upon with pity when they first showed the Live View, but quickly it appeared to be a consumer advantage.

Olympus E-510 - 10 Megapixel reflex camera

Next to the new sensor the amount of pixels has increased. The Olympus E-510 now has ten Megapixels, the same amount as the E-410. This amount of resolution allows for large prints. The signal is processed differently than in the E-410, though, so that we can expect different results. Thanks to the SuperSonic Wave Filter placed in front of the sensor, you do not longer have to worry about having to retouch a lot of dust spots. This is great, because with ten Megapixels you can see almost every detail. The filter in front of the sensor shakes and the sensor itself can move as well. This has allowed Olympus to integrate a physical image stabilizer. You do not need special lenses in order to prevent blur from camera shake.

Olympus Evolt E-510 - Compact camera body

The dimensions have hardly changed at all. The camera is a bit wider and a bit thinner and longer as well. The prism housing has remained. The camera still has a lot in common with the legendary Olympus OM series. It is compact, yet stylish. The compact body is partly possible because of the FourThirds System, of which Olympus is one of the pioneers. The sensor format is half the size of a 35 mm film. The focal range has a factor of 2, so that a 14-45 mm lens behaves as a 28-90 mm lens would (on a 35 mm camera). The whole system is easy to carry with you.

Olympus E510 D-SLR review
The FourThirds System keeps expanding, not only with new cameras, but with new lenses, including a few real top models. While we tested the Olympus Evolt E-510, we also had a few lenses at our disposal, including the Zuiko Digital 7-14mm 1:4 ED. It is an ultra wide-angle lens, but not quite a fisheye. On a 35 mm camera it would be equivalent to a 14-28 mm lens. This is a very interesting range for photojournalists and landscape photographers. We have tested an Olympus E-510 and a few lenses for a while in our test lab. The results can be read in the next Olympus E-510 review.

The Olympus E-510 Wins EISA "European Consumer Camera 2007-2008" AWARD

Commenting on their decision to bestow the camera with the award, the EISA jury explained that: "The Olympus E-510 is a digital SLR with excellent image quality and some clear advantages over the rest of the market." Handling was cited as another winning feature: "The camera is compact and light, but with its large handgrip it is comfortable to hold." Naturally, the innovative technology incorporated in the E-510 had not escaped EISA's attention. Here they said that the camera's "anti-dust and image stabilisation systems are both invaluable benefits for the amateur photographer."

1.Fast 3 frames-per-sec. shooting
2.HyperCrystal LCD with wide viewing angle from all directions
3.Dust Reduction System using SSWF (Super-Sonic Wave Filter) with increased vibrations
4.Newly designed bright, easy-to-view viewfinder
5.High-precision 49-segment light metering system
6.Easy-to-use Super Control Panel
7.Convenient four picture modes
8.Raw data compression without image quality degradation

The E-510 uses the same BLM-1 battery as some of Olympus' older D-SLRs. This is one of the most powerful rechargeable batteries on the market, with a whopping 10.8 Wh of energy. As you'd expect, the E-510 gets some pretty stellar battery numbers, as long as you don't use the live view very often.