e-510 or e-520?

[jonahfab]

I'm looking to ugrade to the next level with my pictures. I have been a loyal olympus user for a long time. i've been using and abusing my 5050 for quite awhile and it has never let me down. I'm now looking at the e-520 or e-510 for my next camera. If i could get from feedback on the differences between the two and pros cons of each that would be helpful. I couldn't find any threads dealing with a comparision of the two so if there are links to those threads would be fine also. thanks in advance.

 

[ce4jesus]

Well your biggest difference is Oly makes a housing for the E520. Now the E510 and the only modification you have to make is with the mode dial but other than that they're the same body. Since the E520 is cheap enough I doubt it warrants saving a few bucks to go with the E510. One major difference underwater will be how you change the aperture and shutter speed. On both cameras you can program which one is changed by the thumbwheel at start up. With the E510 owever, lets say you program aperture to be the startup value changed by rotating the thumbwheel. If you want to then change the shutter speed you have to hold down the +- key while adjusting the thumbwheel...doesn't sound bad until you try it with the housing. With the E520 you can now just hit and release the +- key and then use the thumbwheel...much easier to do and can be done with one hand. I don't think there are any issues with image quality although there was some tweaking done to the noise filters. I find the E520 jpegs to be slightly more vivid out of the camera than with my old E410.

 

[LineSider]

The E-520 is very different, and the one you want. I believe they changed sensors to one that implements live view differently...without a mirror flip. Live View implementation is much faster. The sensor is by Panasonic I believe (or the same one used in Panasonics), and represents a large improvement over the one used in the E-410 and E-510. The E-520 also has some better above-water features that they also included in the E-3 and handles the new SWD lens' beautifully. It also has some improved metering, but it is hard to know what is marketing and what is useful. The E-520 was released after the E-3 and is a real bargain by comparison. The PT-E05 housing is made for the E-520, though I've heard that it will handle the E-510. No comparison, the E-520 is a real sweet item and frankly, I can't think of anything else I need in a camera.

 

[Ardy]

I bought myself an E-520, housing and port for Christmas following an extensive evaluation as I have moved from Nikon film to digital. Gary (see above) and Phil Rudin gave me great advise and I cant begin to tell you how good the set up is. It is light, responsive and easy to drive. The housing seems to be well made and solid. I use mine in manual mode only until I can afford a new flash and it's a piece of cake.

The first dive pictures were excellent considering I am still in button learning mode.

 

[CheddarChick]

come on guys...put up some pics....

 

[ce4jesus]

I have a total of 1 dive and a pool test with the camera. Here's a couple of shots from the dive.

 

[Ardy]

come on guys...put up some pics....

To out do Gary, I have 2 pool tests and one dive to 20m.

Some of these are a crop too far but they still came out OK. Was trying to work out the buttons and how close I could focus etc. They were all taken on manual with my old SnS YS50 flash.

Hope these dont scare you all off? I can always blame Gary if they do.

Ardy

 

[gert7to3]

Gary, as I recall you also have/had an Oly E 410. Which lens were you using? You also got a 9-18mm, but haven't got the port for it, right? Finally, do you see much of a difference between the E410 and the E 520?

Ardy, which lens were you using?
BTW, Hope you and yours are safe from the wildfires. I've driven the Prince's Highway. It's horrific to think of all those eucalyptus torching off.

 

[bmchugh]

Some pictures I took with my E 520 with 14-54 lens on a night dive in La Jolla. I've just made the move up from a Sea Life and am very happy with the results so far.
La Jolla Shores Nite Dive 1-31-09 pictures by bmchugh_photo - Photobucket

Pictures from my first trip to Monterey with the camera.
Monterey New Years 2009 pictures by bmchugh_photo - Photobucket

I'm sure my pictures will improve as I get used to the set up but already I'm getting a good percentage of decent shots. I'm quite happy that I chose the Olympus over some of the others that were even more money.

Brian

 

[Ardy]

Ardy, which lens were you using?
BTW, Hope you and yours are safe from the wildfires. I've driven the Prince's Highway. It's horrific to think of all those eucalyptus torching off.

Hi Gert

I was using the standard 14-42 and it took me about 10 shots before I remembered that it has a zoom! never used a zoom lens underwater before, it made fish shots easier after that. Unfortunately the juvenile yellow box fish suffered. Took a photo of an adult YB fish as well underexposed but still see-able. All in all got about 20 useable shots of different life down there.

Luckily we live in the Blue Mountains 60k's from Sydney. I spent 3 days in Maryville Victoria, about 10 years ago and it was a lovely town. Hard to imagine that it has all gone and a large number of the population is dead. The Princess Hwy is OK but if you move off it there is devastation all around.

Last Sat it was 44.5 degrees (c) here and some bloody idiot lit a fire about 4k's from us. They managed to contain it and they are still looking for him as someone saw him. I could have found myself fighting a fire as well.

Some of the stories coming out are unbelieveable. One guy was running from the fire, that was travelling at 90k's an hr and he jumped in a small drain and was saved, everyone else died.