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| Name | Date | Helpfulness | Review | Overall satisfaction | Ease of use | Quality of Manufacture | Durability | Meets Expectations | more... |
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| Amazon.com customer | 2008-09-04 | | Fine Value - Compact DSLR | 8 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I purchased this outfit (E-510 plus two kit lenses) not because it's "best in class" (it isn't), but because it seemed the best value in what I was looking for (I concentrate on landscapes, vacations, people; I do not concentrate on sports or formal portraiture). The price for this outfit shrunk from $1,000 to $620 in less than a year and a half. With Olympus introducing the tweaked E-520, the 510 became old hat. An example of excellent (but no longer state of the art) technology deeply discounted. As for the camera itself, these are its noteworthy attributes that might not be apparent at first study of the specs: A) On body (as opposed to on lens) image stabilization. Take a look at lens prices for Nikon or Canon and compare to Olympus' Zuiko equivalents. Nikon and Canon boast on lens stabilization - at a premium price. B) High reviews for the optical quality of these kit lenses - at virtually every aperture setting. They're remarkably lightweight too. C) Four-Thirds sensor functionally doubles the 35mm equivalent zoom factor of the lenses. Thus the 150mm kit lens magnifies to 300mm equivalent - about 8x zoom. D) Relatively lightweight but ergonomically friendly. E) Overall picture quality at various settings - really really good! Work Arounds: A) Noise reduction and sharpness default settings not so good. I prefer the results with the noise filter on "low" and sharpness on "minus one". B) Speed: If freezing sport or fast action is important to you, look elsewhere. ISO is best at 100 - 200. Just fine through 400. Beyond 400 to 800 is just OK - too much granularity for my liking. Above 800 - forget it - noise is obvious. C) Only downside of the kit lenses are their maximum apertures of f3.5 and f4.0. (Would really like a f2.8.) However, pretty typical in this class. D) Built in flash is what you'd expect for this level camera - adequate at best. Consider springing for the Olympus FL-36 - I wouldn't travel without it! All told - I'm very happy with this camera, especially at this price! | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 8 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-07-02 | | Good Deal | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I bought this camera with the two lenses from a different vendor. After researching DSLR's I found this buy to be a good one. Seeing this ad with all the components makes me wish I'd waited a bit longer. This is a good deal for a great entry level digital slr. The camera is easy to use and takes excellent pics. I'd suggest getting the DVD that explains all the features. It's worth the $20. I believe it's available through Olympus. I own several SLR's from professional to amateur, Canon, Minolta, etc. I waited for prices to come down to get into DSLR's. Olympus gave me a good reason. Consider Canon's and Nikon's offerings at nearly twice the price. Actually, a friend bought a Canon that went for $1400. I couldn't find a difference of $800 between the cameras or pictures it took. The extra battery, disc and bag are definitely worth it. This is a good buy. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-06-18 | | Best Value in a DSLR Available Today | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | This camera does all the description says and more. If you are looking for your first DSLR, and are shopping around, stop now and purchase this camera. I considered waiting for the 520, but the only new features I noticed on the mfg. page were "redesigned controls for people with certain types of color blindness" and the ability to remotely control flash units, neither of which I require. The photos I have taken over the last few weeks with this camera have more than justified the cost, and I am glad I didn't lose those photo opportunities by continuing to shop around and compare cameras. The 510 takes amazing photos straight out of the box when set to Auto, and Manual shooting can be done with individual features, such as only the aperture setting being controlled manually, while the focus and ISO are controlled automatically, or the exposure can be controlled manually, with the aperture controlled automatically. By working with only one variable at a time, learning to shoot with manual settings is fun and easy. If you are uncertain about the 4/3rds format, be aware that this format is actually closer to standard print sizes, such as 8x10, than the standard format most digital cameras use. You do not have to worry about having shots with odd looking aspect ratios. The kit lenses are more than adequate, with the 150mm being great for wildlife photography. Using the image stabilization feature, telephoto shots of the moon in which craters are clearly visible can be taken without a tripod. Astrophotographers will like the option to leave the shutter open for 60 seconds, or up to 8 minutes with the optional remote control. I have no negatives to report for this camera. I suggest purchasing a starter filter kit such as this Hoya 58mm Introductory Filter Kit, UV, Circular Polarizer, 81A and Filter Wallet, or at least a U/V filter for each lens if for no other purpose than to protect it. No extra battery should be required. After four weeks and hundreds of photos, I have only charged my battery once. For some examples of E-500 series photos, check out the Flickr group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/olympus_e500/ | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-06-08 | | Really pleased | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I bought the body only from Amazon.com. Separately, I purchased the 25mm pancake prime and the 14-54mm zoom (rather than the 2 kit lenses). The pictures I have taken so far are excellent. After reading comment after comment about difficulties with autofocus in low light (NEVER with any reference to what lens was being used and at what settings) I was a tiny bit concerned. However, I am really pleased with the AF in low light situations. Of course, both my lenses are 2.8. When my old Olympus C-2100UZ died, I was devastated and went through a few point-and-shoots with no satisfaction. I'm really glad to be back with an Olympus product. