Is an SLR camera really worth the extra money? I know I've taken some pretty amazing photographs using just a simple, cheap point and shoot camera. I'm sure everyone has. Sometimes it's just a matter of being at the right place, and recognizing a moment that would make a memorable photo. So, is buying a camera like the Olympus E510 SLR really necessary? Maybe. It's true that a good tool in the hands of a competent artist can create great art, but lets carefully examine that tool before jumping to any conclusions.
In photography, dynamic range is defined as a cameras ability to capture all the bright and dark areas of a subject or scene. In other words, if there are dimly lit areas of a picture, and very brightly lit areas of the same picture, a camera with good dynamic range should be able to reproduce both very accurately. Unfortunately, the Olympus E510 struggles in the area of dynamic range. Of course, what your taking pictures of will determine if dynamic range is a big consideration for you in your camera purchase. Landscape photography with it's unpredictable and diverse play of light demands a great deal of dynamic range from a camera, whereas portraits shot in a studio environment with controlled lighting do not.
Even though the E510 is a SLR camera, and allows for a lot of manual tweaking of it's setting, it also comes with several auto settings. Default settings for macro, landscape, action and sports are all included. This is nice if your a first time SLR user, as many Olympus E510 purchaser will be. The problem however is the calibration of the auto settings seems to wander to the dark side. New purchasers taking their first few photos with the auto settings, may end up thinking there is something wrong with their camera. If you do buy a E510, be sure to learn how to make manual adjustments early on to get the best pictures possible.
The entry level SLR market is competitive no doubt. Manufacturers try to entice customers to their brand with a good entry level SLR, with the hopes they'll be spending lots down the road on lenses, peripherals, and upgrades. Unfortunately, Olympus seems to have comprised on build quality with the E510 to compete here. Buttons and controls don't seem durable or instill confidence that they will still be in place after several hundred presses. The lens that comes with the Evolt seems uneven in it's movement, and has a tendency to stick.
There are other items of concern with the E510 Evolt, but I think you get the idea. There are a multitude of contenders in the entry level SLR category, to consider, and the E510 is one of them. It just may not be final best choice for some photographers. What it really comes down to, is how you want to take pictures and which camera that allows you to do that best.
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