Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization (Body Only) It satisfied all my expections.

Very happy with this camera. It has just about all the features you could want; In-body Image Stabilization, Oly's proven dust reduction system, large view screen, live view, 10mp sensor, good performance at high ISO etc etc.

Perhaps the only issue at present is that the white balance can sometimes be off on some images... not all. Hopefully this will be fixed soon in a firmware update?

Apart from this, Olympus definitely have the best digital lenses of any brand and this camer has taken some awesome photos for me. I would buy another over the competing Canon and Nikon cameras in the same price range!

I have only had this camera about 2 or 3 weeks. So far I am very impressed, the pictures are very clear and the noise level is exceptional. I use it with the 14-54mm 2.8 lens and the 50-200mm 2.8 lens. Both lenses are great. The only problem I have encountered is the 50-200mm lens is very heavy.

I have been shooting with my E-1 for over four years now and I, along with many others, have been waiting patiently for a model which meets today's professional standards. I will be using this camera as a back-up when the E-3 finally arrives.

The build quality is excellent. Image quality is superb and I am now a fan of the body based image stabilization. The camera is feature packed and I am still learning to take advantage of the latest tricks in Olympus's bag. There are several very good DVDs already available for this model from a Quick Start Guide for beginners to the more comprehensive and advanced Jump Start Guide, both of which are available on Amazon. The owner's manual included with the camera is better than past efforts, although I recommend downloading the free PDF and printing it on letter size paper.

I would give this camera five and a half stars, really, if not for one issue.
And a pretty serious one.

But first the good news: the camera is great.
It works blazing fast, controls are excellent and so is the level of control.
All important SLR options, all those many competitors usually "reserve" for "professional" models - like all metering modes, auto ISO limit, custom WB, mirror anti shock, remote control capability, manual focusing after AF and even shutter release priorities - are there.
Anti-dust system and set of two lens gives you worry free 28-300 (10.7x) range, image stabilization works surprisingly good, widely rumored problem of dynamic range that is half EV below the competition is not visible in 99.95% of the pictures. The rest 0.05% requires microscope and 100% zoom to point out the blown out highlight.

All things considered - an excellent camera and value for money.

Of course, there are many things one may complain about, like slow kit lens (and fast lens are available, but expensive) or aggressive noise filter at high ISO (and it could be turned off) or one second delay at start up (never bothered me much) etc. But all these issues are pretty minor and every camera has list of them.

***
Now the bad news - low light focusing. I just do not understand that.
Here it is: below certain light level camera just struggles to get focus. That level is somewhat below standard living room illumination - so it does not bother many people in standard situations, but try to shoot at the dark bar or at the street in the evening - and change in camera behavior is dramatic. Suddenly it may take several seconds before focus is locked - way too long. Using flash to illuminate target does not help much - flash keeps strobing and strobing and strobing again and finally, when focus is locked it takes additional second to charge it for the shot. I rarely meet people who would stand still for that long... They think I made three pictures of them already, when I accomplished, well, none!

I perfectly understand the technical issue of focusing in low light, but... I am old Olympus E10 owner - and it have never bothered me much with this issue. Cheap Canon A70 have never bothered me with this issue either - well at least nobody expects performance from $200 compact camera.
May be these old cameras are not trying to get perfect focus when they cannot, may be they limiting time to some reasonable interval - I do not know, but Olympus should fix the problem. It is a show stoppers.

For now I turn off AF illumination and switch to shutter release priority in low light situations - but I need to recognize it first. I prefer to have slightly out-of-focus pictures, than no pictures at all. Olympus, do you hear?

I've just been using my new E510 for about two weeks and I've really enjoyed it. Image stabilization is especially great. The auto setting does seem a little soft, but I just turned off the noise reduction like others have said and it works well. I do seem to have a lot of problems with autofocus in low contrast/low light conditions and haven't figured out how to fix that. The kit lenses are also poor in low light. I also wish the lenses had closer focus for macro shots. Still, impossible to beat for 10 MP, IS and live view at the price.

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko Lenses
Easy to use and takes great pictures and lightweigt for an SLR. Have not used all of the features yet, but was able to take and print pictures myself with fantastic results. You can become as "expert" as you want, or continue to use "automatic" and "scenes" with great results. Olympus also sends "how to use" e-mails for free.

I ordered this from amazon with next day delivery and it arrived safely with excellent condition.

I decided to buy this after lot of research, so obviously I am pleased with the quality of 510 as expected.

Best DSLR created ever for amateurs.

When I went out looking for a new digital camera I had some specifications in mind that this digital camera delivers and more.....
I hike, so I photograph nature----I view sporting events, so I needed a camera that would capture action shots without blur and would work with me in different lightening situations.
I am involved in different dog clubs and those little animals run around and play and you never know when you are going to get that perfect shot, but this camera is quick and efficient with this great dust reduction Supersonic Wave Filter (image sensor) I get a fantastic picture of my animals clear and pretty.
The screen size is 17.3 mm (H) x 13.0 mm (V)--perfect....
Effective Pixels number is 10 million pixels......

Another aspect of the camera is that it has brightness control at 15 levels-I just love that for the Pacific Northwest, one day bright, next day dark weather differences.
The camera also has a AF illuminator Built-in flash, but I got an external flash that was available at an extra cost. Preview Can be checked (when Fn button is set in preview mode), selectable from the optical viewfinder or rear-mounted LCD monitor-nice option....

It has Live View, Live-MOS Sensor when still picture shooting is used, 100% field of view, Exposure adjustment pre-view, White balance adjustment pre-view, Grid line displayable, 7x/10x magnification possible, MF/S-AF, AF frame display, AF point display, Shooting information, Histogram, IS activating mode, and this is great-----"a heat warning."
I AM ONE HAPPY CAMPER WITH THIS NEW DIGITAL CAMERA!!!!

This is my first DSLR and its satisfies all my needs. ...so far. Ive read a lot of reviews, compared specifications and decided to buy this camera because it got pretty good features for a very reasonable price and the most important - the image quality, is just stunning.

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko Lensesgood documention. lots of features. easy to use

I owned the E-500 for over a year; it was my first DSLR. I loved how it felt in my hands...light yet substantial. I bought the camera for the faster processor and flexibility compared to my previous point & shoots. But I was still missing shots of my son when he was running track and playing basketball. When Olympus announced the E-510 with its Image Stabilizer (IS) built into the body, I knew I had to upgrade. Any lens I had or purchased would have IS! I cautiously read all the early reviews...all positive. So I took the plunge and bought the body (a friend bought my E-500 and is as happy as I was with it). The IS allows for the capture of shots that my unsteady hands would have mucked up.

I have not been disappointed. I am currently putting the camera thru its paces, but it has performed remarkably well. I will be taking it to a night football game and other activities. I also took several indoor pictures at a seminar I attended...and the lighting in those rooms are not conducive to obtaining good images. But with a little tweaking with a photo editor, the shots looked great. The camera is lightweight like its predecessor, the menues are similar and so are the controls. I don't use LiveView when I shoot, but I know a lot of people coming from P&S digicams do. So this DSLR should be a perfect transition for them while being advanced enough for experienced photographers to grow with.