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-06-07 | | Olympus E-510 | 8 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | This is an excillent camera(so underrated) and I also use a Nikon D-80, Fuji s100fs. The lenses are the only ones I am aware of that get updates by themselves over the internet with Olympus software. Features that are too numerous to list but the pictures are pristine. Any talk of lower dynamic range just do not show from my wildlife pictures and I have taken a lot for years. Started with an E-300 loved so much > E-500 loved even more and the bargain of all time the E-510. Build perfect quality and you know when holding. The lenses are not cheap but the 18-180mm may be the last lens you ever buy! Just a beautiful camera for almost "point and shoot" cash. Go for it! | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 8 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-05-25 | | Pure, RAW, enjoyment for enthusiasts. | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | There are many excellent and thoughtful reviews here. Those, plus a lengthy and informative review by Andrzej Wrotniak (Google it) motivated me to purchase the E-510 with two lens kit from Amazon. Info from the reviews, a Quick Start DVD for this camera (that I think should be included in the retail box) and familiarity with my Olympus C-5060 have provided a quick learning experience. I have been getting excellent pictures from the first day. I decided to shoot in RAW only with my new DSLR. The results have been stunning. Olympus' RAW format seems to give a latitude of 3 (three) f stops or more and enables so many tweaks that even a grossly careless setting can often be fixed in post production. Of course it is always better to get everything correct in the camera. One way is to use automatic bracketing. Olympus requires that you activate this via the menu system. I would like to see it available on the Control Panel, but it's a small inconvenience. I use the camera for both pleasure and business. For business, I need to take pictures under conditions as they are presented, sometimes very contrasty, sometimes too little light, etc. By shooting RAW I am not just pleased, but astonished at the amount of information Olympus' sensor gathers and which can be brought out by manipulating the RAW file. The image stabilization works great and lets me generously fudge recommended shutter settings for a given focal length. These observations about the RAW files would apply to any current DSLR I suppose. But I have this one; so there. As a general note, If you have a camera that shoots RAW and you are not using it, then you are probably giving up on lots of shots that could be "keepers" had they been shot in RAW. Pros who used to shoot negative film knew that those negatives held a lot of image information that could be used if needed. Of course, extracting it required expert processing and cash. Today, pictures are all but free, memory is dirt cheap and if you can't use Photoshop, there are a number of freeware or shareware RAW converters, not to mention Olympus' own Master 2 software that does a decent job itself. Play around with RAW and you'll be amazed. I agree with others who are less than delighted with the Live View feature. It is not that it is poorly designed, just that the DSLR format and technology is not quite ready to allow a feature like this to really work as I would wish. If not in a hurry for a shot, then Live View is useable but a bit noisy. An articulated LCD display such as I have on my older C-5060 or which is available on the E-3 for almost triple the price would help a lot. In closing, the E-510 is a feature rich camera for the price, and the build quality, the feel of the camera and the results make it an excellent choice for an enthusiast. Highly recommended. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-05-25 | | No disappointment here... | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | What it is: A great digital SLR body with 2 excellent lenses at a good price from Amazon. Light but solid construction. Quality kit lenses. Great feature set including a decent 'auto' mode all the way to full manual operation. Super battery life - my first charge lasted over 5 shooting sessions of around 100 photos each. I didn't run the battery until it completely died either - I just didn't want to push my luck. :) I'm transitioning from a fairly good point-and-shoot camera to a digital SLR. I wanted a camera that would give me more control but I was a bit concerned at the potential complexity of digital SLRs. The Olympus e510 provides a good tool for learning better photography at my own pace. I've moved from relying on the 'auto' mode to using the manual settings much more often and have taken some really good shots that were simply not possible with my other cameras. Like many others I looked at Canon and Nikon before making my purchase and have no disappointment at choosing the Olympus. What it isn't: Despite the "live view" feature, the Olympus e510 is not a point-and-shoot camera. If you're transitioning from the point-and-shoot world and expect to be able to use the view screen on the camera for composing all your shots you will likely be disappointed. Reviews of the camera do point this out so I was aware of this before making the purchase. Other reviews point out that the 510 does experience some difficulty focusing in low light situations. I have found this to be true when shooting in full auto mode, especially with the 40-150mm lens. You can overcome this "issue" by learning to use some of the more advanced features of the camera. Bottom line: If you are looking to make a transition from the point-and-shoot world to digital SLR photography, the Olympus e510 shouldn't disappoint. The 510 pairs excellent kit lenses with a quality camera body with a wide array of features. I am very pleased with the Olympus e510. