Olympus EVOLT E-510

Value
At $899 for the camera with lens, the EVOLT E-510 is competitive among similar cameras, such as the Canon Rebel XTi, the Pentax K100D and the Nikon D40x. Its size and feature set aren't unique at its price point, but they're impressive. The EVOLT E-510 also feels more solid than the Canon or Nikon. When we see the EVOLT E-510 in the lab, and get an idea of its image quality, we'll have more to say about its value. It's worth repeating that the samples at PMA did not have final firmware.

Who’s this Camera For?
Point and Shooters - The EVOLT E-510 is basically a point-and-shoot camera, with added options. People who know they'll never use a manual mode or change a lens might save a few hundred dollars and get a compact. But, the E-510 is a reasonable candidate for casual photographers who want a DSLR.

Budget Consumers - We bet that Olympus wants to snag a chunk of this group, but we don't know whether the E-510 is right for them without seeing image performance. It seems more durable than other cameras at its price, but it's not an absolute standout.

Gadget Freaks - The EVOLT E-510 doesn't introduce any lust-inducing tech. Olympus says it has the Truepic III processor, but that's nothing one can show off. Other cameras already have shake reduction and dust control.

Manual Control Freaks - The manual controls on the EVOLT E-510 aren't convenient enough to qualify this camera for this interest group. More significantly, we don't know if it has the image quality manual shooters also want.

Pros/Serious Amateurs - There were actual working pros at the Olympus booth, looking over the EVOLT E-510 and the E-410. The ones we talked to use their EVOLTs for photographing horses and small pets. Portability and price appealed to them, as well as the fact that the Four-Thirds image doesn't lose much when it’s cropped to an 8x10.

Connectivity / Extras	Page 10 of 13		Conclusion
Olympus EVOLT E-510 First Impressions Review Navigation
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