Camera specs are excellent for the price, I have an older very good E10, and Olympus has improved many things with this model, much lighter too. I was looking for a camera with image stabilization in the body of the camera, the sonic wave filter (like the E10) and one that had interchangable lenses. I like the larger CF memory (so I can't lose it as easily), plus they are available with more capacity than SD cards. I was hoping to re-use my FL40 flash but now I have to save for the newer FL50 to work with the 510. I also was a little dissapointed in the small veiwfinder, but the LCD screen is now much larger. The scene modes have nice explanations built in and will be useful and the program modes can be customized and stored.

I had the Olympus Evolt 300 and loved it. When I read the reviews and specs on the 510 I had to go for the upgrade. Very pleased with the purchase. Fantastic camera, excellent quality pictures and tremendous versatility.

As a professional photographer I have used Cannon and Nikon cameras. I purchased an Olympus E-500 two years ago and was impressed with the sharpness, color capture, and other features. Needing a second camera I tested several Cannon and Nikon pro-level cameras. I found the Olympus E-510 equal or superior to each in edge-to-edge sharpness and color capture using color charts and sharpness charts. Additionally, the ease of use of the E-510 was a contributing factor. I am also impressed with the four-thirds system lenses produced by Olympus; they weigh less then their equivalent lenses in the Cannon or Nikor lines and I feel give better edge-to-edge sharpness. The only negative is the narrow line of pro-level lens in the Olympus line.

I recommended the E-500 to my photography students and now I'll recommend the E-510 as the cost factor is important to students. If you are looking for a solid D-SLR I highly recommend the E-510. I suggest that consideration be given to purchasing the Olympus "high-grade" lenses rather then the kit lens for the advanced photographer. The kit lenses are fine for the consumer.

I have been an Olympus digital camera user since 1999 (an old Camedia C-900, 1.3 MP purchased in '99 that still works perfectly). I upgraded from an Evolt E-300 to the E-510 and what a difference. The image stabilization works great and the entire package is easy to use and take very nice pictures. The 2 lens kit pretty much handles any situation an amateur like myself would come across.

Before I bought the E510 I was using an Olympus C-5050 Zoom (5MP). This was a great camera but was slow on taking pictures. The only way to get a good picture of my fast moving kid was in burst mode. Even then it was difficult. I was also unable to take consistent photos that weren't blurry in the house (low light). My choice was to buy an external flash or buy the E510. I'm glad I bought the E510 first. I do plan to buy a flash for the E510 soon.

The E510 is so much faster taking pictures than my last camera. Burst mode doesn't work with the flash on the older camera but this camera takes photos one after the other very very fast. The E510 also takes excellent pictures indoors with different light sources. I have taken over 150 indoor photos and so far only about 6 of them were too dark or blurry. This was because I was messing with the manual settings and I'm not that familiar with manual picture taking.

This is my first D-SLR camera and I have to say I was very comfortable with it right out of the box. I actually don't see much difference in the operation between my old and new camera.

Camera has some features similar to my previous E-500 model. Am still experimenting with Live View which I have little use for, since the action shots I shoot aren't effectively viewed on the LCD, the action has moved by the time the shutter goes off. The image stabilization seems to work good. I do alot of portrait work with a 50mm prime Olympus lens and its bokeh is awesome. The colors, even when set to vivid, are not as colorful as compared with the sensor on the E500. I am tweaking it and appears a bit more to my liking, a twinge more color and contrast. I will be experimenting more with the settings on sunnier days, since my review was based on overcast days. Overall, very happy with the camera. I would recommend this camera to anyone interested in getting in a DSLR, but allow yourself enough time to read, read, read books and any on-line information you can find regarding setting it up for optimal performance and working knowledge of the E510. For newbies, there is a big learning curve, but after a few weeks or months? and with the basics down you can now expand and fine tune this camera for terrific photos.

I have been using the Nikon D40 for several months and it is a great entry level DSLR. HOWEVER, in the entry level DSLR category, this Olympus E510 blows the D40 away and here's why:

- For roughly the same price, you get two compact, high quality lenses from Olympus
- The basic Nikon D40 does NOT have image stabilization and the E510 does. This means that at the end of shooting anything, you'll have way more in-focus, clear, and usable shots with the Olympus
- The Live-View mode helps you get the white balance closer to natural on the Olympus E510 (Nikon D40 does not have this)

So, if you're on the fence about the Nikon D40 versus Olympus E510, GET the Olympus E510. You'll be happier with the stunning quality and consistency this camera offers the average user. It rocks!

I received this camera 2 weeks ago. First impressions: Wonderful kit for the price, well packaged, excellent instructions manual. First pictures: Out of focus (?), Blurred images, long time to focus with Liveview. After these results, I decided I was doing something wrong and went back to study the instructions manual. Two weeks after, I confirmed my first impressions. My camera must be defective. I will return it and will think twice to buy again this model.

Just a quick note. Day 1 and this camera is like night and day compared to my nice Cannon digital compact camera. Images are much clearer and I now get the shots I had been missing. I have 3 kids (a 7,3, and a 1 yr old) and could never get them all to look and smile at the same time. With very little SLR smarts and the quick step guide we packed up the kids and went to the park. We had our perfect holiday picture within minutes. Nuff said! BUY THIS CAMERA!

-BINNER

I switched from film SLR cameras to digital point and shoot with very satisfying results. I finally decided to reenter the SLR market and after much online research, settled on the Olympus E510.

I have taken several hundred photos with this camera since I purchased it and have been quite pleased with the results.

The reviews I read panned the camera's ability to focus in low light and I have found that to be a shortcoming, but unfortunately I can't compare that with other digital SLR cameras so I don't know if it is Olympus-specific or how Olympus compares to other cameras. I still tends to get the job done.

Just a couple nights ago I had to use the camera with no flash at an indoor dance recital at a local high school. Expecting low light, I manually set the ISO (film speed) to 1600 and managed to get some nice shots using no flash, a 300mm (equivalent) zoom, the anti-shake setting and hand-holding during dance routines. The photos weren't perfect, but I got some keepers of my grandaughter, something I couldn't do with my point and shoot.

Beyond that, I added a circular polarizer which has really enhanced my outside photos.

By experimenting in flourescent and various outside lighting conditions, I also determined that white balance may be the most critical setting in the camera to arrive at proper exposure. Generally, I have found that in outdoor photography, using the shade white balance setting yields better looking photos than using the automatic white balance setting.

There are many adjustments and settings available with this camera (infinitely more than in my old film SLR cameras) and it takes time to try them out to arrive at the best balance of settings, but the time is well-spent in my judgment. The extensive control the camera gives the operator means that I will have many years of fun tinkering with settings.

The kit cameras are very nice and photo quality is excellent.