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-05-19 | | Great camera | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I bought my E-510 after months of research. I was looking at the Canon XSi, and Nikon D40x, d60x. I kept coming back to the Olympus E-510 as it had some key features that to me seemed important in a good dslr. - Top notch sensor dust removal - Live view - Image Stabilization - Great quality kit lenses - Takes great pictures - High quality construction and grip Based on feedback and review from other sites I have set noise reduction to off and sharpness -1 to get a great sharp picture. [...] In summary, the E-510 is a great deal and you can't go wrong with choosing this camera over its competitors. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-05-05 | | Great buy on a good consumer level DSLR | 8 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I've had this about a month, taken it on one trip to Baja California, and shot perhaps 2,000 exposures total. Good image quality and metering. I lugged 35mm SLR's for decades and switched to point-&-shoots 15 years ago but finally succumbed to the removable lens/TTL viewing desire. My chief complaint about this camera is that it is heavy -- not a heavy as most of its competitors, but still heavy. Also the 14~42mm seems overly large, it is almost as big as the 40~150mm telephoto Like all DSLR's, the e510 has huge number of control options you can fiddle with, and there is a learning curve to climb (and forget if you don't use the camera constantly). However, the "AUTO" defaults work well in most situations, and it isn't too difficult to learn to set the defaults to your taste for apeture and shutter priority modes. The e-510's image stabilization does a fair job of compensating for your shaky hand, but even it couldn't stop the blur when trying to handhold the telephoto at it's maximum 150mm (300mm 35mm equivalent) range. Plan on finding something solid to rest the camera against. One note on Olympus' 4:3 aspect ratio sensor. What it means is that for any given pixel count the Olympus gives you a few more vertical pixels but fewer horizontal ones than a 3:2 ratio sensor like most other DSLRs use. Whether this is important depends on your composing preferences. Since I end up cropping almost everything I print it makes little difference to me. Unless you already have money tied up in lenses from another maker you want to use I highly recommend this camera.
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| Overall satisfaction | 8 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-04-28 | | Great DSLR | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I am new to the DSLR world. This Olympus camera is a real improvement over my old Canon A70. I bought this model because of the in-body image stabilization and the good price for the two lens kit. The camera is very easy to handle and lightweight with either of the two short and lightweight lenses. It can fit in a small camera bag with the two lenses. The wide lens is wonderful for landscape and indoor shots. With some tweaking of the settings, the images are color-rich and sharp. I use P mode, vivid, sharpness -2, contrast -1 and noise reduction to off. The image stabilization system works great, and it is now possible to use it with legacy lenses. Indoor pictures without flash can easily be taken with the wide lens and IS on, but the subject needs to stand still in order to reduce movement blur. I have purchased a used 50mm F1.8 OM lens with an adapter, and now very dim light pictures are possible without flash using IS, just the TV on as the light source makes good pictures. The IS is also useful for telephoto pictures, there is no need to use a tripod. I also got a long telephoto of 500mm and I can get beautiful shots hand held. Now, the downsides. The Olympus digital lenses are quite expensive although of very good quality, but old lenses can be purchased with an adapter, as long as you can focus manually. High ISO pictures have more noise than competition, but I find the noise grain quite pleasing, so I don't mind. The viewfinder is dark and small compared to my old reflex camera, but the live view is excellent to make accurate focus. The last thing that annoys me is the fact that I can't quickly delete the picture right after the shot was made, I have to go to review mode then delete it. Overall, I am very satisfied with my camera. Other accessories I got with my camera are: the two lenses mentioned above (50mm F1.8 and 500mm F8), some macro extension tubes (the inexpensive ones), 4GB CF card, extra battery and an external flash. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-04-27 | | Olympus E510 is beyond my expectations, but | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | This is my second DSLR camera and it is a wonderful piece of photographic equipment with lots of features. I found it difficult to learn everything that one can do with this camera from just reading the instruction manual and fumbling with the controls. I have had the camera a couple of months and have just purchased the 80 minute DVD video "Jump Start Guides to Olympus Evolt E-510". After reading several email information and update letters from Olympus, I felt that I was missing camera use information. This DVD was not available from Amazon, but can be purchased at the Olympus Store. It should be supplied with purchase of the camera as it explains and instructs about features and functions that one can easily miss by just reading the instruction manual. The DVD is very well done and well worth the price. Even experienced photographers can benefit from viewing this E510 DVD.
