Olympus EVOLT E-510 Body Only Digital Camera

Having read the previous review by earwaxuk it is quite clear that much of what I would like to say about the E510 has already been said, very eloquently.
I too spent much time deliberating about my choice of DSLR with each manufacturer’s budget / entry level offering having pros and cons. I compared the features, the prices and read many reviews and found, as with many purchases, my budget was the overall deciding factor.
In my initial research I ruled out the Sony offerings without giving them much thought. I tried the Nikon D80 in a local shop and quite liked the feel of it. I then looked at the Canon 400D again this had advantages and disadvantages over the Nikon. I had also considered the Olympus E510 and for some reason I kept being drawn back to the E510.
I had borrowed a E410 from a department at work and found it easy to use, the menus made sense and weren’t overly complicated, it felt ok but not great. I tried the E510 in a shop and found that it sat nicely in my hands, the buttons all seemed easily accessible and the hand grip was just right.
So why go for the Olympus over the other offerings ??? I realised that I wanted quality without paying over the odds. I had ruled out the Sony offerings without even considering them and then realised why … ALL Sony products are more expensive than their rivals without any real advantages. I compared the Canon Nikon and Olympus offerings and found myself feeling that maybe Canon and Nikon were similar to Sony in this respect – yes they are market leaders but does that allow them to charge more for less ?? I don’t know if that is the case or not, but, I managed to get an E510 with 2 lenses for less than a D80 body and considerably less than a 400D body with one lens … Hmmm …
I don’t know if the Olympus compares at every level with it’s rivals but after a little time getting to know the camera I am producing photos equal to or even surpassing my old 35mm SLR and that’s all I really wanted from this purchase. I can use the 40-150mm lens at 150mm (equal to 300mm focal length on my 35mm) and take fine detailed, stable images with no evidence of camera shake. Does that make me happy? Yes.
I found the Auto-focus on all of the DSLR cameras frustrating. I was used to a manual focus with my film SLR and have found it difficult to come to terms with the concept of auto-focus … having borrowed the E410 I found it was annoying, particularly at low light levels. However I have come to terms with the E510’s auto-focus relatively quickly (to my surprise) and have found it to be accurate and easy to use.
The 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses supplied with the E510 are great, they allow a flexibility that I had not experienced with my film SLR. The Quality of these lenses should not be understated – for standard kit lenses they are superb. I am sure that had I purchased either the Canon or Nikon cameras I would have been hankering after new lenses immediately … I have no plans to research new lenses for my 510, in fact, any lenses I do purchase will be to supplement what I already have rather than as replacements.
In summary, the E510 is a lightweight DSLR with excellent features and the overall quality is superb. At this price point the Olympus represents extraordinary value for money and I would not hesitate to recommend this camera to anyone, it clearly represents a five star buy.