Model Design / Appearance
The SP-510UZ has a sizeable, chunky look and feel, although most of the case is plastic. But it feels robust and should stand up to everyday use. Our only major concern is the lack of a built-in lens cap: the large front element of the lens is exposed and could be easily scratched if the slip-on lens cap fell off in a case. The AF illuminator and microphone are also located a little close to the fingers: it would be very easy to inadvertently put your finger over both or either without realizing you’ve blocked them.
Size / Portability
At 12 ounces, the SP-510 UZ is in the middle of the scale for weight: it’s no lightweight, but it is a lot lighter than many of the other pseudo-SLRs that we’ve seen. It is a little bulky, though: at 105.5 mm by 74.5mm by 70mm, it’s too large to fit into a pocket or handbag. The square shape also may not work so well in some camera bags.
Handling Ability
The SP-510 UH handles well: the large grip fits well into the hand and the rubberized cover on the front means it won’t slip from your hand. It’s well designed for one handed use, with the shutter and zoom controls falling naturally under the index finger, and the mode dial falls under the thumb. That’s a nice design. Most cameras that we see need two hands to switch modes, but the SP-510 UZ allows you to go from full auto mode to aperture or shutter priority mode with just one hand.
Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
Most buttons on the SP-510 UZ require both hands. The menu and directional controls are on the rear of the case, so you need to use your left hand to brace the camera when using them. Other than this, they are well laid out and easy to use, with labels that illustrate what they do.
Menus
The menu system of the SP-510 UZ is a little confusing: some menu options are greyed out in certain modes: you can’t, for instance, access the camera menu if you are in the full auto mode.
The top level menu is broken down into five options: reset (which resets the camera to default values), Image quality (where you set the image size), Camera menu (where you set options like the white balance and focus mode), SCN (for Scene, with 21 to choose from), setup (where you set the basic options of the camera) and Silent mode, which disables the sounds the camcorder makes.
Ease of Use
The SP-510 UZ is a friendly, easy to use camera. Novice users will find the guide mode useful: this details 13 common problems (such as “reducing red eye”), then explains the solution and makes the appropriate changes to settings. This is a very useful feature for inexperienced users, but it would be nice if it covered more problems. On-camera help systems aren’t going to replace a decent manual or training, but it’s a nice idea to provide some hand-holding on the road.