I have even tried (for the first time) using RAW format just to see what that is all about. Frankly, I have found that if I get the white balance set correctly and use high resolution, my photos are so good that RAW format adjustments make no significant improvemetn over the original. You can check that out for yourself by using the mode that saves both JPEG and RAW photos of each shot. That is too space consuming for regular use as you will fill up your compactflash card (RAW files are 10 MB and highest PJEP files are about 6 MB).

One note -- the kit does not come with memory cards to store your photos. So I was fortunate to have an old Olympus memory card until I was able to buy some hig capacity compactflash cards. Had I paid more attention, I migh thave bought a compactflash card at the outset as well. You might also consider ordering a second battery as you can't just slide a couple AA's into it, you have to have an Olympus or compatible battery. And it takes 5 hours to charge a battery using the kit charger, so you don't want to run out of power. Compatible batteries cost about $20 at Amazon.

This is a very good value for a digital SLR overall.

As a beginner in SLR cameras with so many variables, the E510 is not easy to set and get the shots right the first time. But once you get used to it and after zillinons of test shots, I think I got it. Otherwise, the camera gives extraordinary pictures in great detail and vivid colors. The camera is well designed to hold, and the menus are very good.

A lot of people seem to like this camera. Why? I bought this from Amazon.com (great service), took somewhere around 250-300 pictures at all qualities, settings, scenes, lighting, color pallets, etc., using the kit lenses trying to get things to look like I see them with my eyes or better and it just never happened no matter what I did with the settings. Listen, I'm not a pro but, get this, I took it to a product photographer at work and my neighbor who's a big Canon buff and using their advice, I still couldn't get it to brighten up! Still, the camera's AUTO mode should take, say, B+/A- grade pictures in the "average" situation but this sucker does not. Why?! In fact, no Olympus camera I've had has! Weird.

The menu makes sense, but it's just so "filled" with options that already have their own button on the camera itself, mixed in with unique settings, that it get's tiresome to flip through. Speaking of flipping through, the buttons on the menu control worry me. I've used cameras where the buttons feel like they're right out of the interior of a BMW - tight, quiet, heavy feeling - but these buttons feel like they're right out of a Ford Fiesta (okay, maybe Daewoo). They are light, overly "clicky," and I feel like they'll pop off someday.

Same goes for the rest of the camera, including the kit lenses. Now, this thing is light and that is nice. But camera feels, again, like a Ford Fiesta in terms of build quality vs. other cameras. It feels hollow to me, as if there's a lot of room in there for "improvement." No, there are no echos. We all know what cheap feels like vs. well-built! The kit lenses don't scope out and in as smoothly as I feel like they should. Sometimes they snag just a teeny, tiny bit and coupled with the fact that they are just not smooth operating makes me wonder how long they'll last.

The white balance (WB) adjustments on this camera work just like any other SLR I'm sure but, my gosh, all it does is make dull, dark photos go straight to washed-out and super-mega bright! This isn't a defect model. I went to Ritz thinking it was and played with their display; same thing. I could NOT get this camera to take a picture with the right WB so that the image was crisp, clear, properly lit, and all that. No matter the ISO, contrast setting, sharpness setting, noise filter setting, etc. At Ritz, we put on a fancier lense for the heck of it, and though things improved (not enough at all though), because the screen is not high-res enough, you couldn't tell if the detail got better other than noticing - due to the expanded ability of a higher apeture lense - that the brightness got more accurate.

Plus sides of this camera are:
> Image stabilization built in in two modes (horizontal + vertical for most shots and just horizontal for panning)
> 10MP
> Screen size
> Grip and size of unit is perfect (Rebel XT/XTi is horrible)
> Light (but in a bad way to me)
> Takes pictures fast
> Auto focus is accurate and fast (only 3-focus points though)
> And other stuff, but this is a negative review....

You can obviously tell I was just not impressed with this camera! For $600+ it's just doesn't cut it relative to what it SHOULD be. I took 10 shots with the Nikon D80 and almost bought it right then and there! I would have IF it had image stabilization built in and - though I don't believe this does much more than setting the camera down hard - dust removal technology. I still might but I'm going to explore the Nikon D80, Canon EOS 20D/30D/40D, and the Pentax K10D. The Rebel XT/XTi is out of the question because the grip isn't bulky enough for my taste.

I bought this camera because I was attracted to the dual lenses and the big feature list. But, once again, I realized that if you ask for everything, everything presents itself, and you know you aren't paying enough for it, then what you are buying is 2/3rds of what everything could be had you paid what you should have paid for it. If that makes sense. Think about it.

Thanks for the read. Look elsewhere, please.

This is my first DSLR and I am pleased with its performance. It's easy to learn all the different settings and the image stabalization and other features are great. The 10 megapixels is great for printing larger photos; the 13 x 9 photos are crisp and clear. I am VERY satisfied with this camera and the Olympus reputation did not let me down.

A lot of camera for the buck. Slightly small compared to the other comparable cameras, Nikon D80, Canon Rebel, Pentax 10D.

This was an upgrade for me, as I own the E-300 and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The main reason for my decision to move to the 510 was the image stabilization. It has proved to be the right choice. Both the 300 and 510 feel good in my big hands.

If you are reading this review, you are probably lost amongst all the DSLR choices, and wondering which way to go. If you are a pro, you will have already made up your mind to either buy this Olympus because you are interested in the Four-Thirds format, or you will be buying a Canon, Nikon or what-have-you because you have 3k invested in lenses. Fortunately, you can't go wrong with any of the major brands. There are variations of excellence, and some choices for features. For instance, the Pentax K10 is recognized as having good dust protection.

The particular features of the E-510 are:
- Four-Thirds format (do a google or wikipedia search on that)
- slightly more compact than other DSLRs
- "Live View" target image viewing on the rear LCD
- decent quality kit lenses
- 10MB sensor (other starter DSLRs are mostly 6-8MB, although still excellent sensors)
- Image stabilization

Technical reviews on photo sites such as popphoto rate this camera as excellent. But then, all the major brands perform to a very high level these days.

The auto-focus is rated as fast, but in low light it is slow, and takes up to 3 seconds while it blinks the flash continuously. Subtle it is not. Its automatic sensor cleaning on startup and shutdown apparently works, which is just as well because dust tightness is very poor while changing lenses.

The top and rear of the body are festooned with buttons for easy access to many common functions. Other features are accessed through the usual menu system on the rear LCD. There is no movie mode. Overall I have found the camera easy to learn and use. My wife is non-technical and has no problem getting good pictures in point-n-shoot mode. If in doubt, go "wide", because you can crop into a 10MB shot forever.

If you have chosen the E-510, you are probably wondering whether to buy the body only, the 1-lens or the 2-lens kit. When you buy an SLR, you are buying extensibility and potential. If you only ever use one lens, and never upgrade the built-in flash, you really might as well buy a compact. I went with the 2-lens kit, because even though both lenses have direct upgrades available (for a price!) the kit was a great value, and I might take kit lenses where there is a chance they might get knocked.

