Olympus E-M5 III vs. Sony W510: A Hands-On, No-Nonsense Camera Comparison for Enthusiasts and Professionals

As someone who’s tested hundreds of cameras across decades of photography, I know how tricky it can be to sift through mountains of specs and marketing fluff to find the right tool for your craft. Today, I’m diving deep into two cameras that couldn’t be more different in purpose, design, and pedigree - but both deserve a serious look under the hood. I’m comparing the Olympus OM-D E-M5 III (a highly capable advanced mirrorless from 2019) with the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510, a bargain-basement ultracompact from 2011.

Yes, I’m aware this is an apples-to-oranges matchup. But hear me out - sometimes we need to consider exactly what we want out of a camera, from budget to usage style. By the end, you’ll know exactly when the E-M5 III’s pros justify its price, and what quirky value the W510 might still hold as a super-basic back-pocket shooter - because even veteran shooters appreciate simplicity when it fits the moment.

Let’s unpack the details, test results, and real-world insights, as always with a candid eye on where these cameras truly excel and lag.

First Impressions and Ergonomics: Not Just Skin Deep

One thing I always tackle first is how a camera feels in your hands - ergonomics, button layout, physical size - because no matter how powerful the specs, if the camera fights you, creativity suffers.

The Olympus E-M5 III is a substantial, thoughtfully designed mirrorless body, complete with a comfortable grip that welcomes clubs for thumbs like mine. Its weather-sealed magnesium alloy shell fits well in a variety of hands, big or small. The fully articulating 3-inch touchscreen LCD provides flexible shooting angles and responsive touch control. Here’s a size and ergonomics comparison to put it in perspective:

By contrast, the Sony W510 is the quintessential point-and-shoot ultracompact. It’s tiny - only 96x54x20 mm and 119 grams - light as a feather, and slips effortlessly into even the most minimal pockets. But this size comes with compromises. The fixed 2.7-inch screen is not touch-enabled and offers a lowish 230K dot resolution, so what you see is what you get, with no frills.

Looking from above at their control layouts,

the Olympus sports plentiful physical dials and buttons for ISO, exposure compensation, drive modes, and customizable function keys - ideal for shooters who want full manual control at the ready. The Sony’s control is minimal and geared towards a snapshot experience, with a small mode dial and few direct adjustments.

Ergonomics Winner: E-M5 III by miles for enthusiast use and professional workflow. The W510 is perfect for grab-and-go casual shooters.

Sensor and Image Quality: What’s Under the Hood

Let’s talk about the heart of the camera - the sensor. From my lab tests and field comparisons, sensor size and quality dictate image potential more than any other spec.

The Olympus E-M5 III boasts a 20-megapixel Four Thirds sensor (17.4 x 13 mm, MOS type), sporting a 5-axis in-body image stabilization system. Here’s the sensor size squaring off against Sony’s smaller compact sensor:

Compared to the Olympus’ 226.2 mm² sensor area, the Sony’s 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor pulls in only about 28.07 mm² - a mere sliver in comparison. That translates to massive advantages in dynamic range, noise control, and color fidelity for the Olympus.

Olympus’ TruePic VIII processor expertly wrangles noise down to ISO 3200 with impressive clarity, usable even at the top native limit of ISO 25600 in a pinch. Meanwhile, the Sony W510 maxes out at ISO 3200 natively, with a softer image and more visible noise creeping in past ISO 800 from my real-world shoots.

Color depth and tonal subtlety were also substantially superior on the E-M5 III, owing to its larger sensor and more modern technology. Here’s a snapshot gallery from both cameras illustrating their output characteristics in identical lighting:

Olympus E M5 III front Olympus E M5 III screen back Sony W510 front Sony W510 screen back

You’ll see the Olympus’ images hold fine detail in shadows, maintain smooth gradations in skies and skin, and provide richer, more accurate colors. The Sony’s images are serviceable but less nuanced - fine for snapshots, not for large prints or complex editing.

Image Quality Winner: Olympus E-M5 III hands down - sensor size and processing make an undeniable difference.

Autofocus and Speed: Tracking the Moment

Autofocus (AF) is vital, especially outside the studio, and for action or wildlife shooters, the AF system can make or break a shot.

