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Olympus E-510

 
Olympus E-510 front
 
Portability
69
Imaging
44
Features
42
Overall
43

Olympus E-510 summary

Olympus E-510 is Olympus's Advanced DSLR camera first released on November of 2007. The camera has a 10MP, CMOS Four Thirds size sensor with a full resolution of 3648 x 2736. It is also known as "EVOLT E-510" in other markets.

Olympus brought out this camera as a way to replace the previous Olympus E-500 (Read Full Comparison) and afterwards introduced the newer Olympus E-520 (Read Full Comparison) in order to update this model.

The E-510 is ranked #67 out of 92 in Advanced DSLR cameras and over-all #597 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please use our Advanced camera filter to see camera results based on your custom requirements.

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Here is a chart of different factors used in the rating system.

Olympus E-510 family

The Olympus E-510 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can look at all past and current models along with key specs.

ModelVisualizeResolutionSensor SizeMax fpsReleased
Olympus-E-5 front thumbnailOlympus E-5
E-510 vs E-5
12MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2011
Olympus-E-30 front thumbnailOlympus E-30
E-510 vs E-30
12MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2009
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Olympus-E-520 front thumbnailOlympus E-520
E-510 vs E-520
10MPFour Thirds4.0 fps2008
Olympus-E-3 front thumbnailOlympus E-3
E-510 vs E-3
10MPFour Thirds5.0 fps2008
Olympus-E-510 front thumbnailOlympus E-51010MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2007
Olympus-E-330 front thumbnailOlympus E-330
E-510 vs E-330
7MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2006
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Olympus-E-500 front thumbnailOlympus E-500
E-510 vs E-500
8MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2005
Olympus-E-300 front thumbnailOlympus E-300
E-510 vs E-300
8MPFour Thirds3.0 fps2005

Olympus E-510 Pros and Cons

Here is a selection of pros and cons of the Olympus E-510 based on things which are typically regarded as useful in a camera.

decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
delivers RAW files
flash built-in
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
lighter than others in class (490g)
manual focus
supports phase detect AF
switch lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
very good minimum ISO (100)
does not contain selfie friendly display
max frames per second very slow (3.0 frames/s)
missing HDMI port
missing headphone port
missing mic port
missing Time Lapse recording
no moving screen
no video
screen has low resolution (230 thousand dot)
sensor resolution low (10 megapixels)
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-510 Sensor specs

The dimension of the sensor on the Olympus E-510 is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor can capture 3648 x 2736 pixels using aspect ratios of 4:3. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Sensor stabilization is more effective than digital stabilization since the latter can easily cause cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 10 megapixels and has a native ISO range of 100 to 1600. RAW format is saved therefore the user has more room to maneuver in post.

The image underneath shows the E-510's sensor size when compared to other common sizes. The E-510 sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.1 and is showcased in green.

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To get an understanding of specific aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Olympus E-510 dimensions

Olympus E-510 weighs about 1.08 lbs (490 grams / 17.28 oz) and the dimensions of the camera is 136mm x 92mm x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7"). The weight of average Advanced DSLR camera is 776 grams and the Olympus E-510 is less heavy as compared to its rivals.

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Here is a image of the Olympus E-510 alongside a soft drink to help you to have a sense of its size.

Olympus E-510 dimensions scale

The top view under will illustrate the button design on the E-510.

Olympus E-510 topview buttons dials

Olympus E-510 Lens details

The E-510 fits the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses to select from. Here is some of the lenses we have in our collection that will fit the E-510.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight
OM-System-12-40mm-F2.8-PRO-II lensOM System 12-40mm F2.8 PRO II12-40mmf/2.8 382g
Olympus-9mm-F8-Fish-Eye-Body-Cap-Lens lensOlympus 9mm F8 Fish-Eye Body Cap Lens9mmf/8.0 30g
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Lensbaby-Sol-22-Micro-Four-Thirds lensLensbaby Sol 2222mmf/3.5144g
Samyang-24mm-f1.4-ED-AS-UMC-Four-Thirds lensSamyang 24mm f1.4 ED AS UMC24mmf/1.4 580g
Sigma-150mm-F2.8-EX-DG-Macro-HSM-Four-Thirds lensSigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM150mmf/2.9-2.8 895g
Sigma-30mm-F2.8-EX-DN-Micro-Four-Thirds lensSigma 30mm F2.8 EX DN30mmf/2.8 135g
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Olympus-M.Zuiko-Digital-ED-75-300mm-f4.8-6.7 lensOlympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f4.8-6.775-300mmf/4.8-6.7 430g
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Olympus E-510 Connectivity

The E-510 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Digital cameras that feature NFC and Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You will be able to transfer photos and oftentimes adjust camera settings without the hassle of connecting straight with the camera.

A few apps also allow a Liveview and release the shutter when you are not near the camera. If the camera boasts a HDMI out, it can be attached to an external monitor. Virtually all cameras enable you to recharge the battery pack with the USB socket.

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Olympus E-510 Video details

Olympus E-510 does not capture video. If you are wanting a camera to shoot just pictures, it is not an issue.

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Olympus E-510 Weather Sealing

There is no environment sealing in the Olympus E-510 so you have to be careful in wet and dusty conditions.