As with any DSLR, then, the kit is just the starting point. You must immediately budget around $50+ for a memory card, $20+ for a gadget bag, $25 or so for a spare battery (Duracell has one), a $35 good quality clear filter for each lens for protection (a MUST!), and a lens brush. This is over $100, all of which you will spring for in the first week. After that, if you never get a flash upgrade ($150-350+), an additional lens ($200++) and a mono- or tripod ($50+), then buy a compact. This may sound like a lot of money, but actually Olympus addons, especially the flash and lenses, are good value.

If you are choosing between the 410 and 510, only the 510 has image stabilization, which is built into the body and so works with all lenses. I.S. is decent but it will not fix sloppy handling in dim rooms. The 410 is even more compact, and is also more dust tight, and $100 cheaper.

Some folks buy DSLRs because they are neat, and a bit of a status symbol compared to your average compact. You can spot these types because they have the camera, one lens, and the built-in flash. You are really buying into a system, and a large and bulky system at that, if you are going to realize many of the benefits.

EDIT 1: New favorite button: exposure compensation, right next to the shutter release. Press it, then twiddle the knob under your thumb to quickly adjust exposure.

EDIT 2: For a few days, buy the flash too. There is an excellent rebate available right now.

We bought this camera as a step up from the Canon Powershot. We really liked the Canon Powershot S2 IS 5MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom but wanted to be able to change lenses and have more immediate control. We started out taking the obligatory pictures of bees on flowers and then moved on to more challenging shots. The live view feature is pretty handy when it comes to getting a feel for exposure. The controls for ISO and Focus are pretty intuitive. The quality of the pictures is nice, the colors look true to life and the ability to get it RAW and tweak it is a huge plus. It is a great addition to our kit. We will be keeping the powershot to take video, color select and audio recordings but for good old fashioned photography we will be using our new Evolt-510.

it is good camera,especially in this low price ($549 with two lens in fry's). I don't want to mention good points because a lot of people already did. I just want to point out big problem for this camera because it looks like nobody mentioned yet. The big problem is auto focus in very low light( I mean very low light),the camera has no response or lens zoom in and out, just refuse to fire. I tried many times. Probablly the reason is that camera couldn't see any subject although alluminating assist light kept flashing. I tried it in day time, too. I just point camera to sky(blue sky without clouds), the camera had same problem ( could not focus and refuse to fire). In above satuations I had to change to MF or turn on release prority, but picture came out with out of focus. This is very annoying and never happend to other camera,even very cheap point and shot camera. I could not figure out why, probably this camera only has 3 point auto focus compare with canon has 9 points. olympus e500 has the same problem. I heard olympus e3 has 11 points auto focus. I don't know if it has the same problem. If you want to buy this camera, you have to know this problem. If you can tolerate this, you can buy it. it is the cheapist DSLR with high qulity in the market.

it does everything i want it to do . very please also very please with amazon

I waited a long time before switching from a 35mm film SLR Canon camera to a digital. I asked many photographers, read online reviews, and browsed through many magazine articles. Then I spoke with Keith Lazelle, a superb nature photographer from Washington State, and he told me he switched from film to digital with an Olympus Evolt 500, because he was then able to use his other Olympus lenses with an adapter. I figured if it was good enough for such an excellent photographer, it would be good enough for me! I have not been disappointed.

The Evolt 500 with its 2 lenses are more than enough for my needs. I love to take spontaneous shots of wildlife and waterways, and this camera has been an absolute delight. It took me a while on the learning curve for all the digital stuff (and I'm still learning), but overall it is very easy to use, and images turn out very sharp.

I live in the Pacific Northwest and have been in the field photographing under plenty of rain and cold weather - and while I always have an extended hood on the lens to protect it from rain drops, I am not always successful in protecting the entire camera. I have never had any moisture/condensation problems.

I highly recommend this camera to anyone either beginning to use a digital SLR or to a professional.

I've had this camera for just over a month and have just started to scratch the surface of learning what this baby can do! I am very impressed with the quality of the body and the kit lenses that came with it are awesome, giving me everything from an 28mm wide angle to 300mm long lens, with incredible macro capability from each. I had been using 35mm for many years up until I went digital 7 years ago, and this camera by far is the best I've ever owned. I agree with other reviews I have read, the camera has difficulty in low light with the auto focus function, but this is easily fixed by using the manual focus function, easily accessable through the display on the back. I did extensive research on DSLR's before purchasing, the Olympus had the best features, especially being able to use the rear display for live framing, which no other DSLR offers. I have been an amateur photographer for 40+ years and highly recommend this camera!

The live-view and image stabilization features are really helpful. For the price, it is a value for money deal.
Always buy a 2GB card along with the camera.

Before I bought this camera, I searched the web for equivalent products. I was slightly biased in that I already owned a Olympus camera (E-300). However, what I was looking for was a camera that had 10 or more mega pixels, and had image stabilization as I planned to use it for nature photography; animals don't stand still. Light weight was not a as important but nice to have.
This camera met all of my expectations. The image stabilization works quite well. I had one surprise; the lenses were also lighter than their predecessors. I highly recommend this camera.

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization (Body Only)Very Good!

Another perfect transaction with Amazon! They even credited my account when the price dropped $11 a week after I ordered the camera. As far as the camera goes...nothing but WOW! I am new to the DSLR world, but am quickly learning how much more capability is available at my finger tips with this camera. I spent an average amount of time researching DSLRs before buying this one. At first, I was going with the Canon Digital Rebel XTI without question. Then I started looking at the Nikons and finally got to the Olympus. As far as picture quality and standard features go, all three brands were comparable, it's not until you get to the details of what each can provide/offer where the differences start showing up. The factors that won me over were the image stabilization, LCD Live-vew capture preview, and the camera/lens kit quality/value. I was impressed with the reviews for the quality of the kit lens' vs the other competitors. Now after shooting a few hundred photos and playing with different settings, this camera can deliver great shots that I could never get before. With some adjustments, I took some very good low light stills of Christmas lights/scenes. I can't wait to use this camera on my upcoming trip to Yosemite. Overall, this is an outstanding camera and an excellent kit value.

I bought the Olympus Evolt E-510 based on reading the glowing reviews and based on its feature set. I took a bunch of pictures indoors over the holidays and found the pictures waaayyyy too dark. I'm not a photography expert, so I typically use the automatic settings. I tried all types of ways to brighten up the picture but nothing I did solved the problem. My Canon Point-And-Shot SD550 took much better pictures! I thought it might be the built in flash, so I went and got the top of the line Olympus Flash FL-50 and although the flash is cool, I still got dark pictures.

The other issue that I found was the White Balance (WB) seemed to be off with more than a few pictures. The colors were too warm and I had to play a lot in iPhoto to get the pictures even close to an acceptable level. I purchased a digital SLR for its increased speed and for its better picture quality, but the Olympus Evolt E-510 did not come close to the image quality that I would expect from a $700+ camera (with the lenses).

I returned both the camera and the flash and I ordered the Nikon D80 based on its positive reviews and based on advice from a neighbor, who is into photography. After returning the Evolt E-510 I read the new Amazon review and it did point out it's low exposure and WB issue with the automatic settings.

If you like to use the automatic settings of the camera, then my advice is to stay away from this camera.

