I looked at Canon XSI/XTI and Nikon 60D and decided to go with Olympus. And I am very happy with my decision.

The body is light, the pictures are sharp. AF is very good. When I showed the pictures to my friends who owned Canon and Nikon, they kept asking me if I improved the pictures on photoshop or not. I told them no and they didn't believe me.

The battery lasted very long. I took hundreds of pictures so far in the last month and I have only recharged my camera once.

3.5 fps is pretty decent. The only minor complaint is that AF is a bit slow in low light situation, but it is no big deal for me.

Overall, this is the best entry level DSLR in the market.

Yes, the E-520 is my first dSLR. It took me months to make the leap, during which I did A LOT of research, posted questions in forums, went everywhere my mouse would take me. Here were my reasons for choosing this camera:

1. Weight. I have back and shoulder problems, and lugging around a huge camera and heavy lenses was never an option.

2. Mirror-cleaning system. One of the issues that held me back for so long, as I'd been reading about the problems and annoyances caused by dust in mirrors (electronic devices are dust magnets!). But Olympus came up with a solution for this, and everybody said it was the best cleaning system in the market. I chose to believe it.

3. Camera resources. If you're willing to learn them, you'll become a better photographer, and that was my plan. I no longer wanted to let the camera do all the thinking. Although the E-520 still allows that (auto mode), I wanted more control and a better idea of why I was getting the results I was getting. Thus, I can set everything by hand if I want to. Or not, if I'm having a lazy day!

4. In-body image stabilization. Like any point & shoot, the E-520 body is stabilized, which helps reduce camera shake, especially when using those bigger lenses.

5. Lenses. As they say, Olympus has great "glass". Even the most humble and inexpensive Olympus lenses have a lot of quality. They will surely outlast any camera body, which is how it should be: the biggest investment are always the lenses. Furthermore, the peculiar sensor size adopted by the company (four thirds) makes for twice the reach with no gain in bulk. Thus, for instance, a 70-300 mm Olympus lens is, in fact, a 140-600 mm lens -- a huge zoom in a compact package, which is perfect for me since I do a lot of bird photography. And this takes me straight back to the weight and bulk in item #1.

I've had the E-520, plus the "kit"14-42 mm, the 70-300 mm and the 50 f/2 lenses for almost two months and I couldn't be happier. In terms of image quality, the differences between this camera and the superzoom cameras I owned previously (Panasonic FZ18, Canon S3 IS) are not only visible, they are incredible. I haven't had any problems with purple fringing, excessive noise, distortion, nothing.

It is easy and intuitive to navigate the camera menus and controls to do things the way I want. Oh, and dust? I haven't yet given it a thought: the Olympus cleaning system really works. Truth is, for me it is simply a joy to use this camera. Photography is fun now -- not frustration at seeing something and then having the images be a total letdown.

A bit of advice for newbies like myself: join forums, ask for advice, read the manuals and the literature out there (like Brian Peterson), take a lot of pictures then look them through to understand what you did right or wrong. It really helps the learning curve.

I have this SLR with ZD 14-54 2.8-3.5 lens.

There no other body and lens combination under one grand that can match the value and quality of pictures I can get from Olympus. The E520 is compact yet has super ergnormics when compared to E420 and Canon XTi, both of which I owned at one time.

I was shopping from my first DSLR and finally settled for the Oly E520 after shortlisting it with Canon XSi [450D] and Sony A300. Some of the features that made me go for it are mentioned below:

- a nice package with 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses

- the quality of Zuiko lenses [and they are smart to market them as optimized for digital photography]

- SSWF dust removal system [which according to some works the best]

- Live View [XSi and A300 have that too]

- In body Image stabilization, which means that you don't need expensive lenses with stabilization [A300 has in-body stabilization too]

- the camera felt better in hand than the other two

- the Olympus brand

- Intuitive Menu

I have both the CF and xD cards on it. The xD card box has a code that activates Art and 3D feature on the Olympus Master 2 Software.

For someone who is moving up from the point and shoots, the Oly E-520 is one of the best choices. I have been using it for a week now and everyday I learn something new about it.

Overall, it's one of the best and I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars and recommending it highly!!!!

I purchased this camera body only about a month ago and wow, I have an evolt 500 and now have the 520 both take great pics, spend the little extra and get the 520 if you are looking at Olympus I highly recommend it, this is an A+ in my book.

