Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-400

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Olympus E-510 and the Olympus E-400, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Olympus E-510 was introduced in November 2007 and Olympus E-400 was introduced in September 2006. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Olympus E-510 Highlights

      • 10.0 MP Micro Four Thirds CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • Image Stabilization
      • 2.5" 230k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Olympus E-400 Highlights

      • 10.0 MP Micro Four Thirds CCD Sensor
      • 100 - 1,600 Native ISO
      • 3 Focus Points
      • 2.5" 215k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 3.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • Built-in Flash

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-400.

      PROS

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Light - 435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 52
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   No Video Capture
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec

      Advantage of Olympus E-510

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-510 over Olympus E-400.

      Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-400
      Image Stabilization Sensor Shift vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 230k dot vs 215k dot
      Live View vs
      Manual Exposure Mode vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-510.

      Advantage of Olympus E-400

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Olympus E-400 over Olympus E-510.

      Olympus E-510 vs Olympus E-400
      Lighter 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz) vs 435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Olympus E-400.

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Olympus E-510 Olympus E-400
        Built-in Flash
        Light490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz)435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Olympus E-510 Olympus E-400
        No Video Capture
        Small SensorMicro Four ThirdsMicro Four Thirds
        Low Resolution Sensor10.0 Megapixel10.0 Megapixel
        Low Native ISO1,6001,600
        Timelapse Recording
        Few Focus Points33
        No Face Detection
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Resolution Screen230k dot215k dot
        Low Max Continuous Shooting3.0 fps3.0 fps
        No HDMI Output
        No Microphone Input
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi
        No Built-In Bluetooth
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-400 have 2.5" Fixed screens with 230k dot and 215k dot resolutions respectively.


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinders. They both have 95% coverage and 0.92x (0.46x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Olympus E-510 features a 10.0 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CMOS sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 224.9 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600. Olympus E-400 features a 10.0 megapixel Micro Four Thirds CCD sensor with dimensions of 17.3 x 13 mm and a total area of 169 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 1,600.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Olympus E-510 can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios. Olympus E-400 can take pictures up to 3648 x 2736 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3200 x 2400, 2560 x 1920, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 x 480 with 4:3 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Four Thirds lens mount. Due to their Micro Four Thirds sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 2x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 2.


      In-Body Image Stabilization on Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-510 has a built-in Sensor Shift in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you are still getting vibration reduction when camera is paired with non-image stabilizied lenses. It also works with lenses with optical image stabilization and in combination can achieve even better compensation.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer.


      External Storage Slots

      Cameras have a single Compact Flash (Type I/II), xD Picture Card card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Olympus E-510 has Computerized focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-510, and up to 1/4000 sec on Olympus E-400. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Olympus E-510 ranges from +1 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Olympus E-510 and on Olympus E-400.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 12.00 m at ISO 100 on Olympus E-510 and 10.00 m at ISO 100 on Olympus E-400. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Olympus E-510. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/180 sec on Olympus E-510.

      Physical Parameters

      Olympus E-510 body has dimensions of 136 x 92 x 68 mm (5.35 x 3.62 x 2.68") and Olympus E-400 body has dimensions of 130 x 91 x 53 mm (5.12 x 3.58 x 2.09"). Olympus E-510 weighs 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz) and Olympus E-400 weighs 435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz).

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      136 mm

      92 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      130 mm

      91 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      92 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      91 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      68 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      53 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-400

      Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-400 for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      POOR
      51
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      52
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      AVERAGE
      61
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor
      POOR
      51
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      GOOD
      75
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      GOOD
      81
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz)
      GOOD
      76
      •   Small Sensor
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Live View
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      GOOD
      83
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz)
      GOOD
      82
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz)

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Olympus E-510 and Olympus E-400 and give them scores of 56 and 52 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      OVERALL
      56
      OVERALL
      52

      Sensor

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   Low DxO Overall Score - 52
      AVERAGE
      57
      •   Small Sensor
      •   Low Resolution Sensor - 10.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   1,600 Highest Native ISO

      Photo

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      GOOD
      74
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/180 sec
      POOR
      54
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Low Max Continuous Shooting - 3.0 fps

      Video

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      BAD
      0
      •   Image Stabilization
      BAD
      0
      •   No Image Stabilization

      Focusing

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   3 Focus Points
      •   No Face Detection

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 230k dot
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 2.5"
      •   Low Resolution Screen - 215k dot

      Connectivity

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      POOR
      40
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Built-in Microphone
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      POOR
      41
      •   No HDMI Output
      •   No Microphone Input
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Olympus E-510

      Olympus E-400

      POOR
      44
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 490 g (1.08 lb / 17.28 oz)
      POOR
      45
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 435 g (0.96 lb / 15.34 oz)


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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