The camera is great!
Clear pics, quick response and the flash works pretty good.

I wonder which external flash should I buy to improve the night pics. It happens that my fiancée intends to kinda work as a wedding photographer and i wonder if this camera toghether with an external flash would be good enough to the task.

Any comment? Any external flash link?

Thanks ppl

I want to say that I love this camera. I've taken over a thousand pics with this thing and the battery lasted a ridiculous long time. I bought the camera with the two lens kit. As bad as the live view seems to some people I loved it when I was taking pictures for a friend's wedding. Yes, it wasn't moving action, but when you are taking a still photo and you want that awkward angle then it is perfect. The lag is about 1 second or so, about what you would expect from a point and shoot. I am inexperienced with SLRs but I have been around a few between my coworkers having a Rebel XTi and a D50. I must say I've handled the XTi a few times and it feels good and shoots great but I'm in love with my purchase. The ability for my mother to use the live view to get pictures of me and my wife with our two year old's first xmas with her family together (I was in iraq for her first) was amazing. The pictures turned out great and she didn't have to bother with the viewfinder. I do have one SMALL problem with it. My point and shoot doesn't have a problem whatsoever with low light pics, if it can't see it, it focuses as best it can and takes the pic anyways. With the E-510 it will not stop trying to focus for 3 sets of strobing flashes unless it does focus and will not take a picture until it does. I guess its ok when you don't want blur, but sometimes just getting the quick photo is a lot better than missing the opportunity altogether. Also, this camera is perfect in size for those transitioning to D-SLRs. I find myself picking up the XTi thinking, "Wow, this thing is huge!" Even though it's a small SLR, lol...

All in all I think I made a very wise purchase. It had every feature I wanted and yes, live view was one of them. I paid 650 for it at the first of december, and didn't regret waiting for another price change one bit even though it dropped around the holidays to 600.

If you are thinking about it and can't decide between cameras, you can't beat this one.

This is my first SLR camera and I have had it about a month now. The Olympus Evolt E510 has been very easy to use and I can definitely see the difference in the pictures taken with this camera as compared to my older compact digital camera.
If you are looking for your first digital SLR I would definitely recommend the E510.

Excellent camera in every way. I have taken approximatly 6oo pictures during the past three weeks and love the way it handles. The live view is especially useful in my studio taking portrates and for macro shots. I couldn't be more thrilled with the speed of focus and shutter lag. I already own the E-300,the E-500 and the 550UZ. I will buy the E-3 also as soon as I can find a reason to have the very best in my photo arsenal

I never saw the need for a DSLR camera. I was perfectly happy with a good quality compact camera, like the Canon SD800IS that I've been shooting with. My thought was, an SLR is so big and bulky that I wouldn't want to bring it with me to take pictures, defeating the purpose of getting one in the first place. All that changed with the birth of our son, when Grandpa offered us an Olympus E-510 DSLR as an "encouragement" to take good pictures of his grandchild. Many other photography review sites offer very detailed and favorable reviews of this camera, and if you want the nitty-gritty of how this camera works and an explanation of all the features, you should just search for those reviews. I just want to give three reasons why I--previously an ardent anti-SLR user--have now been favorably swayed by the Olympus E-510.

1. The E-510 is one of the smallest and lightest DSLRs currently on the market. Both the 14-42mm and the 40-150mm Zuiko digital lenses that come in the kit are incredibly small and lightweight. Note that with the Four-Thirds standard, you need to double the focal length of the lens when comparing to the typical 35mm lens; thus the 40-150 mm kits lens delivers a field of view comparable to a 80-300mm lens. Yet even with such a high zoom range, the lens is compact and balanced on the camera, and it doesn't feel like a lead weight when hanging around your neck. You still can't beat the simplicity and portability of a digicam, but the E-510 trumps any digicam in the next area...

2. The picture quality really is a marked improvement over my Canon SD800IS, which is already one of the higher quality digicams out there. The sharpness of details and color rendition, even when I lowered the resolution of the E-510 to match that of the digicam, was extremely impressive. The kit lenses that come with the E-510 also do an excellent job of avoiding the distortion around the edge of an image that plague my digicam at wide-angles. Whereas I had to spend some time with photo software tweaking pics from a digicam to make them look good, pictures taken with the E-510 looked great direct from the camera, and they looked even better with slight processing. The ability to shoot RAW and do some intensive post-processing is something that you cannot do with any digicam.

3. When taking pictures of babies and kids, speed is key. I've missed plenty of shots on my digicam due to the shutter lag, even when I prefocus by holding the shutter button halfway. The E-510 is fast in autofocusing (in good lighting), shutter lag, and it also has an excellent 3fps continuous burst mode. This can make the difference when trying to catch the quick smile or facial expressions of my child. Note that, as other reviewers have mentioned, the E-510 struggles with autofocusing in low light conditions, but you can always resort to manual focus. The camera offers a focus confirmation light in the viewfinder that illuminates even in manual focus mode when you achieve proper focus.

There is much more for me to learn about this camera. But if you're torn between jumping up to a DSLR from a digicam, hopefully these reasons can help you with your decision.

This package from Olympus is great! The kit lenses work very well and the overall quality is better than I expected. I am a nature photographer and the image stability built into the camera works great. I am able to take amazing photos without having to take my tripod everywhere. For the cost offered through Amazon, you can't get a better deal anywhere. Don't waste your time searching for a lower price.

This camera was purchased as a Christmas present. I was pleased with the quality of the product, it has good weight and good feel to it. The battery life is very good and the expandability of this product makes it great. I purchased it with a 800mm lens kit and everything worked out great.

Shipping time was good. Just a note, this does not include a memory card, so make sure you purchase one along with this camera.

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko Lenses

Olympus has a program to trade in your old digital camera for a new Evolt 510. So, I traded in my year old Evolt 500 for the newer model. I am so happy I did. The difference in the quality of the picture and general function is day & night. It focuses quickly and is clear, sharp and without noise. My kids shoot semi-professionally with a Canon D-30, I feel like my 510 is more user friendly and just as good. I thank Olympus for making the offer to help me buy the 510. However, even without the trade in program the 510 is a very good value.

E-510 is a Olympus's logical step forward in comparison to E-500 which is good entry level photo camera, but E-510 has 10 MPs, Live View function and Image Stabilization button also. Those two possibilities are the ones to separate E-510 among all the cameras of its level. The noise is also reduced and I see no advantages by other cameras. Anyone who'll make decision to buy E-510 has to know that this is good investment. There is one additional thing that can't be skipped - two excellent lens follow Olympus cameras - in my case I bought the body only, but when buying my e500, I received 17.5-45mm and 40-150mm lenses. Both are of a very good quality. Comparing to i.e. Canon, this is a big additional plus for Oly!!

I was a strict Canon fan but purchased the OLYMPUS for the features and price and now have found this camera to be the best buy I have made in a long time. The camera has so many easy features that looking like a pro is easy. It is light enough to carry for extended periods of time and fits into your hand well because of the shape and ballance. I have found no faults to date and feel that anyone who purchases this camera will be happy with it.

