Olympus E 510 - Is there any review out there?

[manuel_1704]

Hi,

I'm very much interested to buy a DSLR, perhaps the Olympus E 510 which
seems to have excellent features.

For weeks already I'm looking for a comprehensive review of that camera but
I didn't find any yet.

Can somebody help me?

[Rooz]

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/OlympusE510/

[manuel_1704]

Thanks Rooz for your very quick answer.

Do you think the E 510 would be a good choice for a newbie like me?

I'm eager to get your response.

[SSSKKK]

I'd also love feedback on this camera. I am also almost ready to get one--once I hear from a few folks who have had good experience with it for low-light and sports.

[manuel_1704]

Hi SSSKKK,

please try the following link to get comprehensive info about the Olympus
E 510:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/OlympusE510

[SSSKKK]

Hi SSSKKK,

please try the following link to get comprehensive info about the Olympus
E 510:

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/OlympusE510


Thanks! I have read that one. It's actually what got me so interested in the camera.
I did go to the store yesterday to hold all the cameras, hoping 1 would jump out at me. I like the feel of the 510, but also of the XTi. I keep going back and forth. I like the features of the 510 (esp. IS), and like the 9 point AF of the XTi. I think I am over analyzing, but it's a big purchase and I want to make the right choice for me. Decisions, decisions...

[Rooz]

the oly certainly looks like a great option, its packed with features and unlike the xti has a dust removal system that actually works very well. but a 4/3 sensor may be a limitation. don't know enuf about it to be sure. what i would definately look into is lens availability for this camera.

there are more options than just the xti and the olympus anyway. theres the d80, k10d and sony alpha that should be considered. any of them are going to give you great results.

[kgosden]

While I might be biased (E-500 owner who upgraded to the E-510), I certainly would not let the AF focus points be my main 'focus'. I could certainly turn that around and mention that the XTi doesn't offer spot metering. Personally unless I was shoting a fairly action packed scene with only one main subject I am not sure of the value of large numbers of auto-focus points. Being an old film SLR user I have always wanted to dictate to the camera where the focus of the image is. Focus, lock, and compose as opposed to click and hope. I guess that is how I feel about the need for spot metering. If I am bothering to focus on something important in the frame isn't that what I should base my exposure on as well?

Don't get me wrong, I am a big Canon fan from my film days. They build a great DSLR as well. But unless you know why you need a particular feature, don't focus on it. When I bought the E-500 I really wanted to like the XT since the Canon IS lenses and the old tilt and shifts were really something I wanted access to. But I did not enjoy the feel of the XT and could not live without spot metering. I was willing to sacrifce high ISO perfomqance for better fit to my hands and spot metering. I looked at the Nikon (can't remember which was the entry level at the time). I liked the form factor and lenses, but it was SD only and I had 6-8 GB of CF laying around so my bias was against SD. You really need to know your own needs to find the best camera for your use.

In full auto or program mode I doubt if any of the current entry level DSLR's will disappoint you. But do see which feels best in your hands. They will all offer room to grow and unless you are expecting to spend over $2000 on lenses in the next 2 years they all offer adequate lens selections.

[manuel_1704]

Hello Rooz,

Thanks for taking the time to give me even more information on DSLR's.

As a newbie to digital photography I - unfortunately - don't know what the
term "4/3 sensor" means. You said in your message that "a 4/3 sensor might
be a limitation."

Can you please explain that to me?

Regarding lenses please allow me to tell you this: I'm not interested to buy
different lenses. I only want a lens with a wide angle let say 28-84, 28-100
or so which would enable me to take nice landscape pics as well as pics from
a group of people.

The cameras you mentioned in your note are all excellent and that is exactly
what makes my life difficult.

Once again, thanks for your post.

manuel_1704

P.S.: English is not my mother tongue and I do hope that I didn't make too
many grammatical and other mistakes.

[manuel_1704]

Hello kgosden,

I really want to thank you for your reply which I'll study very carefully.

Good luck to you!!

manuel_1704

[Rooz]

Hello Rooz,

Thanks for taking the time to give me even more information on DSLR's.

