Chrischong
07-18-2007, 05:10 PM
Got my hands on an E-510 for a couple of weeks but never really had time to test it properly until earlier today.
Tried the camera with the new 14-42mm Zuiko ED. It's an excellent lens - tinier than the 14-45 and much sharper while having no CA or vignetting. Plus, it's damn small - makes Nikon's 18-55DX and Canon's 18-55 EF-S look like giants.
Here's a quick summary of what I think...
GOOD:
1. Excellent high ISO performance (ironically, after you turn off noise reduction and set sharpness to -2).
2. Very nice colours right out from the camera.
3. Multi-segment metering does its best to preserve highlights.
4. Larger hand grip makes it much easier to use single-handedly (sticking the camera out a window, for example). More comfortable too.
5. Camera's LCD is very easy to read until direct sunlight - no problems whatsoever when checking setting information.
6. Image stabilisation works quite well.
7. Darker tones result in more dramatic-looking shots.
8. Very good resolution - excellent per-pixel sharpness.
9. Excellent auto white balance in natural lighting.
10. Easily accessible One-touch white balance a Godsend for shooting indoors.
BAD:
1. Autofocus is still too slow in difficult lighting conditions.
2. Only 3 AF points - forces you to focus-and-reframe when creeping up on easily startled insects and wildlife.
3. Likewise, having only 3 AF points cripples already crippled LiveView mode, since it's even harder to focus and reframe.
4. Viewfinder way too small - impossible to judge depth of field / manual focus only for the very confident.
5. Dark viewfinder makes it very hard to frame shots when shooting outdoors at night.
6. Low dynamic range means highlights are easily clipped. Need to be careful when shooting with direct sunlight.
7. Cannot adjust tones in camera - pictures always look very dark.
OVERALL:
I'm quite impressed with the E-510 - especially with the quality of pictures I can achieve with it. It's definitely a step above the E-330 and it's right there in Nikon D80 territory - especially in terms of high ISO performance.
In the third sample shot below, I just stuck the camera at ISO1600 and shot away. Lighting conditions were changing often but was mostly quite dark. When viewed 100% on your PC, hardly any detail is lost and noise is hardly noticeable - even in the shadow regions.
This is the best high-ISO performance I've ever seen from Olympus. Well done!
The low dynamic range means you have to obey the usual rules of photography more closely - especially if there's direct sunlight in your shot. Keep that in mind, and you'll end up with great looking photos.
The first two sample shots below demonstrate some highlight clipping creeping in.
Details of the sample shots:
Shot no.1 - 42mm, 1/100s, f9, ISO 400, Auto WB, Multi-segment metering, no EV compensation.
4116
Shot no.2 - 14mm, 1/60s, f9, ISO 400, Auto WB, multi-segment metering, no EV compensation.
4117
Shot no.3 - 14mm, 1/125s, f5.6, ISO 1600, One-touch WB, multi-segment metering, no EV compensation.
4118
100% crop of Shot no.3 - notice the very film-like grain, the preservation of fine details and the absence of noise in the black spots.
4119
* Images were only resized. No other forms of post processing used.
Tried the camera with the new 14-42mm Zuiko ED. It's an excellent lens - tinier than the 14-45 and much sharper while having no CA or vignetting. Plus, it's damn small - makes Nikon's 18-55DX and Canon's 18-55 EF-S look like giants.
Here's a quick summary of what I think...
GOOD:
1. Excellent high ISO performance (ironically, after you turn off noise reduction and set sharpness to -2).
2. Very nice colours right out from the camera.
3. Multi-segment metering does its best to preserve highlights.
4. Larger hand grip makes it much easier to use single-handedly (sticking the camera out a window, for example). More comfortable too.
5. Camera's LCD is very easy to read until direct sunlight - no problems whatsoever when checking setting information.
6. Image stabilisation works quite well.
7. Darker tones result in more dramatic-looking shots.
8. Very good resolution - excellent per-pixel sharpness.
9. Excellent auto white balance in natural lighting.
10. Easily accessible One-touch white balance a Godsend for shooting indoors.
BAD:
1. Autofocus is still too slow in difficult lighting conditions.
2. Only 3 AF points - forces you to focus-and-reframe when creeping up on easily startled insects and wildlife.
3. Likewise, having only 3 AF points cripples already crippled LiveView mode, since it's even harder to focus and reframe.
4. Viewfinder way too small - impossible to judge depth of field / manual focus only for the very confident.
5. Dark viewfinder makes it very hard to frame shots when shooting outdoors at night.
6. Low dynamic range means highlights are easily clipped. Need to be careful when shooting with direct sunlight.
7. Cannot adjust tones in camera - pictures always look very dark.
OVERALL:
I'm quite impressed with the E-510 - especially with the quality of pictures I can achieve with it. It's definitely a step above the E-330 and it's right there in Nikon D80 territory - especially in terms of high ISO performance.
In the third sample shot below, I just stuck the camera at ISO1600 and shot away. Lighting conditions were changing often but was mostly quite dark. When viewed 100% on your PC, hardly any detail is lost and noise is hardly noticeable - even in the shadow regions.
This is the best high-ISO performance I've ever seen from Olympus. Well done!
The low dynamic range means you have to obey the usual rules of photography more closely - especially if there's direct sunlight in your shot. Keep that in mind, and you'll end up with great looking photos.
The first two sample shots below demonstrate some highlight clipping creeping in.
Details of the sample shots:
Shot no.1 - 42mm, 1/100s, f9, ISO 400, Auto WB, Multi-segment metering, no EV compensation.
4116
Shot no.2 - 14mm, 1/60s, f9, ISO 400, Auto WB, multi-segment metering, no EV compensation.
4117
Shot no.3 - 14mm, 1/125s, f5.6, ISO 1600, One-touch WB, multi-segment metering, no EV compensation.
4118
100% crop of Shot no.3 - notice the very film-like grain, the preservation of fine details and the absence of noise in the black spots.
4119
* Images were only resized. No other forms of post processing used.