Perfect camera, has everything what is needed to make beautiful pictures. Easy to use, intuitive. Image stabilization working excellent. I advise to buy additional flash to improove indoor pictures.

I've had this camera for about a month now and have really enjoyed it. I'm new to SLR cameras, but I must say that it is very easy to use. With the automatic settings alone, anyone could take great pictures. I have used several of the preset shooting modes, and all have worked wonderfully. I've also tried a few shots with the time lapse, which have also turned out great. We recently spend a day beach hopping south of the Los Angeles area and I ended up taking about 320 shots. 95% of them turned out great and the other 5% weren't anything to do with the camera. I'm planning on taking a digital SLR class to learn how to use some of the manual and advanced features a little better. The two lens combo has proven to be well worth the money. I could not be more pleased.

What can I say, this is a fantastic camera. I really thought I would buy a Canon but after trying this out in the store, I couldn't resist the features for the money. Two lenses, both are very sharp. Image stabilization works very well.

Finally, Live View is great. Digital SLR advertisements often show their camera with an image on the LCD. I think a lot of people believe that any SLR being fairly expensive, will of course be able to use the LCD as a view finder. Wrong! This is usually only found in much more expensive cameras and I use it frequently. With a large viewing angle, this is like having an articulated LCD.

I ended up buying two of these; one as a gift, and one for myself!

I am extremely happy that I made this purchase after exhaustive research...... Buy it if you are in the market!! Enough said.

You can't go wrong with this camera.

It's my first digital SLR. Having owned a Nikon 35mm SLR and shooting with it for the past 2 years I naturally wanted to get the Nikon D80 but the price of the E-510 with 2 lenses was simply irresistable. And boy am I glad I decided to go with it!

Autofocus is fast and accurate. For zoomed-in macros however it might miss dead center every now and then depending on the lighting. This might be normal though and since, as mentioned, this is my first DSLR I have nothing to compare autofocus accuracy against. It features an automatic + manual fine tune focus setting so even this is not really a problem. Battery life is decent. The longest I've used it so far is a little over half a day with about 150 shots and I still had power to spare even with the flashing firing for fill every now and then. I read a lot of reviews before I bought mine and figured with this kind of picture quality I best buy extras. I'm all the better for it, carrying 2 extra batteries when I take it out.

Ergonomics were well thought of when Oly designed this camera. The shortcut buttons for the major functions are an excellent touch, the rubbery material used on the grip feels just right and navigation couldn't be easier. Oly's menu system allows you to get to whatever setting you need very easily and the LCD screen is bright. Kudos to Oly right there!

Image stabilization? It works! Tried taking zoom macro shots with and without it and the difference is clearly visible.

Live view? I'm sure it's an excellent feature for others but it's not really for me. Adds quite a bit of delay when taking a photo and runs your batteries down quicker. If you choose to go its way, again I suggest an extra battery or two. My first impression with it is it's better performed with a tripod. It does work quite well and of course, it's there when you absolutely need it.

And the lenses? They're kit lenses and on the bottom of Oly's range so most people might make the mistake of shrugging them off. Beginners, amateurs and advanced amatures like the most us could of course forgive the pros for frowning on them. Starter lenses they are, true, but for amateur and advanced amateur shooting the image quality is excellent. I've been taking pictures with the lenses zoomed in on everything from flowers to dragonflies and they've come up pristine. The resized image of the dragonfly I'm uploading don't do the original justice but you can still see the fine details on the wings. Now if the starter lenses can come up with pictures this gorgeous imagine what the 50-200mm Zuiko ED Lens can do!? A word of caution on the starter lenses though - they're not weather sealed.

Without a doubt this camera is a great buy. Get more advanced lenses and you'll be even happier (something I'll be doing very soon). On a side note, mine came with a free Lowepro Transporter Camera Strap (thanks Amazon!) which made an already excellent purchase an even better value. It's comfy and well built with quality from end to end, an accessory that you might wanna look into. If you plan to shoot RAW I suggest you get storage with no less than a 4GB of space. With a camera this fine you'll be shooting a lot (so don't forget your extra batteries). Got me a Kingston CF/4GB-S 4 GB ElitePro CompactFlash Card and it works well with the camera. Nothing to complain about read/write speed there. The Transporter strap has a removable pouch with space for 2 more memory cards in case you need to carry extras.

Thanks for reading my humble review and Happy Shooting!

The Olympus Evolt E510 comes with additional Zuiko lens. A great buy and high-end results! Ordered on Dec. 15, I held my breath for pre-Christmas deliver. Vendor did not let me down, and Santa arrived in plenty of time.

After a month of having this camera, i'm very happy with it. I bought the 2 lens kit. Both lenses work really well and the images are super sharp. I haven't really used all the settings yet but the auto function works pretty well. The live view can sometimes give you a blurry result but i'd rather use the view finder. The only complaint i have is that now that i have the camera i want more lenses and the choices are slim compared to Nikon and Canon. Otherwise it's a great product.

I took a long time deciding what camera to get. Nikon D40x? Pentax K10D? Canon XTi? Sony Alpha A100? Well, I tried each of them out in a local camera shop after reading a ton of different reviews (DPreviews, SLRgear, etc). While they're all great cameras and I don't think that you'd make a wrong choice if you you got any of them, the Olympus seemed to offer a couple of things that I loved:
- great image color & detail (although you as a photographer have to be a bit more precise than with the other cameras)
- pretty straightforward button layout to access features and functions quickly
- great dust reduction system
- in-body image stablization
- a comfortable size/weight in my hands
- some truly great lenses

The only negative that I've got for the camera is that there aren't a bunch of low priced fast primes available at this time. While the lenses that are out there are really good, they're on average a bit more expensive than those of the competition.

For the price, the two lens system blows away the competition. The glass is far better than the kit lenses in any of the competitors. If you're going to buy the E-510, get the 2 lens kit, you won't be disappointed.

I've decided to jump from a Compact Digital Camera to SLR,
and a thou I've seem quite a few reviews on this camera on the net,
but I was quite stounded with with the size of the camera,
especially the size the lens.

The build-in Anti-Shake sensor is really useful compare to some other SLRs (about the same class). The noise reduction is quite good.

But still there's some downsides as well, as said in the review from websites. The live view is useful.
(Like when you've to put the camera over your head or very low, etc)
But there's a quite long delay when its doing the focusing job.
And the people who wears glasses may find it quite hard to see in the viewfinder, may need to buy ME-1.

Anyway..since there's a lots of opinions, I won't comment too much.
but I would say its a great camera, and I'm loving it! =D
(Sorry for the poor English.)

I wanted to wait a few weeks before giving what I feel is a very unbiased review of this camera. I have followed in the footsteps of many of the reviewers on here in my search for THE dslr. I've scoured review sites and viewed hundreds of pictures comparing the various companies. It came down to a few cameras (Olympus E510, Canon xti and 30d , Nikon d80 and d200 )

My final decision:
Olympus e510... Why?? Why when all of these other cameras have reputation upon reputation.

