Olympus Evolt E-510 (with 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 lens)
Cameras Buying Guide
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August 25, 2008 04:30
5.0/5
This is probably the best bang for buck you could get out there. A 10MP sensor, an in camera IS system, live view, and a self cleaning sensor, all for about 550 USD (at least at circuit city). I came in here and saw the low rating. This camera doesn't deserve a 7.1 This is at least a 9 in my books. Sure, there aren't as many lenses out there for the 4/3'rds system, but the Zuiko lens lineup is powerful, clear, crisp, sharp, and much lower in cost.
If you're thinking about a Nikon D60, a Canon XTi, or XS, stop and take a stroll down the path less traveled. -
August 16, 2008 10:13
4.0/5
I bought this camera and ordered an additional 70-300 mm lens for a trip to Alaska. It served me well when used with rain, snow, slush and on a boat.
Camera has a good feel to it and very convenient. Changing the lens is a breeze and with a good camera bag was able to quickly flip between the 14-40 mm (for panorama and potraits of the kids) vs 70-300mm for telephoto.
Documentation is bad. It takes a lot of reading and practice to figure out some of the items.
Unable to figure between the auto vs scene options.
But what bothered me is that I was still unable to get good pictures of potrait+landscape when the background was bright (snow or sea). I figured out the Nikon S600 easiar (of course) and got good pictures in such situations. -
July 23, 2008 03:16
5.0/5
this camera comes with two excellent kit lens for 600$ with body image stabilizer and effective sensor cleaner and live view with very build quality its excellent value for money.
more over it has excellent image quality with variant colour the iso performance is very good up to 800
if your looking for complete camera system easy to use and great value for money this is your camera
however if you want to follow the herd go for Nikon or canon but shshshsh don't tel any one about their -ve side -
April 22, 2008 12:00
4.5/5
My second Olympus, even better then my first E-500! -
April 16, 2008 07:16
4.0/5
I've had my E-510 for a couple of weeks. I've taken scores of photos with the 2 kit lenses under various conditions ranging from firelight to noon sky. So far, I've found the E-510 to be very comfortable to hold and wear. I had it around my neck for a two hour hike and it never felt like it was a burden. Photos have been crisp, clear and rich. I agree with many of the reviews that at ISO 800 to 1600 images can be noisy, but so what? Also, the white balance isn't out-of-the box perfect, but so what? The camera is designed to be adaptable from point-and-shoot to fully personalized. I'll be exploring this camera and growing my skills for a long time.
There seems to be a lot of excessive criticism regarding the unique characteristics of the button layout, menus and other interface components. I agree that 18 or so buttons can be overwhelming and yes, the menus are busy and not instantly intuitive, but this is a device with many many configurations. If a user isn't prepared to use these features or doesn't want to use them, why waste the money? Buy a nice friendly Canon P&S (I have 2 that I enjoy), a fancy dinner for two with expensive wine and praise yourself for buying a camera you will actually use!
The bottom line is that with the current variety of high-quality 10 megapixel cameras, Olympus is offering something different...a different format, a different approach to menus, etc. It's called innovation. I like the way the E-510 feels and the way it takes pictures. I didn't like the features of the equivalent Nikon nor Canon nor Panasonic...these are arbitrary preferences, not objective attributes. Before discounting this camera without trying it, go to a reputable camera store with several brands, ask for their opinion, do more research online (there are myriad web sites devoted to dSLRs) and then decide. Do not judge this fine piece of photographic equipment by anyone who thinks an orange is bad because it's not an apple. -
February 18, 2008 08:47
4.5/5
I have had Nikon, Leica Digilux and this camera is as good, and superior to one of them. I am in love with the camera. -
September 12, 2007 11:42
4.5/5
At first I purchased the Nikon D40x, but was not happy with it, so I spent a bit more for the E-510. Well, it was worth the extra money! This camera delivers awesome pictures! I like the extra rubber grips on the body; it makes holding the camera much more comfortable. There are lots of extra features on this camera that I love. A small example would be the fact that while reviewing the pictures on the lcd screen, you can set the picture information to stay off, so you only see the picture. The Nikon D40x always had some info displayed; you could not turn it off. The only downside of this camera that I have is the af-assist lamp is built in to the flash, and it works as a strobe to bring the subject into focus. This is very annoying to not only me, but the people who I am taking the picture of. You can turn the lamp off, but in low light situation, the camera takes a very long time to focus without the lamp.
