Olympus E-510

Reviewed September 2007

Interface & Software

Interface

The interface of the E-510 is, overall, very similar to the interface of the E-410. The photographer is given information about camera settings both through the display on the right side of the viewfinder image, and with the monitor when the INFO button is pressed, which additionally allows most settings to be modified quickly. The system is efficient, and takes no time to become familiar.

The E-510's Live View mode is valuable, and allows framing some shots with greater ease than is usual with SLR-type cameras. Moreover, unlike the TTL viewfinder which only covers 95% of the frame being captured, the Live View mode shows 100% of the image.

The complete menu system of the E-510, covered in part in the Characteristics section of the review, ends with two other sections, each represented by a tab: Setup 1 and Setup 2.

The first of these is also referred to as the Custom menu in the Manual, a better description:

• ISO Limit: serves to set the upper limit of the Auto ISO range (100, 200 or 400 ISO).
• EV Step: serves to select the increment used when the aperture, shutter speed or the sensitivity is set (1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV).
• All WB ±: this function allows compensating the all the white balance values, or resetting them to their defaults.
• HQ: allows setting the compression used for the default HQ image format.
• SQ: allows setting the default image size and quality (compression) of the SQ image format.

• Flash Exposure Compensation: decides whether or not the function is available when the built-in flash is used.
• X-Sync: serves to choose the flash sync speed 1/60 or 1/180 second.
• Auto Pop Up: selects whether or not the flash opens automatically when the camera is set to the Auto mode or one of the scene modes that are accessed through the SCENE position on the Mode Dial, or if it has to be opened manually.

• Dial: serves to choose the behaviour of the Control Dial when the camera is set to the Program or Manual modes:
  • Program mode: it can be used to change the camera selected combination of aperture or shutter speed, or adjust the exposure compensation.
  • Manual mode: it can be used to change the aperture or the shutter speed, the other parameter being accessible for change only when the button is pressed simultaneously.
• AEL/AFL: serves to choose a function for the AEL/AFL button:
  • C-AF: Mode 1 (AE-L) or Mode 2 (AF-L).
  • S-AF: Mode 1 starts the AF) or Mode 2 (AE-L).
  • Manual Focus: Mode 1 (S-AF) or Mode 2 (AE-L).
• AEL/AFL Memo: decides whether the AEL/AFL button must be pressed in to act, or if it can be pressed once to lock the function, and pressed again to release it.
• AEL Metering: allows selecting the type of metering performed when the AEL button is pressed: Auto, Multi zone, Centre-weighted, Spot, High Spot or Shadow Spot. When set to Auto, the AE-L uses the current metering setting selected in the metering option of the menu.
• Quick Erase: when On, allows erasing an image when the camera shows it immediately post capture.
• RAW+JPEG Erase: when On, allows erasing the JPEG, or the RAW image or both when a RAW+JPEG is captured, before the images are saved to the memory card.
• Fn Function: serves to set the function assigned to the Fn button, as explained in the Ergonomics section of the review.
• My Mode Setup: allows saving a set of preferred camera settings into the My Mode 1 or My Mode 2 memories.
• Focus Ring: decides the direction towards which the focus ring must be turned to reach infinity.
• AF Illumination: On or Off. Controls the AF assist lamp, a function performed by the flash, which requires it to be opened.
• Reset Lens: decides whether the camera resets the lens to infinity when it is turned off.
• Live View Boost: decides whether or not the camera amplifies the brightness of the monitor during Live View so that a brighter image can be seen under low light.
• Release Priority S: On or Off. When On, the shutter can be released even when focus is not achieved in the AF-S mode.
• Release Priority C: On or Off. When On, the shutter can be released even when focus is not achieved in the AF-C mode.
• Beep: controls the sounds produced by the camera when it is operated.
• Frame Assist: serves to select the composition guides that are superimposed on the monitor in the Live View mode (grid, scale or none).
• Lock: allows locking the functions associated with the Arrow Pad to avoid errors.