Canon: No IS without the purchase of $500+ lenses, The good ol error 99 message that a lot of users seem to get(sometimes requiring a major repair), Dust removal system has been proven very inadequate. Picture results can have various issues with banding etc. NO Pixel mapping without sending it in.

The positive is obviously the amount of glass and accessories available. It has been argued but the "competitive" priced glass that Canon produces while functional is not of very good quality (the ol get what you pay for issue) .

Nikon : NO AF without the newer lenses, An inferior dust system, No IS, Banding issue that they can't seem to fix, No pixel mapping without sending it in and poor ISO at higher speeds (except the pricier models)

Again there is plenty of glass and accessories but you must use the newer pricier stuff to get any AF whatsoever.

So now the Olympus.

The picture quality is nothing short of amazing. Yes the consensus is that it does require tweaking out of the box to get excellent results. This can be said for any manufacturer across the board.

-The included lenses in this kit far exceed those of any other included kit. Have in mind this isn't the fastest glass on the market. Please don't expect studio type results at 4.0 in lowlight. (I've learned this myself) They also include the lens hoods ($30 or more saved)
- The amount of pictures on a fully charged battery 650. Most competitors are in the 350-400 range. The drawback is a whopping 5 hr wait for it to recharge (a spare may be necessary)
-Settings upon settings upon setting. While this camera has a slew (28) of auto program style modes for those making the switch from point and shoot it also has a ton of tweakable manual settings for those looking for a little more. You can even program your own WB for specific shots.
-A proven superior dust removal system
-A proven superior IS system (providing 4 stops)
-A function that I have really enjoyed is being able to take a shot and then view the same shot with a little overexposure and one with a little underexposure to pick the best one.
-The body is very stout and slightly bulky by my standards. It def. feels like a real camera. I will say the turn knobs are a bit plastic and cheesy.

-Manual focus is a little slow as it is motorized. This has taken some time to get used to.
-There is some noise in the higher ISO range.This is common and on par or superior to most unit in the price range. While it doesn't affect anything on a smaller 5x7 or less I could see it being an issue on larger prints. I feel this could be fixed getting faster lenses.
-I have experienced the AF lowlight complaint that others have mentioned. Sometimes the flash will strobe constantly and never take a shot, sometimes it will focus in and out and never take a shot. I have found this is primarily in full auto mode. This may be very frustrating for those switching from a point and shoot expecting the camera to take pictures with the same results. I have found switching to a different option provides desired results (tweaking is necessary) The AF has also had issues with my black dog in moderate to low light. Again this was in AUTO mode. Once I made the switch to another option all was fine.

I really feel that this is a superior camera, far superior than those in its class . The complaints I read and can forsee would def. be of those inexperienced looking for immediate results. Take the time to really learn about light and exposure and really unleash the potential of this unit. Again for those looking for a quick turn on and shoot camera this probably isn't for you.

I also agree that the current line of lenses is very expensive. I also realize that this same quality of glass in any line is expensive. Olympus clearly doesn't want to put a budget line out there of inferior quality.

There are available adapters which allow you to use lenses from other manufactures(not canon) on this body (only in manual mode) .

One final thing that I found very important. After about 60 or so shots I started to notice a nice red pixel on a few of my pictures. Fearing the worst I started to do a little research and found this to be described as a hot pixel. ALL manufactures have this issue and while there are some claims of specific times is occurs there isn't a clear answer. Again this happens to ALL digital cameras .I soon found out that Olympus has really stepped up to combat this and has installed pixel mapping in this camera. Check with canon ..nope you have to send it off at your expense. Nikon ..same and sometimes it doesn't get fixed..This alone is worth $100+ in a shipping and repair bill.

Hope this helps ...

After owning an Olympus C740 for several years I thought I'd upgrade to a Nikon D40. !Huge mistake! Returned the Nikon for a refund and bought the Olympus E510 through Amazon.

The E510 does everything the darn Nikon *could not do* that I had expected it to do.

* Live view, not available on the Nikon D40, is essential for the way I shoot from a tripod angled down. By flipping up the mirror it also eliminated "mirror flip up" shaking that blurred my slow shutter speed telephoto close ups.
* Excellent macro mode that I frequently need for product photos --but was lacking on the D40. I bought the $360 Nikon 60MM macro lens to get close--but it would not auto focus because it is only AF, not AF-S to be compatible with the D40. Had to return it, too!
* Nikon D40 *in the box lens* is junk and people get rid of them for $10 on eBay! The Olympus lens is a keeper. Beautiful piece of glass.
* Nikon booklet was so bad I had to call their tech support number twice--and I've been a photographer for 35 years!
* The Olympus booklet is excellent and I have been able to learn everything I need from it.
* Even the menus and buttons (quick functions) are far better in design and usefulness.
* Remote function on D40 times out in 1-minute then reverts to regular mode. What a pain! Nikon Tech had to tell me how to increase this to 15 minutes, but that is still no good.

This is the camera I dreamed of. There is absolutely nothing I can complain about and everything to enjoy. A high quality professional tool that makes my product photography and *for fun cat photos* easy and rewarding. Oh, did I mention image stabilization? How cool!

Every day I use this camera is a good day! Thank you Olympus for making the best camera I have ever owned.

Well, I'm fairly new to dSLR cameras. The Olympus Evolt E-510 is actually my very first SLR of any kind. BUT! Like others have said, before I bought the E-510, I must of researched all the cameras in the price range for maybe 6-8 full months. So at this point, I feel like I'm an expert.

Well...I fell into the dSLR market, perhaps like others, while I was one day watching a New York Giants football game on TV...when a Canon Rebel xti commercial came on. It was a beautiful commercial that started out saying, "Why do we like football...?" By the end of that commercial I was hooked. I wanted the Canon Rebel xti more than anything in the world, and I made that quite clear to my loved ones as well; as my birthday was steadily approaching.

Anyway...I immediately went to 6th Avenue electronics to try to get one in my hands, but when I got there, the battery for the xti was out of juice, and they had no way of juicing it at all. (Which was a huge bummer...) Anyway, I talked to the sales guy and he showed me a number of dSLR's (the usual suspects) in that same price range. (The Nikon D40x, the Sony Alpha a100 or whatever it is, the Pentax K10 and K100, and the beautiful Olympus Evolt E-510, and maybe a couple others...)

In any case... In the next couple of weeks, I went from store to store playing with every one for hours, and hearing the pros and cons of each from the sales people. After that, I stayed home and researched all day and all night on all the different cameras, at which time I was becoming more and more intrigued with the E-510.

The sales people kept telling me that the in-camera image stabilization was so important because if I got another camera, I'd only be able to get it in some über-expensive lenses. While on the other hand, my father, who was a high school photography teacher for years and years, told me in-camera IS wasn't that important unless I was to going to be shooting with a super-long telephoto lenses.

IN ANY CASE.... After months and months of research and playing and trying out the different cameras, I decided I was finally just gonna close my eyes, bite my lip, and go for the Olympus E-510.
And let me just say... It was absolutely the best decision I've made in a LOONG time...

