Olympus E-510 vs E-620

The Olympus E-510 and the Olympus E-620 are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in March 2007 and February 2009. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-510 has a resolution of 10 megapixels, whereas the E-620 provides 12.2 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-510		Olympus E-620
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses		Four Thirds lenses
10 MP – Four Thirds sensor		12.2 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-1,600		ISO 100-3,200
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
2.5" LCD – 215k dots		2.7" LCD – 230k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Swivel screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second		4 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		In-body stabilization
750 shots per battery charge		500 shots per battery charge
136 x 92 x 68 mm, 538 g		130 x 94 x 60 mm, 521 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus E-510 and the Olympus E-620? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Olympus E-510 and the Olympus E-620 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-620 is somewhat smaller (2 percent) than the Olympus E-510. Moreover, the E-620 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the E-510. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-510 nor the E-620 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the E-510 gets 750 shots out of its Olympus BLM-1 battery, while the E-620 can take 500 images on a single charge of its Olympus BLS-1 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

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$ 799	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-620	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	521 g	500	n	Feb 2009	US$ 699	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-3	142 mm	116 mm	75 mm	876 g	750	Y	Oct 2007	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-30	142 mm	108 mm	75 mm	701 g	750	n	Nov 2008	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-410	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Mar 2007	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-420	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	440 g	500	n	Mar 2008	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-520	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	535 g	750	n	May 2008	US$ 699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-600	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	535 g	500	n	Aug 2009	US$ 449	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-P1	121 mm	70 mm	36 mm	355 g	300	n	Jun 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-P2	121 mm	70 mm	36 mm	355 g	300	n	Nov 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-P3	122 mm	69 mm	34 mm	369 g	330	n	Jun 2011	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The E-620 was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 13 percent) than the E-510, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. 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.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-620 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic III+) than the E-510 (TruePic III), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-620 offers a higher resolution of 12.2 megapixels, compared with 10 MP of the E-510. This megapixels advantage translates into a 11 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-620 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.29μm versus 4.74μm for the E-510). However, it should be noted that the E-620 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year and 11 months) than the E-510, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-620 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-620 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 20.2 x 15.1 inches or 51.2 x 38.4 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 16.1 x 12.1 inches or 41 x 30.7 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 13.4 x 10.1 inches or 34.1 x 25.6 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-510 are 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm for good quality, 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm for very good quality, and 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus E-510 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-620 are ISO 100 to ISO 3200 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

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	2736	none	21.2	10.0	442	52
2.		Olympus E-620	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.3	536	55
3.		Olympus E-3	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.6	10.5	571	56
4.		Olympus E-30	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.4	530	55
5.		Olympus E-410	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.1	10.0	494	51
6.		Olympus E-420	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.5	10.4	527	56
7.		Olympus E-520	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.4	10.4	548	55
8.		Olympus E-600	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.5	10.3	541	55
9.		Olympus E-P1	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.4	10.4	536	55
10.		Olympus E-P2	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	720/30p	21.5	10.4	505	56
11.		Olympus E-P3	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	1080/60i	20.8	10.1	536	51

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-510 and the E-620 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the E-620 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-510 (0.48x vs 0.46x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-620 along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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-510	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	Y
2.		Olympus E-620	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Olympus E-3	optical	Y	2.5 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
4.		Olympus E-30	optical	Y	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.0/s	Y	Y
5.		Olympus E-410	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Olympus E-420	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	n
7.		Olympus E-520	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	Y
8.		Olympus E-600	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
9.		Olympus E-P1	none	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	Y
10.		Olympus E-P2	optional	n	3.0 / 230	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	Y
11.		Olympus E-P3	optional	n	3.0 / 614	fixed	Y	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-510 and the E-620 write their files to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity 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 Olympus E-620 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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-510	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Olympus E-620	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Olympus E-3	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Olympus E-30	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Olympus E-410	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Olympus E-420	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Olympus E-520	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-600	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Olympus E-P1	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Olympus E-P2	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Olympus E-P3	Y	stereo / -	-	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

Both the E-510 and the E-620 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-510 was replaced by the Olympus E-520, while the E-620 was followed by the Olympus E-600. Further information on the features and operation of the E-510 and E-620 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-510 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-620 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Olympus E-510 better than the Olympus E-620 or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Olympus E-510:

• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (750 versus 500) on a single battery charge.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in March 2007).

Arguments in favor of the Olympus E-620:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (12.2 vs 10MP), which boosts linear resolution by 11%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic III+ vs TruePic III).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.48x vs 0.46x).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.7" vs 2.5") for image review and settings control.
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (4 vs 3 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More affordable: Was released into a lower priced segment (13 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Was introduced somewhat (1 year and 11 months) more recently.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-620 is the clear winner of the contest (9 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-510 and the Olympus E-620 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the E-510 or the E-620 perform in practice. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		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	..	+ +	3.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	US$ 799	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-620	3/5	88/100	..	72/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2009	US$ 699	ebay.com
3.		Olympus E-3	..	88/100	..	+ +	o	4/5	Oct 2007	US$ 1 699	ebay.com
4.		Olympus E-30	..	..	..	71/100	4.5/5	4/5	Nov 2008	US$ 1 299	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-410	..	86/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	US$ 699	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-420	..	85/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2008	US$ 599	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-520	..	87/100	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2008	US$ 699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-600	..	..	..	..	..	4.5/5	Aug 2009	US$ 449	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-P1	..	+	..	66/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-P2	3/5	+	..	69/100	4/5	4.5/5	Nov 2009	US$ 799	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-P3	..	83/100	..	74/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2011	US$ 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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