Olympus EVOLT E-510

Model Design / Appearance
The EVOLT E-510 is small, but it looks like a typical DSLR and shows its relationship with the Olympus OM system of film cameras. That's good news, because the E-300 and E-330 it succeeds are pretty ugly. We expect the EVOLT E-510 to sell better on its looks, if nothing else.

The EVOLT E-510 looks as though it is made of plastic, but like other Olympus cameras, it feels tough and durable. The plastic is thick and well-braced. Shoppers ought to compare the feel of the EVOLT E-510 with the Canon Rebel XTi, which doesn't feel nearly as substantial or as carefully-built as the E-510.

Size / Portability
The EVOLT E-510 measures 5.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 inches. The body weighs 1 pound just by itself, and Olympus Zukio lenses are relatively small. Users looking for a small, lightweight DSLR will find those statistics impressive.

The fit and finish of the EVOLT E-510 samples we saw at PMA were excellent. In general, this should slow the invasion of dust and moisture into the camera's guts. Unfortunately, Olympus did not design more extensive seals into the E-510. It appears that both the media card door and the battery door are vectors for crud to enter the body. Such vulnerability should give users second thoughts about taking it river rafting, on dusty drives, rodeos, or other activities depicted in Olympus marketing materials. 

Handling Ability
The EVOLT E-510 feels better than other little DSLRs. The space between its grip and the lens mount is wide enough to be comfortable, and the grip itself is comfortable. The strap placement is good, and the shape is generally friendly to the hands. Major parameters are easy to set quickly, and users will find the live preview advantageous.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
There really is no reason that any DSLR should have only one control dial. It's a disappointment that the EVOLT E-510 has only one, and that is as stiff and small as it is. The 4-way controller is easy to use, and it provides access to well-chosen functions in shooting mode. The placement of both the live view mode and the stabilization buttons is prominent and convenient. The flash and burst mode buttons are small, but they're spread apart and well-labeled. Putting the USB/AV jack on the back of the camera seems like a mistake – the cables will get in the way of using the 4-way controller.

Menu
The EVOLT E-510 menus are arranged very much like its predecessors', so loyal Olympus users will feel at home with the E-510. Olympus menus are easy to read and set up in a sensible tabbed interface. On the other hand, finicky users will have the same complaints as always – some important options are buried, and some marginally useful stuff is prominent. Some entries are oddly named such as "Anti-shake" which limits vibration by inserting a delay between the mirror flip and the exposure. This keeps the vibration from the mirror from shaking the camera.

Setup Menu
ISO limit	Set maximum ISO in Auto mode
EV Step	Set to 1/2, 1/3 or 1 EV
All WB Adjust	Bias color balance, regardless of white balance setting.
HQ compression	Set amount of JPEG compression for HQ files (the middle quality level).
SQ compression	Set amount of JPEG compression for SQ files (the lowest quality setting, also sets pixel dimensions).
Flash + Amb EV	Link or de-link exposure compensation for flash and ambient light
Flash Sync	Set default flash sync speed
Auto Pop-up	Set to have flash open automatically
Dial	Set dial behavior in Program and priority modes.
AEL-AFL function	Set behavior of AEL-AFL button
Date/Time
CF xD	Set behavior of EVOLT E-510 when both Compact Flash and xD media cards are present.
File Name	Set naming and numbering
Edit File Name	Create new file names
LCD	Set brightness and contrast
Video Out	Set to PAL or NTSC compatibility
Rec View	Set length of instant review
Sleep	Power-saving after an interval of inactivity
Backlit LCD	Set interval before LCD shuts off
4-hour timer	Shuts off camera completely after 4 hours
Button timer	Sets how long option menus persist after a button press brings them up
Priority Set	Set default choice when delete button is pressed to "yes"
USB mode	Download or print
Color space	SRGB or Adobe RGB
Shading compensation	Lighten corners to counteract vignetting
Pixel Mapping	Find dead pixels on sensor
Cleaning Mode	Manually clean sensor
Firmware	Show firmware version

Because the cameras we examined could not record images, the playback menus were disabled. The descriptions of these functions are based on information from Olympus’ marketing staff and older Olympus cameras.

Playback Menu
Slide	Display images in sequence
Rotate	Turn image 90 degrees
Edit	Red-eye reduction, create JPEG copy of RAW file, copy files to monochrome or sepia JPEG, delete, protect, copy between media
Print	DPOF and PictBridge
Copy All
Reset Protection

Ease of Use
The EVOLT E-510 is targeted to relatively casual users – it has both a full-auto mode on the mode dial and a full set of scene modes. Its features for these users are easy to access and clearly explained by several help screens. The screens aren't encyclopedic, and they don't amount to an education in photography. The scene modes are also clearly explained. The typical user will be pleased with the pictures taken in the full-auto or scene modes.

The manual controls are less convenient. Having a single control dial slows down manual function – in full manual, the user has to press a button to switch between adjusting aperture and shutter speed. A single dial even moves some controls to menus. With two dials, it's much more likely that white balance fine-tuning would be available through buttons and dials.

The live view function is a significant benefit for both casual users and more advanced photographers. We expect that many users will experiment more with composition than they would with a camera held up to the eye. Simply by moving the camera around at arms' length, users can see subtle variations in their view.

The histograms are small – luminance, red, green, and blue are available – but easy to access.