The E-510, in my opinion, is the most beautiful, remarkable camera in the under $1000 price range. Possibly even better than a few more expensive cameras... The E-510's pictures come out beautiful and crisp and can be adjusted in a myriad of ways. It has just soo many wonderful features, and each one is completely useful! It's not stuffed with a bunch of silly settings. It just simply comes with useful ones that are going to help you get the best picture possible.
I really don't understand the people who have such huge problems with the camera. I honestly think they must have defective ones. It is just a simply remarkable camera. And don't be afraid of the settings! Some reviewers are saying, although this camera has the most, and most useful settings and features, the camera is not all that easy to use. I just simply do not find that true. When I first started learning about this camera, I didn't know what bracketing was, or what the different metering settings or white balance settings meant. But to be honest, the manual that came with the camera is quite good...It not only explains how to use each setting, but it also explains what each setting means. AND it has a bunch of photography tips in it too... It's pretty useful, especially for a beginner.
The whole camera is great...The settings are in abundance, the picture quality is great (especially with a little tweaking), the feel of the camera is awesome (by the way..it's super light!), and the 2 kit lenses it comes with are SWEEEET!!! Also, the in-camera stabilization works awesome, apparently the dust removal system is proven to be the best on the market! PROVEN PEOPLE!!! That's awesome...
Oh! And I have a great time shooting in low light. Once you get the hang of using this camera, you'll find you can do most anything with it. And do it well... Oh and, I had some trouble finding reviews and what-not of a few things I was interested in finding out like...how fast the camera is. And actually in this price-range of cameras, the continuous shooting mode is a tad faster than all the rest at like 3.09 per second, or something like that. But although I don't exactly know the exact numbers to all this...the continous shooting and shot-to-shot times of this camera is really, really great.
Actually, I have a little niece and nephew, and it's quite difficult to get a 1 year old boy to sit there and smile into the camera... You have to follow the little guy around and shoot, and although almost ALL the pictures are in the focus because the built-in IS, it's still hard to get a GREAT shot of a 1 year old going crazy on a sugar high. So I just follow him around and snap, snap, snap the shutter button over-and-over-and-over again. Like I said, the shot-to-shot time is really great. And the buffer size must be pretty huge too because I was able to take a shot after shot after shot, whether shooting normally, or putting the camera in burst mode; the camera never slowed down for a second. You won't be dissapointed with that. In case you are knew to all this... The buffer is basically the place in which all your photos are kept before they are written to the memory card...

So all-in-all, I really love this camera. Most everything about it. And just a personal tip...Read the real good reviews of the E-510 and read those reviewers pros and cons. I find they tend to be pretty accurate with the little cons there actually are with this camera. And don't read the real bad reviews AT ALL... They are just plain and simply wrong... I don't know if those people all got defective cameras or what, but they are just wrong. I guess there are different tastes out there, but to just completely bash the E-510...it just is wrong...

And just one more thing... I know there are A LOT of reviews out there by all kinds of reviewers. But I honestly believe you should trust me. Especially newcomers to d-SLR's who really don't know much of anything about these types of cameras... The other people have already formed different opinions about what they like and don't like, and they can just figure out which camera is right for them on there own. But for the others... I had wished when I was researching someone would just plain make the decision for me. 'cAuse I was just so overwhelmed with all the choices and different features... So here I go, just saying trust me. Let me decide for you... Choose this camera. Unless you get a defective one somehow..I truly believe you won't be dissapointed. And with all the settings, and what I think is easy to use, you will have a long while to have fun learning it all. And if you just plain get frusterated and just want to take a darn picture, well there are PLENTY of automatic settings for you. So again...Just trust me. You'll love this decision in the end. This is a superb dSLR in my opinion, abd I haven't even once since I've purchased it, thought to myself, maybe I should have gotten that other camera...

Anyway...I'm actually Rob. For some reason Amazon wouldnt take my name and password. They kept giving me my mothers account even though they had a button that said, " If this isn't Barbara, click here." It just wouldnt work. So just for your 411...I'm Rob, not Barbara.
Good luck and good choosing everyone!!! - Rob
Hmmm...I can't think of anything to say

I recently purchased the 510 after owning the 500 for about 2 years - while I was looking forward to the "LiveView" feature - I have not been satisfied with the way it works. Unless I am not doing something right! when using live view the camera does not pre-focus before taking the picture - Instead when I aim the camera at my subject and press the shutter half way (which would be the way to focus normally) the camera does nothing, instead you have to press the shutter all the way down - then it focuses and also takes the picture in one feld swoop! Now this has been my experience so far at least with close subjects, say 12 feet or less, and when in the macro mode for example you have no idea if your image will be focused or not until AFTER the trigger has been pulled. If I am doing something wrong please let me know - but the way I read the manual this is the way it works. I personally like to know if my image is in focus first, before taking a picture. Of course if you do not use the live view function and use the viewfinder instead all is swell. so I am not very confident when using the live view mode, which is the only reason I did not rate this camera 5 stars. As far as additional lenses are concerned, after reading some of the other comments about not having cheaper lenses. I have purchased the 50 mm f2.0 macro and find it to be excellent, especially in the macro mode - clarity and sharpness is noticably better than the kit lenses, and I am not knocking the kit lenses by any means. But I have also crossed referenced pricing on some of the other lenses - and find minimal differences in pricing - for example I am very interested in the Olympus 11-22mm zoom and you can buy this for right at $600.00 - Nikon, Cannon, and Sigma all have almost the same price for appx. the same lens - and I find that to be the case on most of the other lenses when comparing apples to apples, with one exception and that would be the 1.4x converter - the olympus is definitly higher than any of the other brands. someone had mentioned prime lenses in an earlier comment and olympus does make the 35mm and Sigma makes a 24mm for olympus which should be perfect for a good prime considering that would double to 48mm on this camera. If anyone else is having an issue with the live view as I am please comment or let me know what I may not be seeing...thanks to all in advance..Ken

This is just so neat, it will take a long time to learn what all it will do.
JC

After being a very happy owner of an e500 for about a year, I decided to step up to the e510 for the 10 megapixels, and the Image Stabilization - and I was a little curious about the Live-View feature. Wow, it was a good move. It's been 4 weeks and about 1000 pictures - and I am very happy.

Olympus makes a very high quality camera with features that REALLY work. The Image Stabilization will truly save that low light, or long telephoto, shot when you don't have a tripod. Honestly, I've taken some very crisp pics where I thought they wouldn't turn out.

The Live-View is pretty cool, even though it takes a bit of getting used to. It's not like your typical "point & shoot" LCD, but it HAS given me GREAT results the few times I have used it.

It has outstanding battery life, and a great feel in your hand. I suppose some will say the e510 is not perfect, but photographically speaking, it is MUCH more perfect than I am - and it makes me a much better photographer! After a month of use, I haven't found anything to complain about.

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.

I love this camera. It does everything I wanted in an SLR camera and at a good price. I'm still learning how to use it, but I got great pictures right out of the box.

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 focu