Olympus EVOLT E-510

As the flagship of Olympus’ DSLR lineup, the EVOLT E-510 comes with a hefty set of features. The E-510 woos serious hobbyists with 10 megapixels, built-in mechanical image stabilization, dual CompactFlash and xD-Picture card slots, and a dust reduction system that keeps the sensor clean even when lenses are constantly changed. The DSLR also caters to digital photography novices with its 18 scene modes and a live-view LCD, much like those on compact digital cameras. The Olympus E-510 is offered as part of a one- or two-lens kit. The two-lens kit retails for $999, putting it in the heart of the hot sub-$1,000 DSLR market.

Physical Tour

Front (7.25)
The EVOLT E-510's lens looks small, compared to other DSLR systems, in large part because the camera is Four-Thirds format. The Four-Thirds sensor is smaller than traditional DSLR sensors and calls for more compact lenses. Directly above the lens is an Olympus logo that hovers on the tip of the flash unit’s front. The flash pops up from behind this logo. It is small and narrow and can be completely covered by a quarter.

There is an E-510 logo printed on the right shoulder of the camera. This will likely rub off with use. Just below that logo is a badge for “IS: image stabilization.” Below this, and on the lens mount’s 3 o’clock position, is a large lens release button. In the lower right corner of the front is an embossed graphic depicting the Four Thirds logo that indicates it can accept any Four Thirds-formatted lens.

The hand grip is coated with a comfortable rubbery material, and it sports an infrared window about midway down its face. Between the hand grip and the lens is a printed label designating the camera’s 10 megapixels.

Back (7.0)
The Olympus EVOLT E-510 has a 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD and a small optical viewfinder above it. The viewfinder is surrounded by a large cushioned rubber eyecup that doesn’t pop off easily. The plastic and incredibly tiny diopter adjustment wheel is on the right of the viewfinder. Just above the finder is the hot shoe, which comes with a plastic piece that slides in to protect the leads when a flash isn’t attached. To the left of the viewfinder are some icons that apply to buttons on the top of the camera, although having the icons visible from the back is helpful.

The Playback, Delete, Menu and Info buttons are in a column to the left of the LCD. An Olympus logo sits beneath the LCD screen’s glass. To the upper right of the LCD is the AE/AF lock button that also protects pictures in the Playback mode. Two small circular buttons sit below this one: IS (image stabilization) and the live view button. Below this and shifted right is a traditional multi-selector. It consists of five buttons: a central OK button surrounded by directional buttons shaped like elbow macaroni. The directional buttons have other functions when not engaged in menu navigations. From the top and moving clockwise the functions include White Balance, Auto Focus, ISO, and Metering.

Below the multi-selector is a rectangular patch of rubber that acts as a cover for the USB and video out cables. Above the multi-selector is a patch of textured rubber for the thumb to grip. In the upper right corner of the back are the “Fn” function and Auto Focus area buttons along with an LED that blinks when the camera is busy writing to one of the memory cards.

On the right edge of the back is the media door, which snaps open and shut without a latch. Such a large door should have a latch – a friction closure is bound to wear out. The plastic is flexible, so it is possible to shut the top and have the bottom cracked open.

Left Side (6.75)
There is a strap partially inset into the top of the shoulder. With most lenses, it would be better to cradle the lens barrel with the left hand, but the left side of the EVOLT E-510 is featureless, so users could grip the camera there, too.

Right Side (6.75)
The shoulder strap lug is partially inset into the top of the right side, limiting the extent to which it could interfere with the user's grip. The media door, constructed from plastic, takes up the back half of the side. The front half is covered in a rubbery material that improves grip.

Top (6.5)
The chrome-tone shutter release is on top of the hand grip, surrounded by a narrow ridge of plastic. The ridge improves the feel of the release and may improve its seal. Directly behind the shutter release is a much smaller circular button labeled for exposure compensation: this helps make manual adjustments. The top of the neck strap eyelet can be seen on the right with the mode dial placed just right of the viewfinder hump. It's a large, heavily-textured dial. The power switch is a lever that extends from underneath it.

In front of the mode dial is a tiny LED labeled “SSWF” to indicate the Super Sonic Wave Filter. This flashes blue when the camera is turned on and the dust reduction system is activated. Between the mode dial and the strap eyelet, on the rear edge of the camera, is a single control dial, about where the thumb falls with a normal grip. It is tall with ridges on its sides, but is stiff and takes some serious force to rotate.

The viewfinder hump resides just left of center. At the back of the viewfinder and enclosed pop-up flash is the hot shoe. It comes with a plastic piece that slides into it to protect it from collecting dust when an external flash isn’t attached. To the left of the viewfinder hump are two chrome buttons: Flash in front and Burst/Self-timer/Remote Control/Copy/Print button near the back (yes, that one button does it all). At the far left of the E-510’s top is a neck strap eyelet to match the one on the right.

Bottom (7.5)
The EVOLT E-510 has a metal tripod bushing, which is in line with the camera's optical axis and is ideal for alignment on a tripod and balancing larger lenses. There is a textured area around the bushing that almost looks like window blinds, which may improve the 510's resistance to torque on a tripod and also preserve the camera's finish around the tripod socket.

The battery compartment is on the left beneath the hand grip. The door has a textured sliding latch in its center, and is reinforced with a metal plate. A spring-loaded prong holds the battery in place when the door is open.

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