DigitalTrends Reviews Olympus Evolt E-510

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review4717.html' target='_blank'>http://reviews.digitaltrends.com/review4717.html</a><br /><br /></div><i>"It’s no secret Nikon and Canon dominate the market for D-SLRs leaving Sony, Pentax and Olympus to pick up the crumbs. That said, D-SLRs from these companies are far from crummy—in fact they can be pretty good as we reported over a year ago with the Sony alpha. Many people opt for Canon and Nikon because they have older 35mm lenses from those systems and want to use that glass in the digital era. However, if you never bought a lens in your life it’s worth looking beyond the Big Two just as we’ve done in the past. Olympus recently introduced a pair of 10-megapixel D-SLRs using the Four Thirds Standard mounting system (the Evolt E-410 and E-510). Claimed to be digital from the ground up, there are plenty of Olympus Zuiko lenses to choose from (17 to be exact) ranging from fish-eyes up to a 300mm f2.8 super telephoto. Since the Four Thirds Standard has a digital factor of 2x, lenses are actually double the stated focal length (600mm in the case of the 300mm f2.8 ) giving you a very nice range of glass."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/20070827_1002531.gif" /><br /><br />Olympus, Sigma, Sony and Pentax, to some extent, have the same problem that most of Apple's competitors have. When someone thinks of an MP3 player, they think iPod. Similarly, when someone think of a DSLR, they think Canon or Nikon. So while Olympus has created a nice DSLR, I am afraid that a number of people would not even consider it in the running just because of the brand. Olympus et al. will need to get creative about how they are going to get people to switch. For example, since lenses are the most expensive part of the camera (at least good lenses are) then making cameras compatible with rival brand lenses may help. Unique and distinguishing features may be another way, though obviously that is a lot harder. Anyways, here is a nice review of the newest addition to the Olympus line-up.

[marlof]

The worst thing Olympus could do, is adapt a 35mm mount. The whole Four Thirds system is built from the ground up for digital. One of the most attractive features of the Four Thirds system are the lenses. It features a -compared to the relative small sensor- enormous lens mount, allowing telecentric design of the lenses. This results in the lenses having a corner to corner to sharpness that is astonishing.

To me it's obvious that Olympus has been banking on technological advance. When the system was introduced, people said it was a dead end. But with the progress of sensor technology, that no longer seems to be the case. Now all Olympus has to do is build on the (apparantly well selling) E410 and E510, and hopefully soon launch an exciting E-3, competitor to the Nikon D300 and Canon 40D. With their medium grade weather sealed lenses (among which the new 12-60, 50-200 (24-120 and 100-400 in 35mm equiv FOV) and the internal anti shake, this should make a great travel kit.

Obviously, I'm a Four Thirds user. ;)