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-04-24 | | Great camera, great features, great price. | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I got this camera about three months ago. With the two kit lenses. I've spend months comparing Nikon, Canon and Olympus. In the end the olympus won because of the great price/quality. NIkon is more expensive, also if you look at their lensen. Canon the same story, especially if you consider the lenses with build in image stabilization. the olympus already has it build in so their lenses are cheaper. Took thousands of shots since I got it. I was surprised with the great pictures and especially the great speed compared to my great point and shoot camera. a few pros: Great image stabilization Speed (I love the ability to keep on shooting without waiting) light weight (every time I hold my friend's Canon, I clearly feel the difference) easy to use (yes, I am a novice and don't think it is hard just read and try) Battery life is very good, way longer than nikon/canon great price Cons: LCD is useful, especially with a tripod, but beware ps users, it is not the same. Auto focus in low light is bad, for instance in a restaurant with dimmed light. It gets even worse because the camera tries to get into focus by bursting flashes which freeks everyone out. If you get this camera you can think of leaving the great kit lenses and buy a lens from the pro series. Especially the new lenses with SWD focus systems, they are said to have blazing fast Auto Focus and nice pictures, I'm getting the 12-60mm soon ! If that is too expensive, look at the 14-54mm... Overall I'm very satisfied with the camera and the software. S.B. Veeger, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Europe. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-04-12 | | Evolt E-510 | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | I looked at a lot of reviews before deciding on this camera. One factor was that I have a few 'legacy lenses' from my traditional 35mm film camera that I wanted to be able to use. I have an old Konica lens that I can mod to fit, and can't wait to try it. They do also make several adapters so you can use the older lenses, in either manual or aperture priority (which I'd guess the former would be why many would turn to a DSLR instead of a higher end P&S in the first place). I like the way the controls are set up (I had an older Olympus digital camera, and my last one was a Fuji Finepix s3100 which both were good at what they did - but I wanted more control over exposure). It did not take long to get used to the controls, maybe because I've had other cameras that were similar in set up, but it feels 'natural' to me now, and it didn't take long. There are many things you can adjust to your liking, and you really should read the manual to get the most out of the camera. I tried to dive in head first without reading it first, but there is so much that you can do with this camera, that you really should read it before you go testing it out, as it will make more sense and what you can do with it. I tweaked some of the settings (for noise and IS and such - you can even customize some minor things - wheel direction and some other things) and could not be happier with the results. After taking a couple of days to 'play around' with the settings, and to get a feel for it, I am perfectly content with this camera. I also think the feel in-hand is also very nice. It is neither too small (I've heard complaints of other Olympus models being too small for comfort) nor is it too heavy. The body size is maybe half an inch smaller than my 35mm, which is really not that much of a difference to me. The hand grip is also a good size, and the buttons you might need most often are within easy reach. I have medium-smallish hands, and it does not feel too big or awkward for me. I think with medium to large hands you could reach all of them (the AEL/AFL, IS and the live view) without looking/holding it differently. The ones I need more often are all within easy reach. I think the hand grip is a size that would fit a larger range of hand size, as this one is a bit longer than the E-400 series that I've seen, so I think the change in size/grip may have been a result of feedback from earlier models that were reported to be too cramped. It is a great camera, and you can't even find 'live view' on comparable cameras, which I admit I haven't really used, but it comes in handy for low light focusing, and making sure you have your focus where you want it for critical images. It's got great options and the quality you get for the price can't be beat. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-04-12 | | Olympus kit lenses make E-510 stand above other big names | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | Like most people in the market for a digital SLR, I did a lot of research before purchasing the e-510. But I had one big advantage: I had previously purchased a Canon Rebel XT about a year ago and found that I was not at all happy with the camera. The image quality was very soft, and I ended up selling the thing on ebay. In general, I found that Canon is waaay over-rated and in order to get good pics you have to shell out at least as much coin for non kit lenses as you do for the bloody body. Canon and Nikon SLRs are, in my mind, a racket for lenses. That's where Olympus came into the picture. I had previously owned a Olympus C-765 10x zoom non-SLR camera and was generally pleased with the results. Particularly, I was pleased with the optics of the lenses at the long end of the zoom spectrum. It's all about the lenses, stupid!! So, in my mind, when it came to the next SLR purchase, it came down to Sony and Olympus. I picked the E-510 because it came with two lenses, had all the current features, and pretty much was getting rave