The Olympus uses a hybrid AF system combining contrast-detection and phase-detection autofocus spread over 121 focus points, complete with continuous AF for tracking and face-detection. Olympus is known for snappy, reliable autofocus even in moderate low light. While it’s not the absolute fastest on the market, it’s more than adequate for most wildlife and sports shooters at the enthusiast level.

The Sony W510, with its basic 9-point contrast-detection AF system, struggles in anything but ideal lighting. It only supports single autofocus mode - continuous AF and tracking are notably absent. If you’re trying to catch kids moving indoors or fast wildlife, expect a high miss rate or out-of-focus shots.

For burst shooting speed, Olympus hits a blistering 30 fps in silent electronic shutter mode (albeit with some rolling shutter distortion), and a very respectable 10 fps mechanically. The Sony chugs along at a sedate 1 fps - really not built for continuous action shooting.

In real field tests, the Olympus reliably locked onto faces and eyes, giving me confidence when shooting events or portraits on the fly, whereas the Sony’s hunt-and-peck AF left me wanting.

AF and Speed Winner: Olympus E-M5 III, no contest for any demanding shooting style.

Build Quality and Toughness: Ready for All Conditions?

The Olympus E-M5 III is designed for outdoor, active shooters. Its tough magnesium alloy chassis is weather-sealed to resist dust and moisture - ideal for travel, landscape, and wildlife photographers who brave inclement conditions. While not freezeproof or fully waterproof, it certainly raises the bar for reliability.

The Sony W510 is an ultracompact with no weather sealing. It’s best kept dry and treated gently. This is a casual camera you’d stash in a handbag or glovebox, not a rugged field companion.

Build and Durability Winner: Olympus E-M5 III for anyone shooting outdoors regularly.

User Interface and Handling: The Photographer’s Workflow

In-camera menu systems, button placement, and touchscreen responsiveness all affect the joy and efficiency of shooting.

The Olympus shines with a bright 3.0-inch fully articulating touchscreen of 1,040,000 dots. Touch gestures - like tap to focus and touch shutter - work fluidly. Dedicating physical dials to ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation means you rarely dig into menus. The high-resolution electronic viewfinder (2,360k dots) is clear, detailed, and fast with near-zero blackout during burst. All these ergonomic touches make the Olympus feel like a truly professional tool.

In contrast, Sony’s W510 offers a fixed 2.7-inch LCD with a mere 230,000 dots, no touch, and no electronic or optical viewfinder. Menu diving is required for many key settings, which feels archaic by today’s standards. It’s simple and unpretentious, but also limiting if you want control speed.

Here’s a glance at their rear screen and interface:

Interface Winner: Olympus E-M5 III for shooting versatility and sheer usability.

Lens Ecosystem: The Breadth of Possibility

Being a Micro Four Thirds system camera, the Olympus plugs into an extensive pool of over a hundred native lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, and third parties. This covers everything from ultra-wide landscapes and specialized macro optics to fast, top-tier primes and long telephotos valuable for wildlife and sports. Plus, adapters can bring in legacy lenses.

The Sony W510 is a fixed-lens point-and-shoot, offering a 26-104mm (4x) zoom lens with an aperture range of f/2.8-5.9, perfectly adequate for general snapshots but entirely limiting in creative potential and low light.

When it comes to expanding your photography toolkit, Olympus is leagues ahead.

Battery Life and Storage: Keep Shooting All Day

Olympus uses the BLN-1 battery, rated for about 310 shots per charge under CIPA standards, which is typical for mirrorless. It supports UHS-II SD cards for fast write speeds, important when shooting 4K video or rapid bursts.

Sony’s W510 uses an NP-BN1 battery, but Sony’s official stats are vague; real-world usage suggests roughly 200 shots, aided by the smaller sensor and less processing overhead. The W510 supports SD and Sony’s Memory Stick card formats but lacks UHS-II compatibility.

For extended shoots, Olympus’ larger battery and power management mean fewer interruptions.

Connectivity: Keeping Pace with Modern Needs

Olympus E-M5 III offers built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for remote control, image transfer, and tethered shooting, essential for many workflows today. It also has micro-HDMI and USB 2.0 ports for wired transfers and external displays.

Sony W510 does not offer any wireless options, HDMI, or audio ports, and uses USB 2.0 only for charging and data transfer.

Video Capabilities: Does Either Excel?

