The E-510 is an update to the E-500 rather than a completely ‘new’ camera. But this hasn’t prevented it from seeing some pretty radical changes, and it appears to have benefited from the designer’s knife in numerous areas.

Arguably, the original E-500 was the first ‘proper’ Four Thirds camera for the enthusiast, even though it was actually the third DSLR to join the Olympus range. When it arrived, we had already seen the Olympus E-1, but that came at a price that few could justify. And then there was the E-300, which, though billed as ‘for the hobbyist’, didn’t deliver in either looks or performance.

Yet when the E-500 arrived it set the standard for Four Thirds cameras. Combining an affordable price, decent performance and the look and feel of a ‘traditional’ DSLR, it was perhaps the saviour of an E-System that appeared to be losing its direction. Does its successor follow in its footsteps or is it but a further footnote in the potted history of Olympus DSLRs?

 

More info:

Olympus E-510 features

Olympus E-510 design

Olympus E-510 performance

Olympus E-510 image quality

Olympus E-510 value for money

Olympus E-510 verdict

Olympus E-510 specifications