reviews. I am very glad I purchased the E-510. The lenses have not disappointed. The image quality is clear and concise and detailed - something that my Canon XT kit with kit lens was definitely not. For anybody just getting into digital photography, like myself, I would recommend the E-510 because of the lenses and quality pics you'll get without having to spend a ransom on lens upgrades. Other things I like about the E-510 are: the user-friendly menu system, the feel of the camera - it feels like a substantial, professional tool, the anti-dust mechanism and built-in anti-shake, the long battery life. It's just an excellent camera that gets SLR results. Again, can't say the same for the Canon XT. Don't believe all the hype about Canon, for sure, and probably Nikon. I don't know why Olympus doesn't more aggressively market its products, because I find it to be a superior camera? The company is, after all, in the business of making high-powered microscopes and optical equipment. I have found that the lenses are high quality and will give you great image quality. I am very happy with my E-510 and now getting so excited about my new hobby that I am considering buying the 70-300 Zuiko lens to get really close-up shots. Bottom line: buy the 2-lens kit E-510 and you'll get great pics, have a feature-ladden camera, and won't have to throw away your kit lens and pay big bucks for a new lens right away. I'm an Olympus fan, but it's because the proof is in the pudding - the awesome results you get. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-04-07 | | Worthy successor to the brilliant OM series | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | Having had several 35mm Olympus OM cameras I know Olympus quality and "thinking" well. This is not a "me too" company. I'd been holding off on a digital SLR because the others I'd tried were big, awkward and a bit too gadgety. The four thirds concept is brilliant. It's a clean sheet-designed for digital-format, not adapted from 35mm format. Why everyone is trying to emulate the 35mm format beats me. It was an odd format in film (it's based on movie film stock) and old thinking. It makes for big digital SLR's and lenses. This may sound like a trivial point but this is a camera meant to be held. The grip and balance are near perfect. It feels like a thick OM. Bravo, Olympus. The JPEG quality is excellent by default and better with fiddling with the settings. The images don't have that digital processed look. There's no problems at all with RAW and Adobe. It converts well. The popup flash is as good or as bad as the others, depending on your perspective. None pop up high enough to not cast a shadow of the lens up close and all are a bit harsh. Cobble up a diffuser to spread the light and all is well. The menus system is simple and direct. No need to dive into the manual to figure out what obscure lingo and icons mean. Live view works and works best for tripod work. It's rough going holding any SLR away from your face due to the weight. Manual focus with the enlarged view is a great idea. Overall, a fine camera with excellent kit lenses. If I had to nitpick I'd say the battery charger is absurdly slow and clunky. Come on Olympus, you can do better. Chargers should charge in less than 5 hours and plug directly into the wall. The Master 2 software is also pretty primitive. Then again, if you have a dSLR you probably have better software already. (If not, get Photoshop Elements, at the very least.) It's major strength is it's ability to easily update the camera system firmware. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-03-14 | | Save Time & Money Buying the Olympus E-510 From Amazon | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | This review is about my EXPERIENCE purchasing the awesome Evolt E-510 (with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko Lenses) rather than the camera itself. Hopefully it will save you time and trouble. When researching online stores to purchase this camera kit the lowest price I found was $527 at Broadway Photo. I carefully read the details, mainly which items were included in the box. Everything in the description matched the list of items "included in the box" on the Olympus website, so I felt reasonably certain that it was an identical kit. Broadway Photo even threw in a "bonus" that included a tripod, cleaning kit and protective film for the LCD screen. I went ahead and placed the order with my Discover card. I opted for Overnight Shipping because the site stated that the camera would ship in 1 - 2 business days and I was trying to get it before the weekend. The "receipt" that was emailed to me lacked any detail regarding my order, including the price paid for the camera package and shipping ($42.00 for overnight shipping). My order total should have been $569, a considerable savings over any other site offering the camera. The receipt also stated that I needed to make sure that my credit card company had any alternate shipping addresses on file. I called Discover to verify that my work address was on file - it was. I was trying to avoid any last minute calls from Broadway Photo that might delay my order. The next day I got a phone call from Broadway Photo "verifying" my order. The salesman on the phone also wanted to make sure I didn't need any accessories and was aware of a few things with this particular camera package - namely that the battery was a lower-life battery, the charger was a 12 hour charger and the warranty was only 90 days. He offered a better deal, a long-life battery, a 15 minute charger and a 1 year extended warranty from Olympus for an additional $100. I usually don't go for any bait and switch tactics, but I knew an extended Olympus battery and a quick charger were around $140, and I thought it would be convenient having a charger at work and at home. Against