I am coming from an Olympus C-8080 and a Panasonic DMC-FZ18. Both of these are decent cameras, but not quite SLR quality. Also, the Panasonic is the worst macro camera I have owned. Since I was looking for more options with macro/closeup photography, I wanted a DSLR. My old SLR was an OM2n (back in the prehistoric camera days). I considered getting the E-510 or Nikon D60. Both are decent cameras, but after seeing pictures, decided to stick with Olympus and wait for the 520. I am glad I did!

I normally have a problem with a bit of camera shake and don't use a tripod. I just shot 400 pics and not one bit of camera shake! I was surprised to find out that I didn't even have Image stablization enabled. It is very easy to hold this camera steady. The lens and the viewfinder are crystal clear. I stongly suggest that you get the fastest CF card you can to record your pictures, and at least 4GB. I should tell you though, that I am shooting in both raw and fine jpeg format. This typically takes longer to write. The xd cards are too slow when shooting raw and fine jpeg. Another thing to make yourself aware of: Liveview does not seem perfected in any camera yet. It may take some time, but it is a bit bothersome, because there is a wait between recording photos when using Liveview. If you don't mind using the viewfinder,or waiting about 2 seconds between pictures, it's not a problem. Also, my battery compartment door seems to stick a bit. May need broken in, or it's just tight.

On the plus side: I have only had this camera 36 hours and already feel totally comfortable with it. I have heard people say that it's not user-friendly. I disagree with that statement IF: you have previously owned and used Olympus cameras. This camera isn't that foreign when coming from Olympus. Yes, it takes getting used to the buttons a bit, and my thumb does accidentally hit a button, but heck, I haven't even had the camera a couple of days. I also suggest that you buy the telephoto lens. Unless you shoot all wide-angle pictures, you will not be satisfied with this lens package. Regarding the Olympus lenses ... Primo, very good quality for a zoom/package deal. Much better quality than I expected. I like my pictures to be as crisp as possible, with the lowest noise (who doesn't?), so I have experimented with shutting noise reduction off and using software to reduce noise. The results were good in my test results. The scene modes of the camera are good. I haven't used them all yet (I had to put the camera down and get some sleep sometime in the past 36 hours), but am impressed with face detection on, macro, night modes. The flash is fairly strong. I have never had a built in flash, which doesn't give some type of red eye or blue eyes in dogs, this has not happened yet with the 520. Impressive, but I would suggest if doing closeup, that you diffuse the flash, or stand back a bit and zoom on the subject. REVISION: If you use the Macro nature mode, it seems to adjust the flash a bit. Also, if you like to experiment, play withe the "Vivid mode" a bit. I'm usually not a fan of modes, but in bright sunlight, my colors came out exactly as they should be.

If you are considering buying a more expensive camera and are NOT doing professional studio work, I would say; don't waste your money. Get this camera, because you will be impressed. If you are doing studio work, I would still tell you to get this camera, but get a better lens. After all, it's not always about the camera, but it is always about the lens. Anyone who has ever bought a no-name, camera-store "pushed on you" lens, knows what I am talking about.

When my next lens arrives, I will post more information under the "40-150mm Olympus zoom lens". Highly recommend this camera!

REVISION: Today, I received the adapter to let me use my old OM-2N lenses. I bought a generic one through ebay and it works just fine. I attached my old Tamron 90mm SP macro lens and began shooting. First, be aware that everything has to be done manually. This may not be practical if you need speed when focusing, unless you have mastered, manual focusing. I find that I shake the camera more with the heavier, manual lens, but with practice, I think that can be overcome. In other words, if you own the old OM lenses and don't have the money to get a new lens, buy the adapter and be prepared to make some adjustments.

If you have a flash/lighting system and a tripod, those adjustments will be lessened. I don't think I would do this for the life of the camera, but I would use the old OM lens (especially if you have a high quality one), until I could afford a new digital lens. I also have the 40-150mm digital lens (the one they give in the package deals), and am very impressed with the quality. I have posted some pictures, so you can get an idea of what this camera can do. If you scroll over the pictures, you will see the pictures I shot with the old OM-2N lens. I didn't make any revisions, so that you can get an idea of how the pictures come out of the camera (no photoshop).

Just got this SLR today,have owned many Past & Present. First thoughts are this is a TOP Notch Step Up in a Digital SLR Camera. The Auto Focus in Live View is out of this world, just press the shutter botton half way and you are in focus. I currently Own the Canon 40D and Olympus 510. This is what I have been waiting for,SLR Quailty with the ease of operation of a Point and Shoot for quick easy pictures when you need them. Cant go wrong with this one.