The second section contains options that are related to the basic operation of the E-510:

• Date and Time: serves to set the time and date on the camera.
• CF/xD: to choose which memory format is used first when two cards are in the camera.
• File Name: to select whether image file names are numbered consecutively, or restart at 1 when the card is formatted or a new card is used.
• Monitor Brightness: serves to adjust the brightness of the monitor over a range of ± 7 increments.
• Language sets the language for the interface: English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese.
• Video Out: NTSC or PAL.
• Rec View: Decides whether or not an image is displayed on the LCD monitor immediately post capture (Off, or 1 to 20 seconds).
• Sleep: sets the delay after which the camera goes to sleep if it is inactive (Off, 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes).

• Backlit LCD: decides the time delay after which the monitor's backlight dims to conserve power (8 seconds, 30 seconds, 1 minute, or Hold).
• 4h Timer : allows the camera to turn off automatically after being inactive for 4 hours instead of remaining in sleep mode indefinitely.
• Button Timer: sets the active time of camera meters (3, 5, 8 seconds or Hold).

• Priority Set: decides whether the default selection for the card Format option is on Erase or Format.
• USB Mode: serves to set the USB protocol before-hand, which avoids having to select it when the camera is plugged into a computer or printer:
  • Auto: lets the user choose the mode to use every time a USB cable is plugged into the E-510.
  • Storage: is for a Mass Storage connection, allowing the E-510 to be recognized as a removable hard disk by a computer.
  • MTP: allows the camera to be recognized by Windows Vista without the use of Olympus Studio.
  • Control: is to control the camera from a computer using the optional Olympus Studio software.
  • Easy: sets the camera to communicate with a PictBridge compliant printer, making it possible to print images directly to the printer without a computer.
  • Custom: can be used when connecting the camera to a PictBridge compliant printer, making it possible to set the number of prints to make, select the type of printing paper, and adjust other settings.
• Colour Space: sRGB or Adobe sRGB.
• AEL/AFL <=> Fn: allows inverting the functions of the AEL/AFL and Fn buttons.
• Shading Compensation: On or Off. Allows choosing whether the camera automatically brightens the corners of images when vignetting occurs.
• Pixel Mapping: checks, detects, and corrects any problems with the Live MOS sensor and/or the image processor. Olympus recommends using this function once a year.
• Cleaning Mode: allows access to the Live MOS so it can be dusted using a commercially available dust blower.
• Firmware displays the version of the firmware currently running on the camera and the lens (v1.1 for the camera and 1.1 for the lens reviewed here).

The printed manual supplied with the Olympus E-510 is detailed and complete, covering all aspects of the camera and its functions in a clear and easy to understand manner. As with some other recent Olympus manuals, however, the organization of the manual is unconventional, and the position of some of the information within the manual is occasionally confusing.

Software

In North America, the Olympus E-510 is supplied with a single CD containing Olympus Master 2 and a trial version of Olympus Studio 2.

Olympus Master 2 is an image browser that presents images organized into albums sorted by name or date, or the folders of the computer on the left side of the program screen, while the contents of the currently selected album or folder are shown on the right using thumbnails whose size can be increased or decreased.

A third pane can be added to the program's window, showing all the EXIF data and a histogram for the currently selected thumbnail.

When a JPEG photo is opened in the editing window, editing tools are presented in a column on the right, making it possible to adjust the image size, crop, superimpose text, adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, colour balance, tweak colour tone and gamma, or apply an automatic correction.

The editing window can show the original image on the left, and the impact of the editing on the same image on the right.

The RAW Development window also presents the image on the left, and the tools on the right.

Two tabs at the top of the tools section contain different tools: Basic1 allows adjusting exposure compensation, white balance, and resizing the image. The other tab, Basic2, provides control over the colour mode, contrast, sharpness, and saturation. In addition, it also provides tools to change the image to black and white, change the image tone, its gradation, apply a noise filter, or change the image's colour space.

Olympus Studio 2 (a 30 day trial version) looks similar to Olympus Master, at least at the interface level, but is designed to speed up the work flow. Image collections can be created quickly, images can be zoomed in fast to compare them and evaluate which is the best. RAW images can be batch processed with or without applying the shooting parameters and backups can be made to CD or DVD. In addition, the program allows controlling the camera via USB, making it possible to shoot remotely from the computer.