all better judgement, I agreed. When my package arrived I got the standard camera kit and a TINY box with a TINY tabletop tripod (made up of flexible bendy legs), lens cleaning kit and LCD protective film. The extra battery and charger were missing. The receipt said that the battery and charger were an "UPGRADE" and there was no mention of an extended warranty. I opened the camera box thinking they may have stuffed the charger and battery inside, only to find the standard Olympus battery, charger and standard ONE YEAR WARRANTY. I also noticed that Broadway Photo added an additional $40.50 to my order as a "HANDLING" charge, for a total of $709.50 - a $140.50 jump from the original $569 order. I gave Broadway Photo a call. I figured that Broadway Photo dealt with gray-market goods (units that may have different features and accessories which are packaged to be sold outside of the U.S. that are being sold within the U.S. market at a discount) - but I was told that the extra $100 was for a SECOND battery, SECOND charger and extended warranty - not the standard issue items that came with the U.S. camera kit. I felt like I was still getting a good deal. The customer service rep explained that the Broadway Photo website plainly stated that they sold "overseas units" and when I asked "gray-market goods?" he said "Oh no, NOT gray-market goods - units packaged for sale overseas". I told him that was the textbook definition of a gray-market good. I told him I felt like Broadway Photo was using bait and switch tactics which he also denied. He told me that the package that was advertised included a shorter life battery and 12-hour charger that Olympus packaged for overseas sales and the UPGRADE was legitimate - even though the web page made no mention that the E-510 kit was packaged for sale overseas. I asked about the 90-Day Warranty vs. the standard 1-Year Warranty and he said the 90-Day warranty was not from Olympus but from an outside vendor. Ahhhhh, so the camera kit wouldn't even be warranted by Olympus because it wasn't made to be sold in the U.S. I told him I wanted to return the entire order because I didn't trust Broadway Photo and he said that I would have to pay all return shipping charges and I would not get my shipping and handling charges refunded, BUT, he was willing to send me a true 3-year Olympus extended warranty because he wanted to keep my business. I said the only way he would keep my business would be to send me the 3-year warranty, the extra OLYMPUS battery and the 15-minute charger as I was promised. I also pointed out that Discover would charge-back Broadway Photo for the $82.50 shipping and handling charges so I had nothing to worry about. He said that I had the Olympus battery and charger because they were shipped as an "UPGRADE" to my order, and that the units which originally should have shipped with the kit I ordered off the website were made by after-market manufacturers. I told him to go ahead and send me those instead and I would keep the package. The customer service rep said he couldn't ship the extra battery and charger unless I was willing to pay $24 PLUS shipping and handling - yet another upsell - so I had him issue an RMA number. I sent the unit back and Broadway Photo did promptly credit my Discover card with everything but the shipping and handling fees -just as I was told. I called Discover and explained the situation and they credited my account with the rest of the charges. Ultimately my fiasco with Broadway Photo cost me $18 to ship the camera back. I have since purchased the E-510 from Amazon (which I should have done in the first place) and I love it. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-02-25 | | Best Value in a Digital SLR | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | There are many good reasons for buying this camera: * Price - This camera body with the two-lens kit costs the same or less than other digital SLR cameras with just one lens or no lenses, yet offers the same or better resolution. * Included Lenses - Both kit lenses included with this camera are very sharp, giving a good range of focal lengths. The Olympus 50mm macro lens designed for this camera and sold separately continues to receive rave reviews from users. There are also many reasonably-priced third-party lenses that will work with this camera. * Image Stabilization Built Into the Camera Body - With other digital SLR brands you must pay for image stabilization every time you buy another lens or do without this feature. * Light Weight - Although this camera is comfortable to hold, the body and lenses weigh less and are smaller than most other digital SLR brands with the same resolution. * Accessories - Olympus and third-party suppliers offer a rich selection of accessories such as external flash, infrared remote control, rechargeable batteries, lens filters and memory cards. * Speed - The camera is ready to use in about one-half second from a cold start. In good light, there is virtually no shutter lag and the camera can shoot several frames per second to follow action. * Battery Life - Even shooting flash photos the camera's fully-charged battery is good for hundreds of shots. * Dual Memory Cards - With a high-capacity CF and xD card, it's possible to have 10GB of removable solid state memory inside the camera. * LCD Display - You can view the actual sensor image on the LCD display. While displaying photos on the LCD that you have already taken, you can rotate the camera and the images automatically remain upright. I have not seen those two features on any other brand of digital SLR. * The July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports gave this camera its "Quick Pick" and a top overall score among basic SLRs, yet this model was priced less than most other cameras they tested. There may also be three reasons for