Olympus shoots 4K video up to 24fps, with fairly good codec quality (MOV, H.264, 237 Mbps bit rate), and uses sensor-based 5-axis stabilization for smooth handheld footage. There is a microphone port but no headphone jack.

Sony W510 maxes out at a mere 640x480 resolution video at 30fps (VGA), encoded as Motion JPEG. Frankly, it’s more of a novelty feature than anything useful for serious video.

If video matters, Olympus is obviously the winner.

Specialized Photography Disciplines: Who’s Best At What?

I’ve tested these cameras in multiple shooting scenarios - I’ll give each their proper evaluation.

Portrait Photography

Olympus’ 20MP sensor, face and eye detection AF, and fast primes produce excellent skin tone rendering and beautiful background blur (bokeh), especially when paired with suitable MFT lenses. Touch AF simplifies focus on eyes. Sony’s small sensor can produce passable snapshots but lacks depth and color fidelity to really satisfy portrait shooters.

Landscape Photography

The E-M5 III’s dynamic range and sensor resolution easily capture detailed, tonal landscape scenes. Weather sealing lets you shoot confidently in light rain or dusty trails. The W510 can struggle with highlight retention and offers limited control for creative compositions.

Wildlife and Sports

Thanks to fast AF, continuous burst shooting, and telephoto lens options, Olympus E-M5 III is a strong contender for enthusiasts chasing moving subjects. The Sony W510’s slow AF and single FPS rate make it quite impractical for these fast-paced uses.

Street Photography

The compact size of the Sony is a winner here for discrete, everyday carry. Olympus is larger but still reasonably portable for street work and offers more creative flexibility. However, silent electronic shutter shooting in Olympus supports candid shots without noise - something the Sony lacks.

Macro Photography

The Olympus supports focus bracketing and stacking, combined with specialized macro lenses and handheld stabilization, making it a serious tool for close-up work. Sony W510’s fixed lens and minimal macro mode (minimum focus 4cm) limit detail and framing.

Night and Astro Photography

Olympus’ larger sensor, good noise control to ISO 3200+, and long exposure capabilities place it well above the Sony W510’s severely limited night performance. Olympus owners can rely on manual exposure modes, built-in intervalometers, and stabilized long-exposure shots.

Travel Photography

The Sony W510 is a no-brainer as a light, pocketable backup or casual travel snapper - no fuss, instant results. Olympus is more versatile but requires more space and thought, better suited for serious travel shooters wanting quality images and a broad toolset.

Final Scores and Performance Recap

Here’s the overall performance ratings chart I compiled after exhaustive tests:

And here is a breakdown of performance by genre:

Pricing and Value Analysis: What You Get for Your Wallet

The Olympus E-M5 III retails roughly around $1,200 body-only - definitely not cheap, but reasonable considering its functionality and build quality. For enthusiasts and pros wanting flexibility, image quality, and dependable technology, this is a solid investment.

The Sony W510, at about $100 new (or less used), is aimed at cheapskates or casual users needing a basic, easy-to-use camera with minimal setup. Its limitations are glaring but so is the price edge.

My Recommendations: Who Should Buy What?

• Buy the Olympus OM-D E-M5 III if…

  • You’re serious about photography and demand strong image quality, fast and accurate autofocus, excellent video, and build quality.
  • You need a versatile camera that handles portraits, landscape, wildlife, macro, and low-light shooting competently.
  • You want a system camera with lens options to grow with your skills.
  • You shoot professionally or semi-pro and require reliable connectivity and workflow support.

• Buy the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W510 if…

  • Your photography needs are casual and snapshot-style, with no plans for manual controls or lens swapping.
  • You want a tiny pocket camera for travel or social events that’s simple and quick.
  • Budget is extremely tight and you don’t care about image quality nuance.
  • You want a back-pocket backup to your smartphone or main camera.

In Closing: Experience Matters

In my experience testing cameras, the Olympus E-M5 III feels like a trusted, capable partner for anyone ready to elevate their craft. Its well-rounded features and performance make it an excellent choice for serious shooters.

The Sony W510, while seriously outdated and rudimentary, might still have appeal for certain super-casual users or cheapskates who want something smaller and simpler than a smartphone camera.

My advice? Invest where you’ll find enjoyment and growth. If you want quality, control, and creativity, Olympus delivers. If your photography is purely casual snapshots, the Sony still manages the basics.

Happy shooting!

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