As a newbie to digital photography I - unfortunately - don't know what the
term "4/3 sensor" means. You said in your message that "a 4/3 sensor might
be a limitation."

Can you please explain that to me?

Regarding lenses please allow me to tell you this: I'm not interested to buy
different lenses. I only want a lens with a wide angle let say 28-84, 28-100
or so which would enable me to take nice landscape pics as well as pics from
a group of people.

sorry, the 4/3 system refers to the size and format of the cameras sesnor. in a nutshell, it is a smaller sensor which is more prone to noise than larger sensors and you have less control of depth of field in particualr to isolate your subject from the background in portraits for example.

it also has a 2x crop factor as opposed to the 1.5x crop factor of regular dslr sensors. this means that a a 14-42 lens is in reality a 28-84mm lens. while this is an advantage at the telephoto end, (a 200mm lens becomes a 400mm lens), it is a major disadvantage at the wide angle end.

here are 2 sources for you to get some more ideas from...
http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Four-Thirds
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thirds_System

the xti and e510 are great lightweight choices. the k10d and d80 are larger heavier, more expensive cameras. the d40 may also be an excellent entry level dslr aswell if you aren;t going to be going to build a large lens selection. you can pick up a very good d40 package for a cheap price. eg: 18-70mm kit lens for normal lens, (or pick up the 18-200mmVR lens for full image stabilisation), 55-200VR or 70-300mmVR for longer reach and a sigma 10-20mm HSM for your wide angle.

you need to feel these live for a while to see which one feels good in your hands.

[Riley]

Hello Rooz,
As a newbie to digital photography I - unfortunately - don't know what the
term "4/3 sensor" means. You said in your message that "a 4/3 sensor might
be a limitation."

Can you please explain that to me?


4/3rds sensor is the sensor size of the Olympus four-thirds standard,
when measured diagonally it is 1.92x of a 35mm (old film size)
against Canon and Nikon APS C which are variously 1.62x and 1.52x.

http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glossary/Camera_System/sensor_sizes_01.htm

the illustration below compares 4/3rds sensor with the Canon and that of FF or 35mm film.
Just to advise, it is incorrectly labelled 4/3" ....they use the " probably because they are tw@ts

[barb1686]

If you aren't wanting to have more than one lens then maybe a point and shoot is your best option? The Canon S3 IS or the S5 IS? Both great cameras.

[jheadlee42]

Not to rain on a parade or anything, but don't go the S5 Is route unless you want to be consumed with unmanageable noise levels. The quality of this camera would be awesome, (great futures, cool color modes, etc) if it werent for the horrible noise levels, even at low iso... sorry, but just my own opinion from a previous owner....returned it after 2 days

[manuel_1704]

Hi jheadlee42,

In the first place, I thank you for your reply.

Regarding the camera you mentioned, I'm not interested in the S5 because it
doesn't have a wide angle lens.

Thanks again.

manuel_1704

[Riley]

sorry, the 4/3 system refers to the size and format of the cameras sesnor. in a nutshell, it is a smaller sensor which is more prone to noise than larger sensors and you have less control of depth of field in particualr to isolate your subject from the background in portraits for example.

not any more Rooz, if anything they all compare pretty well the same, although Im happy to suggest that D40 is cleaner at 1600iso (but it does have NR on all the time). DoF varies about 1/3 of a stop between APSC and 4/3rds, while it exists, its fractional in comparison. FF is another story.


it also has a 2x crop factor as opposed to the 1.5x crop factor of regular dslr sensors. this means that a a 14-42 lens is in reality a 28-84mm lens. while this is an advantage at the telephoto end, (a 200mm lens becomes a 400mm lens), it is a major disadvantage at the wide angle end.


thing is about UWA on 4/3rds, they are better able to shoot wide open with no ill effects. The 4/3rds lenses for WA require better engineering and as a result probably cost more. With the 11-22 at around $670 list and the coming 12-60 about $900. But they do not have appreciable distortion, or CA/PF and avoid soft edges, in short, you get what you pay for. But there are no real cheap alternatives below 28mm EFL.

a review image from the similar E-410 at iso1600, EXIF in tact