Overall, I would buy this camera again in a heartbeat, as it take some beautiful pictures! -
April 4, 2008 03:12
Mediocre
1.0/5
On paper the 4/3 system looks nice. However the emperor has no clothes. Olympus claims the focal length is 2x what it would be on a film based SLR, but this is untrue! 50mm is standard eye, I purchased a 14-55mm in the assumption Id have a film equiv of 28 to 110. NOP, 55 mm is 55 mm just over 1x the magnification of the eye. A bit more study reveals that what they probably mean is that the Field of view is that of the 110 mm. So you get a normal 50 mm lens picture that is half the width of your 50mm lens on a normal SLR. In addition the four/thirds has nothing to do with some magic but just with the aspect ratio of the chip. In other words the picture is 3 units by 4 units i.e. that of an old television or computer screen. So if you want to print a picture of 6 x 4 you either have to crop the top or have black on the sides (like showing 16:9 on a 4:3 television)
How stupid that all these reviewers are all bleating that this is a fantastic lens system as it supposedly provides 2x the focal length. It doesnt, so Ive handed it back to the shop. As a result the E510 image is strangely squat. Why Olympus didnt choose 16:9 for the chip is beyond me, as that at least would have made sense for the digital age. Dont be fooled by it is digital/its good , its very different from film.
So I'm now trading it in for a Nikon D60, but that also has a squat issue though not nearly as pronounced -
February 27, 2008 10:07
Mediocre
1.0/5
Let me tell my story and maybe it will help someone out there. I got a camcorder for X-mas from best buy that was broke. I took it back and decided that what I really wanted was a DSLR camera as I am more of a still photo person then video. I went to Cnet before buying a camera as this website has helped me buy and be happy with MANY electronics I own. I wanted a beginners DSLR for around 500-800 price range with good picture quality in low light as I go to comic book conventions all the time and take lots of pics. So with that price range I came up with either cannon rebel xti or sony A100k so then I did more searching the rebel has been out for awhile and had more conflicting reviews then the sony. I have always bought Cannon before but all the stuff I read kept pointing me to the A100k So I decided to buy it. Of course The Best Buy in my town was out of them (small town only 1 Best Buy) So they had to order for me. I agreed and waited for it. The day came and NO item they told me that for no reason given sony had discontinued the camera. I was mad they could have told me this when I ordered it. They trying to make me Happy (for once) changed the order to the Olympus E510 even though here $50 more then the A100k. I wasnt to happy. I kinda already knew thanks to Cnet and a few other sources that this wasnt the camera for me. But My wife was saying to try it that I should get one and test it out and the Best Buy "Camera Expert" was pushing hard saying it is just a matter of playing with the controls. So I caved in and got it. I went straight home and started taking pictures inside my house. I tryed many different lights and brightness and played with the menu setting as much as a beginner could. NOT ONE picture was better then my OLD point and click cannon s30 3.1mp which is a few years old. I was mad I showed my wife the pics and she Immediately said sorry she could not believe how bad the pictures were. I Packed it up and took it back. And after more research I bought the Cannon G9. Yes I know its still considered a point and click camera but the G9 is perfect for people who want to get into DSLRs but still want some easy to use options as a point and click. The G9 lets you shoot in Raw, you can add a telephoto or wide angle lens to the Camera or a high power flash to the hot shoe. I would like to also point out that Olympus lenes and flashes are not only harder to find then cannon, nikon, and sony but also WAY WAY more expensive. The first lens I wanted to get was a telephoto lens but they were so expensive like in the $1000s expensive. So over All I say Avoid this camera Picture quality Bad Expensive Accessories And low light shooting worse then a old 3.1mp camera.
