Olympus E510

The E510 is a small, light DSLR from 2007. At 490 g and 136 x 92 x 68 mm it is easy to carry, and an optical viewfinder sits at the centre of the shooting experience.

Its NMOS sensor and Micro 4/3 mount keep the system compact. This suits someone who wants a simple stills camera and likes composing through a viewfinder rather than working around a screen.

Owning one involves some older habits. Files are stored on Compact Flash or xD Picture cards, so you will be shopping in the legacy card aisle rather than buying current media.

The 10 megapixel NMOS sensor uses the Micro Four Thirds format. Files are large enough for prints and everyday sharing, but there is little spare resolution for heavy cropping.

Sensitivity spans ISO 100 to 1600 and the shutter reaches 1/4000 s, which covers bright and moderate light. When conditions get dim you will lean on flash or a steady hold, and the 3 fps maximum burst favours considered shooting over fast action sequences.

Autofocus relies on three points. That gives a small set of selectable focus positions, so composition can involve working around where those points fall rather than placing focus freely.

There is no in-body stabilisation, so sharp handheld results in dim conditions depend on shutter speed or a lens that stabilises on its own. The optical pentamirror viewfinder still gives a direct, immediate view of the scene. Our Optics score of 34 is limited, placing the E510 in the bottom 1% of cameras in our database for optics.

The E510 does not record video in any mode. It is purely a stills camera, so every capture is a single still frame rather than a clip. Anyone who wants moving footage alongside their photographs will need a separate device, because no movie mode, resolution or frame rate exists on this body.

There is no built-in timelapse function either. Building an interval sequence would mean triggering frames yourself, since the camera offers no automated way to capture a series over time.

That keeps the E510 focused entirely on still photography. For a buyer, this is a clear dividing line: projects that are wholly photographic fit the camera, while anything involving motion capture, from brief clips to longer recordings, sits outside what it can do.

The fixed 2.5 inch LCD includes live view, which helps when the camera is on a tripod or held away from your eye. At 230,000 dots the screen serves composition well enough, but checking fine focus or subtle detail is harder than on sharper panels.

Flash options are practical: a built-in unit for quick fill light, plus support for an external flash when you want more power and control.

There is no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS, so images reach your computer via the memory cards rather than a wireless transfer. The body is not weather sealed, so it needs shelter from rain and dust.

Our Features score of 30 is limited, reflecting a small, low-resolution screen and the absence of touch input, weather sealing and Bluetooth.

Two card slots are fitted: one takes Compact Flash Type I or II, the other xD Picture Card. The two formats are distinct, so each slot is dedicated to its own card type.

The BLM-1 battery is rated for 440 shots per charge. That is a specification rating rather than a guarantee for every shoot, so a charged spare is sensible for longer outings.

The battery does not charge over USB, so there is no topping up from a computer while files transfer, and refuelling needs its own place in your routine between shoots.

Our Storage & Battery score of 57 is modest. The 440 shot battery rating and the lack of USB charging are the specification shortfalls, while the two card slots are the section's strength.