Olympus E-510

Tempted by the four-thirds system but find Olympus’ tiny E-410 too small for your goalie hands? The pricier E-510 could save the day

A well-built, easy-to-use Four Thirds System DSLR with built-in dust minimisation and image stabilisation facilities.The differences between the Olympus E-510 and the E-410 model we reviewed last month are largely physical, but the less obvious, internal differences are highly significant. Targeted at more knowledgeable photographers, the E-510's body is larger and 85 grams heavier, thanks to the addition of a built-in imager-shift stabilisation system. Its battery has a slightly higher capacity, supporting roughly 100 shots more per charge than the E-410's. Otherwise the two cameras' specifications are identical.

If features like live view, image stabilisation and dust reduction appeal to you, then the Olympus E-510 might be just what you're looking for. While its pictures are a little on the soft side compared to competing models, they are perfectly adequate for most uses and the feature set is certainly enticing.

Digital SLR kit with two lenses What’s impressive and distinguishes the Olympus EVOLT E-510 10-megapixel digital SLR is that for less than $800 you get a quality camera that has a feature set on par with

Just before PMA in March 2007 Olympus lifted the curtain on two new Four-Thirds system compact digital SLRs, the E-410 (reviewed here in June) and this model, the E-510 (which is essentially a replacement for the well regarded E-500). Although the E-510 has much in common with its little brother, including an all-new (Matsushita) Live MOS Image Sensor that can provide Full Time Live-View on the LCD monitor and an updated TruePic image processor, it is a considerably more sophisticated tool with some important extra features. Key amongst these is a sensor-shift image stabilization system and more sophisticated external controls, though are also numerous minor feature differences too. Note that some of the text in this review (when describing identical functions) is repeated from the E-410 review.

The first Four Thirds format D-SLR with a built-in Image Stabilizer, the EVOLT E-510 is an incredibly versatile camera in many respects. This 10-megapixel model offers several benefits over the previous EVOLT models, including higher resolution, the faster TruePic III processor with superior noise reduction, plus additional features in Capture and Playback modes. But the new camera retains the best capabilities of the earlier E-330, including the "Supersonic Wave Filter" that eliminates sensor dust and Live View, for composing images on the LCD monitor.

Olympus Evolt E-510

Olympus E-510 review, find out how the E-510 stacks up against the competition in our real-world review with in-depth image quality comparisons.

The Four Thirds system grows up

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The Olympus EVOLT E-510 is a compact consumer DSLR based on the Four Thirds digital camera standard created by Olympus and Kodak. The E-510, as tested, is

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