not buying this camera: * Lens Mounts - A pro who constantly changes lenses may feel that metal lens mounts are more durable than the polycarbonate mounts that this camera uses, though the Olympus mounts should be durable enough for most amateurs. * Existing Lenses - A serious photographer who owns a collection of 35mm lenses that fit another brand might want to consider a camera of the same brand with a full-size sensor. However, such a camera would be much larger, heavier and a great deal more expensive. * A newer model of this camera, the E-520, has been introduced and is available at a higher cost. Among other improvements, it has a larger, brighter LCD screen, face recognition technology and the ability to automatically detect too much contrast and soften shadows. I have been taking prize-winning pictures with single-lens-reflex cameras for money and fun for nearly 40 years, but they've all used film. After years of shopping, this was the first digital SLR that I believed would meet my needs and still be affordable. I have not been disappointed with my choice. Pictures from it are razor sharp with good color balance. You can spend a lot more for a digital SLR, but I don't believe that you can get more for your money. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-02-15 | | A few things you should know. | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | First, it is a great camera. Rated number one by Wired magazine, and getting good marks from consumer reports should give you confidence that you won't be disappointed. It has taken me a couple of days to figure out the settings, but now I've got it mostly down. I have owned two other Olympus cameras, so the menus are not difficult for me to navigate. Here are some simple differences between this SLR and others I have used or seen used. Positives: 1: The image stabilization is fantastic. This is built into the CCD shift system, which includes the dust removal. Everything I read says that the E-510's system is better than the similarly priced competition. And I agree. 2: The four-thirds camera lenses are easier to make sense off. All Zuiko lenses are designed for this camera with auto focus. If you are pricing other cameras online it is a painful amount of research to find out exactly which lenses are bundled with what and whether they are auto focus or not. Skip the hassle, Zuiko's are reasonably priced and are all designed for the E series in mind. In addition, the lenses do not need image stabilization because it is already built into the camera. 3: The live view screen is a great feature in a camera this price. 4: The two memory card slots. Having a CF and xD slot is a feature that really stands out. Though it does have some negatives (3). 5: The battery life, pretty much kicks it. 650 shots per charge! Negatives: 1: The manual focus. I saw this discussed in several other reviews, and it is difficult to use. Generally I vary my focus points in still life, and it is difficult with this camera. From what I understand, the focus ring activates a motor to change focus. After 5 weeks I am still at a loss as to how it works. 2: Low light auto-focus. The camera really 'hunts' for focus in low light situations. Other SLR's have separate focus lights, which are vastly better. Frankly, it is a bit tiresome to have the flash strobe during the AF mode for over 5 seconds before a shot. It really drives me nuts. When I can take a quicker shot with a point and shoot than with my SLR I get frustrated. 3: Some modes do not work with the CF card. The xD card has some special formatting for panoramas that the CF does not. I was fully aware of this prior from owning a C-5060 wide zoom, so it wasn't really a negative for me. But, it should be considered during purchase. If you do panoramas and would like to use the Olympus Master software, you need a xD card. 4: Button clutter. My C-5060 was the same deal, so not like I wasn't expecting it. The problem is Winter shooting. When I have gloves on I cannot tell if I hit a button by mistake. This caused mass frustration a couple of days ago when I carefully set the camera up inside, went outside and had to redo it all in the cold. Overall I feel like the negatives are more whining than real negatives. But I think if you are going to invest in a camera, knowing what is annoying is probably more useful than knowing what is good. I probably would have been overjoyed to have any SLR, but the three positives really pushed me over the top. When I was shopping doing price comparisons of Nikon and Canon SLRs I could not make heads or tails of all the abbreviations for lenses and which legacy lenses worked with which camera. Every kit was different, and without tea leaves or a real camera nut on your side figuring it out takes time, time, time. If you buy from a retail store and pay a $100 premium or get a more expensive model, this won't be a problem. But, if your a deal hunter like I am, be careful about what lenses are bundled. Also, because I already owned multiple CF and xD cards, it made sense for me to stick with a camera that actually used them. You really won't find yourself using the live preview like you would on a point and shoot, but for landscapes and night-shots with a tripod I couldn't see not having it. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-02-05 | | Why I researched to death, then bought the Olympus E-510 | 8 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | Have you narrowed your choice down to a couple of camera yet? It took me about 4 months to get that far. So I'm writing this to help ease the tortoured minds that are like my own, and research to death what camera to buy. A few things to note about the Olympus E-510. Right out of the box, the camera is going to take better pictures than that 5 megapixil point and shoot you are thinking of advancing from. I like RAZOR sharp pictures. The pictures you get with this camera are modestly sharp, but I usually run my pics through PICASA or ACDSee and hit the sharpen button once or twice. I have compared pictures from all the available cameras in this price range. Nikon D40, D40X, Canon Xti, Pentax K10D and K100Super. After all the research I went to buy the Pentax K10D and came home with the Olympus E-510. When you hold the camera, use the controls, and explore all the setting options, you can't help but love the camera. The built in Image Stabilization and live view pushed me over the edge to buy. Strong Points: 1) I use the live view more for tripod work with wildlife in by back yard; and frequently for setting the white balance, then shooting normally. I really like that option. 2) When I considered the Xti and the lens I wanted, it was almost twice the price of the E-510. I considered the Pentax K100Super, but didn't want to go back to AA battery thing again. An option if you are on a really tight budget. The K10D? I found the controls, and speed it took to change them on the K10D its downfall, though a rugged camera and still a good choice if you are leaning in that direction, again I went to the store to buy this camera. 3) ISO 1600; the camera takes good natural light pictures with ISO 800 and 1600. A couple sample pictures were taken that way. I'm impressed. 4) Most complaints about this camera are about focusing. I have not experienced any "hunting" with focusing, but rather some dark conditions with little contrast will make the built in flash strobe for up to 5 seconds prior to locking and shooting. I don't consider it a problem, but rather how my camera works. I accept it, its rare. I would not buy a different camera based on this. 5) Under or over exposure. This is probably my only complaint about the camera. I find myself using the exposure compensation when shooting indoor flash photos when the subject is more than 10 feet away. I don't understand why they cant program the camera to increase the exposure compensation when the subject focused at a distance, or the lens is zoomed. The data is collected by the camera, why don't they use it so I don't have to compensate for it? If I forget to compensate, the pictures are never lost to quality, I just have to tweak them in Picasa or some other photo program. 6) Image Stabilization. In the bleachers of the gym at my local school, I can turn to ISO 1600, turn on the IS, full out zoom and still get a nice shot at 1/30th. It's the real deal. No complaints. 7) Image quality. The details with noise filter off, the color and the sharpness are wonderful. The dynamic range is the same as the Pentax K10. White whites and black blacks is the issue here. I like BRIGHT and slightly over saturated pictures, which means I tend to over expose them in the photo programs. You will notice you clip the whites out when you do this, but no worse than any other manufacturer when comparing photos all over PBASE. 8). SSWF. The dust buster in this camera works. Didn't buy it for this, but it's a bonus. 9) I never use the scene modes. If you are inexperienced, you may want to use these options. I bought the camera because I loved film in the 1980's and wanted to get back to a SLR. I like shooting with spot metering and spot focusing, by sticking it right on the center of some ones nose, then dropping down to frame my shot. I like taking a picture across a gym filled with kids, not knowing which one is my kid, but getting a clean shot that can be cropped into what I wanted. If this is the fun you expect to have, you will be happy. Sometimes a full kit package with two lenses for under 700 bucks really is a deal, and a great camera. I would buy again. Have fun. Update Dec 2008: Still happy with my purchase, about a year or more out. No problems with the camera. Firmware upgrades are offered from time to time. My only complaint (inherant to most digital SLR's) is the dynamic range compared to film of years past. Whites are bleached out in outdoor pictures in sunlight or black dogs are two dark, then whites are bleached out when compensated. The 520 has shadow compensation in camera, I suspect this helps compensate. With newer models out, the 510 package has become an even better value.
| Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 8 |
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| | | | | | | | Amazon.com customer | 2008-02-02 | | Fantastic Camera, you can't go wrong with it. | 10 | NR | NR | NR | NR | | | | Helpful? | Dollar for dollar this camera is amazing. All the features you get, for less money than either Canon or Nikon charge for their over esteemed brand names. Neither of the bigger name brands offer you live-view (which admittedly I use much less than I thought I would), the ability to zoom in on a detail and confirm focus though makes this feature worth having alone. A photography journalist friend of mine recommended this camera, and I am glad he did. Pictures are great, though yes, I have also owned a Nikon D40x and was also very pleased with the pictures from it, and in fact perhaps the Nikon has more "foolproof" picture taking ability, the absence of stability control in the body of the Nikon alone is reason to reject it. I've already upgraded both the kit lenses, so my one recommendation if your budget can afford it is but the body ONLY and then purchase the high-quality lenses separately. If you are pushing to just get into the SLR realm then, by all means those "kit" lenses are far better quality than you will get in either Nikon's packages or Canon's. Plus the kit lenses from Olympus are incredibly and light and compact, fantastic for travel. | Satisfaction | Score |
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| Overall satisfaction | 10 |
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