Olympus E-510 Display and Viewfinder

The Olympus E-510 has a 2.5 inch fixed display screen having a resolution of 230 thousand dots.

Unfortunately the display screen is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder specs regarding Olympus E-510 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
  • ViewFinder Coverage 95%
  • ViewFinder Magnification 0.46x

In those sunny outdoor conditions that make the camera displays washed out and difficult to view, viewfinders are rather helpful.

Olympus E-510 Shutter details

Olympus E-510 can shoot continuously at 3.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

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Olympus E-510 Flash and Hot shoe details

Olympus E-510 includes both inbuilt flash and external flash support. The max flash sync is 1/180 seconds.

Olympus E-510 Autofocus details

Olympus E-510 includes both Phase Detect Autofocus along with Contrast Detect Autofocus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot snappier & accurate as compared to Contrast Detect focusing.

The Sensor has 3 focus points to pick from. Olympus E-510 includes manual focus if required during low light conditions or you want more accurate control on focus.

Photography Glossary

Olympus E-510 Battery life

The average Advanced DSLR camera battery life is 909. Nikon D780 has got the best (2260) battery life within this category of cameras.

Following is a list of Advanced DSLR cameras with the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
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Nikon-Df front thumbnailNikon Df
E-510 vs Df
1400 yesnono
Canon-EOS-90D front thumbnailCanon 90D
E-510 vs 90D
1300 yesnoyes

Olympus E-510 for different types of photography

The following chart presents a rundown of the Olympus E-510 for different types of photography. To understand more, browse to the specific section underneath.

Portrait photography with Olympus E-510

The Olympus E-510 receives a points tally of 56 which is average, meaning that it is relatively suited for portrait photography. Photographing portraits favors heavily to sensor resolution, RAW support together with the capability to use off-camera lighting.

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you can focus manually
decent sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)

Olympus E-510 Street photography factors

With a above average points total of 68, the Olympus E-510 is a very decent choice for street photography. A decent street photography camera gives a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

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has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
lighter than competitors in class (490 grams)
no articulating screen

Olympus E-510 as a Sports photography camera

A decent sports photography score of 52 suggests the Olympus E-510 is reasonably suited for shooting sports. A camera needs excellent tracking plus fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
has phase detect auto focus
low fps (3.0 fps)
low megapixels (10MP)

Olympus E-510 Travel photography details

Size is really crucial in selecting a camera for travel. Over-all, the Olympus E-510 gets a reasonable 52 for a travelling camera which makes it relatively suitable to buy for your travels.

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lighter than others in class (490g)
built-in flash
does not have Timelapse mode
resolution not great (10 megapixels)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display

Landscape photography with Olympus E-510

If you are planning to buy a camera for landscape pictures, the most critical aspect will no doubt be image quality. The Olympus E-510 at it's average grade of 55 for a landscape camera is relatively suitable in the current market.

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manual focus
interchangeable lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is nice (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
tiny screen (2.5 inch)
low megapixels (10 megapixels)
does not have Time Lapse recording

Olympus E-510 Vlogging features

A camera for vlogging really should have a moving screen, microphone port and if possible IBIS. Taking everything into account, the Olympus E-510 is not really suitable as a vlog camera as it receives a subpar rating of 9.

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can't shoot video

Olympus E-510 Alternatives

If you are interested in replacements to the E-510, here is a collection of the highest ranked cameras that fall into the family of Advanced DSLR.

The line chart listed below gives you a summary of the E-510 versus it's top rated competitors listed previously.

There are a bunch of cameras you may take into account as alternatives. To browse through a full comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Brand
Olympus
Model
Olympus E-510
Otherwise known as
EVOLT E-510
Class
Advanced DSLR
Introduced
2007-11-23
Body design
Mid-size SLR
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Sensor size
Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions
17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area
224.9mm²
Sensor resolution
10 megapixels
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
4:3
Max resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW format
Max native ISO
1600
Lowest native ISO
100
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Touch to focus
Continuous AF
Single AF
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
AF multi area
Live view AF
Face detect AF
Contract detect AF
Phase detect AF
Number of focus points
3
Lens
Lens mount
Micro Four Thirds
Available lenses
45
Crop factor
2.1
Screen
Display type
Fixed Type
Display diagonal
2.5 inch
Display resolution
230 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder coverage
95%
Viewfinder magnification
0.46x
DXO scores
DXO Overall score
52
DXO Color Depth score
21.2
DXO Dynamic range score
10.0
DXO Low light score
442
Features
Minimum shutter speed
60 secs
Fastest shutter speed
1/4000 secs
Continuous shutter speed
3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manual exposure
Exposure compensation
Yes
Custom WB
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range
12.00 m (at ISO 100)
Flash settings
Auto, Auto FP, Manual, Red-Eye
External flash
AE bracketing
White balance bracketing
Fastest flash sync
1/180 secs
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Max video resolution
None
Mic jack
Headphone jack
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
490 gr (1.08 lbs)
Dimensions
136 x 92 x 68mm (5.4" x 3.6" x 2.7")
Other
Self timer
Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage media
Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card
Storage slots
1
Price at release
$550