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Olympus E-510 Comparison Review

The Olympus E-510 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was announced in March 2007 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 10 megapixel.

camera

Is the Olympus E-510 a good camera? The E-510 has a Camera Elo of 1109. This rating puts the E-510 below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the E-510 also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Olympus E-510 is more than 17 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2007.

Headline Specifications
Olympus E-510
Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses
10 MP, Four Thirds Sensor
no Video
ISO 100 - 1 600
Optical viewfinder
2.5 LCD, 215k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization
750 shots per battery charge
136 x 92 x 68 mm, 538 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Olympus E-510 relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All size dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Olympus E-510 vs credit card front
E-510 versus credit card top view
E-510 and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Olympus E-510 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
    Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-510 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 538 g 750 n Mar 2007 US$ 799ebay.com
2.
 
Olympus E-30 142 mm 108 mm 75 mm 701 g 750 n Nov 2008 US$ 1 299ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-400 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Sep 2006 US$ 699ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-410 130 mm 91 mm 53 mm 435 g 500 n Mar 2007 US$ 699ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-500 130 mm 95 mm 66 mm 479 g 750 n Sep 2005 US$ 599ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-520 136 mm 92 mm 68 mm 535 g 750 n May 2008 US$ 699ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-600 130 mm 94 mm 60 mm 535 g 500 n Aug 2009 US$ 449ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-620 130 mm 94 mm 60 mm 521 g 500 n Feb 2009 US$ 699ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-P1 121 mm 70 mm 36 mm 355 g 300 n Jun 2009 US$ 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-P3 122 mm 69 mm 34 mm 369 g 330 n Jun 2011 US$ 799ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic L10 135 mm 96 mm 78 mm 556 g 450 n Aug 2007 US$ 599ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Olympus E-510 was launched in the US market at a price of $799. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Olympus E-510 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Olympus E-510 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Olympus E-510 sensor measures

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of alternative cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
    Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Olympus E-510 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.210.044252
2.
 
Olympus E-30 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024none21.310.453055
3.
 
Olympus E-400 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.010.612753
4.
 
Olympus E-410 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.110.049451
5.
 
Olympus E-500 Four Thirds 8.0 3264 2448none20.710.34551
6.
 
Olympus E-520 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.410.454855
7.
 
Olympus E-600 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024none21.510.354155
8.
 
Olympus E-620 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024none21.310.353655
9.
 
Olympus E-P1 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 3024720/30p21.410.453655
10.
 
Olympus E-P3 Four Thirds 12.2 4032 30241080/60i20.810.153651
11.
 
Panasonic L10 Four Thirds 10.0 3648 2736none21.310.842955
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

It should be noted that unlike many modern cameras, the E-510 does not provide the possibility to capture videos.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the E-510 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 95% and a magnification of 0.46x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-510 and comparable cameras.

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Core Features
    Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Olympus E-510optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y Y
2.
 
Olympus E-30optical Y2.7 / 230 swivel n 1/8000s 5.0/s Y Y
3.
 
Olympus E-400optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
4.
 
Olympus E-410optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
5.
 
Olympus E-500optical n2.5 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 2.5/s Y n
6.
 
Olympus E-520optical n2.7 / 215 fixed n 1/4000s 3.5/s Y Y
7.
 
Olympus E-600optical n2.7 / 230 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y Y
8.
 
Olympus E-620optical n2.7 / 230 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y Y
9.
 
Olympus E-P1none n3.0 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s n Y
10.
 
Olympus E-P3optional n3.0 / 614 fixed Y 1/4000s 3.0/s Y Y
11.
 
Panasonic L10optical n2.5 / 207 swivel n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One convenient feature of the E-510 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-510 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
    Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Olympus E-510Y- / ----2.0---
2.
 
Olympus E-30Y- / ----2.0---
3.
 
Olympus E-400Y- / ----2.0---
4.
 
Olympus E-410Y- / ----2.0---
5.
 
Olympus E-500Y- / ----2.0---
6.
 
Olympus E-520Y- / ----2.0---
7.
 
Olympus E-600Y- / ----2.0---
8.
 
Olympus E-620Y- / ----2.0---
9.
 
Olympus E-P1Ystereo / ---mini2.0---
10.
 
Olympus E-P3Ystereo / ---mini2.0---
11.
 
Panasonic L10Y- / ----2.0---

Further information on the features and operation of the E-510 can be found in the free online Olympus E-510 Manual or on the Olympus support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-510. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is why expert reviews are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
     Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price
Street
Price
1.
 
Olympus E-510..89/100..+ +3.5/54.5/5 Mar 2007 US$ 799ebay.com
2.
 
Olympus E-30......71/1004.5/54/5 Nov 2008 US$ 1 299ebay.com
3.
 
Olympus E-400..85/100....4/54/5 Sep 2006 US$ 699ebay.com
4.
 
Olympus E-410..86/100..+ +4/54.5/5 Mar 2007 US$ 699ebay.com
5.
 
Olympus E-500..76/100..+ +.... Sep 2005 US$ 599ebay.com
6.
 
Olympus E-520..87/100..+ +4.5/54.5/5 May 2008 US$ 699ebay.com
7.
 
Olympus E-600..........4.5/5 Aug 2009 US$ 449ebay.com
8.
 
Olympus E-6203/588/100..72/1004.5/55/5 Feb 2009 US$ 699ebay.com
9.
 
Olympus E-P1..+..66/1004/54.5/5 Jun 2009 US$ 799ebay.com
10.
 
Olympus E-P3..83/100..74/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2011 US$ 799ebay.com
11.
 
Panasonic L10..85/100..+3.5/54/5 Aug 2007 US$ 599ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. It should also be noted that some of the review sites have over time altered the way they render their verdicts.

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Olympus E-510 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the E-510.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Olympus E-510 based on?

The camera has a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

Which image processing chip is used in the Olympus E-510 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Olympus equipped the E-510 with the TruePic III image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Olympus E-510?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Olympus E-510?

Olympus does not publish a shutter rating for the E-510. Yet, shutters in comparable cameras from other manufacturers are said to be good for at least 100 000 actuations. It should be noted, though, that this number represents a Mean Time before Failure. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust an expected shutter life of 100 000 shots over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Olympus E-510?

Olympus embeds the number of shutter actuations in hidden menus. You can check the number of shots that your E-510 has taken up to now by carefully following the steps described on the Olympus E-510 shutter count page.

Does the Olympus E-510 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Olympus E-510 for flash photography?

The E-510's flash sync speed is 1/180 sec.

Which battery does the Olympus E-510 use?

The camera gets its power from the Olympus BLM-1 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Olympus E-510
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date March 2007
    Launch Price USD 799
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm
    Sensor Area 225 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x
    Sensor Resolution 10 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3 648 x 2 736 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.74 μm
    Pixel Density 4.44 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 1 600 ISO
    Image Processor TruePic III
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 52
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 21.2
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 10.0
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 442
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.46x
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 2.5 inch
    LCD Resolution 215k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 3 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF or XD cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type Olympus BLM-1 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)750 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 136 x 92 x 68 mm
    (5.4 x 3.6 x 2.7 in)
    Camera Weight 538 g (19.0 oz)

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