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Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10

Portability
69
Imaging
44
Features
42
Overall
43
Olympus E-510 front
 
Pentax Q10 front
Portability
92
Imaging
36
Features
56
Overall
44

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Key Specs

Olympus E-510
(Full Review)
  • 10MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 2.5" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 1600
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • No Video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 490g - 136 x 92 x 68mm
  • Released November 2007
  • Alternative Name is EVOLT E-510
  • Old Model is Olympus E-500
  • Renewed by Olympus E-520
Pentax Q10
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1/8000s Maximum Shutter
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Pentax Q Mount
  • 200g - 102 x 58 x 34mm
  • Announced September 2012
  • Replaced the Pentax Q
  • Replacement is Pentax Q7
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Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Overview

Lets take a closer look at the Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10, former is a Advanced DSLR while the latter is a Entry-Level Mirrorless by brands Olympus and Pentax. The image resolution of the E-510 (10MP) and the Q10 (12MP) is pretty comparable but the E-510 (Four Thirds) and Q10 (1/2.3") come with totally different sensor dimensions.

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The E-510 was revealed 5 years earlier than the Q10 which is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Each of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-510 being a Mid-size SLR camera and the Pentax Q10 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before diving in to a detailed comparison, below is a brief overview of how the E-510 grades against the Q10 with respect to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-510 over the Pentax Q10

 E-510 Q10 

Reasons to pick Pentax Q10 over the Olympus E-510

 Q10 E-510 
AnnouncedSeptember 2012November 2007Newer by 58 months
Screen dimension3"2.5"Bigger screen (+0.5")
Screen resolution460k230kCrisper screen (+230k dot)

Common features in the Olympus E-510 and Pentax Q10

 E-510 Q10 
Manually focus Very precise focus
Screen typeFixed Fixed Fixed screen
Selfie screen No selfie screen
Touch friendly screen No Touch friendly screen

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Physical Comparison

For those who are intending to travel with your camera frequently, you will have to factor its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-510 features external measurements of 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") accompanied by a weight of 490 grams (1.08 lbs) whilst the Pentax Q10 has proportions of 102mm x 58mm x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3") accompanied by a weight of 200 grams (0.44 lbs).

See the Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 in our newest Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Always remember, the weight of an ILC will change depending on the lens you are employing at that time. Following is the front view scale comparison of the E-510 and the Q10.

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 size comparison

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability score of the E-510 and Q10 is 69 and 92 respectively.

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it can be hard to visualise the difference in sensor dimensions simply by going through a spec sheet. The pic underneath may offer you a far better sense of the sensor sizing in the E-510 and Q10.

As you can see, both the cameras posses different megapixel count and different sensor dimensions. The E-510 having a bigger sensor will make shooting shallower depth of field simpler and the Pentax Q10 will show extra detail because of its extra 2 Megapixels. Higher resolution can also enable you to crop shots somewhat more aggressively. The more aged E-510 will be disadvantaged when it comes to sensor technology.

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-510 Portrait photography features
Pentax Q10 Portrait photography features
56
you can focus manually
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
48
focusing manually
above average flash sync (1/2,000s)
supports face detection focus
supports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-510 Street photography info
Pentax Q10 Street photography info
68
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
lighter than competition (490 grams)
fixed screen
68
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports RAW files
lighter than average in class (200g)
screen does not articulate
small sensor size (1/2.3")
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Sports Comparison

Sports photography with Olympus E-510
Sports photography with Pentax Q10
52
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
sensor has phase detect AF
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames/s)
low megapixels (10MP)
36
max shutter speed is good (1/8,000 seconds)
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports tracking autofocus
painfully slow continuous shooting (5.0 fps)
sensor resolution not great (12 megapixels)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
bad battery pack (270 per charge)
has no phase detect auto focus
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-510
Travel photography with Pentax Q10
52
lighter than competition (490 grams)
flash built-in
doesn't have Timelapse recording
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
display is not selfie friendly
60
lighter than average in class (200 grams)
built-in flash
bad battery pack (270 CIPA)
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-510 Landscape photography info
Pentax Q10 Landscape photography info
55
you can focus manually
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
nice sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
screen is small (2.5 inches)
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
54
focusing manually
change lenses (Pentax Q mount)
screen size is good (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports RAW files
sensor resolution not great (12MP)
small sensor size (1/2.3")
bad battery pack (270 shots)
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-510 as a Vlogging camera
Pentax Q10 as a Vlogging camera
9
can't record video
35
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
supports face detection focus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 pixels)
lighter than average in class (200g)
screen isn't selfie friendly
no external mic port
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Olympus E-510 vs Pentax Q10 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-510 and Pentax Q10
 Olympus E-510Pentax Q10
General Information
Manufacturer Olympus Pentax
Model Olympus E-510 Pentax Q10
Otherwise known as EVOLT E-510 -
Type Advanced DSLR Entry-Level Mirrorless
Released 2007-11-23 2012-09-10
Body design Mid-size SLR Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 10 megapixels 12 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9
Peak resolution 3648 x 2736 4000 x 3000
Highest native ISO 1600 6400
Minimum native ISO 100 100
RAW format
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
AF single
Tracking AF
Selective AF
AF center weighted
AF multi area
AF live view
Face detection focusing
Contract detection focusing
Phase detection focusing
Number of focus points 3 25
Lens
Lens mounting type Micro Four Thirds Pentax Q
Number of lenses 45 8
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen sizing 2.5 inches 3 inches
Resolution of screen 230k dot 460k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Screen technology - TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Optical (pentamirror) Optical (optional)
Viewfinder coverage 95 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.46x -
Features
Min shutter speed 60s 30s
Max shutter speed 1/4000s 1/8000s
Continuous shutter speed 3.0 frames per sec 5.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Integrated flash
Flash range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) 7.00 m
Flash modes Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Trailing-curtain sync
External flash
Auto exposure bracketing
White balance bracketing
Max flash sync 1/180s 1/2000s
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Video resolutions - 1920 x 1080 (30 fps), 1280 x 720p (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution None 1920x1080
Video file format - MPEG-4, H.264
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless None None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 490 grams (1.08 pounds) 200 grams (0.44 pounds)
Dimensions 136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7") 102 x 58 x 34mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.3")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 52 49
DXO Color Depth score 21.2 21.1
DXO Dynamic range score 10.0 10.9
DXO Low light score 442 183
Other
Battery life - 270 photographs
Type of battery - Battery Pack
Battery model - D-LI68
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Type of storage Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card SD/SDHC/SDXC
Storage slots Single Single
Launch pricing $550 $350