Customer Reviews

Magic Lantern Guides: Olympus EVOLT E-510

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Pros:
- The guide has a more logical layout than the manual
- Bigger text size is easier to read than the manual.
- Some bits of information they have weren't in the manual. (Fn button use when reviewing images on the LCD, for example)
Cons:
- It doesn't provide a lot of extra detail that isn't in the manual.
- Some information is wrong, or really lightly covered. How about information on in-camera editing? Not to be found here, though it's a feature of the camera. Same for some of the flash modes that can be set & adjusted.

Conclusion:
I was disappointed because I expected more info on how and why to use features of the camera, not just that the camera has certain features. "What does the 'vivid' picture mode really do? Is it worth using? Should I make those adjustments in Photoshop/Lightroom instead?" Questions like that were unanswered.
If you can't read the manual because of its size, grab the PDF version of the manual (online at Olympus' site) and read it on your pc. Makes flipping between sections a lot easier too.
For information about how to get the best out of your camera, there are a lot of great webistes where Oly enthusiasts (Wrotniak, dpreveiw forums, etc) have posted a TON of information on E-system cameras. Spend more time shooting, less reading. That's probably the best way to get to know your camera and all the features it offers.

I have another Magic Lantern Guide, that for the discontinued Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D. That older volume is 240 pages long and was quite helpful to me in getting to know and use my first DSLR. This book covers a new camera with many more features, yet is only 160 pages long. It seems to me that the purpose of these guides is to supplement the supplied owner's manual with more in-depth information and explanations. Yet I find myself referring to the owner's manual to get MORE information and helpful hints than are in the book. Thus, I would say that if you already have ANY of these guides, for ANY other DSLR, you do not really need this one.

I never used a Magic Latern Guide before. Having never owned a DSLR before, I expected it to clearly illustrate shooting tips based on the specifics of the E-510. The guide was actually more of an advanced owner's manual. Do not expect color pictures or anything that will really explain the nuances of picture composition. I learned from this experience that it is more effective to purchase a book of this type at a book store where you can actually open it up and see if the contents meet your requirements. There are non-camera specific digital camera books that do a much better job of explaining how to utilize advanced features like lighting, white balance, DOF, raw vs. jpeg, flash photography, etc.

The book is a nice complement to the user's manual.
Unfortunately the amount of errors forces you to double check every information.

Olympus Evolt E510 10MP Digital SLR Camera with CCD Shift Image Stabilization and 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 Zuiko Lenses
This guide is Excellent, Wish I had known about this sooner, it has made using the Olympus E510 a lot easier to understand The Guide itself is easy to understand, and you can be sure that the guide will travel with me when I am out using the Camera. the book is compact and the bonus pocket card is excellent, and it fits nicely in my Wallet.
Thank you for your help Magic Lantern, and thank you Amazon for your Service.
Kind Regards: Ian Twilley (Australia)

This book went into so much more detail and was so much easier to understand then the manual that came with my camera.

I ordered this Magic Lantern book precisely because of the tiny, faint print in the OEM manual and have found it to be worth my money.
I am really just starting to learn photography. I have had digital cameras for years and typically used auto settings until now.
It is not the most detailed book (it could have expanded on some topics) but it is well laid out for someone like me to learn how to use the camera. It also discusses some of the 510's features that I have not seen mentioned anywhere else (except in the OEM tiny print book)
I found the book to be helpful and easy to understand so it gets 4 stars from me.

After purchasing my camera I read the manual cover to cover. I thought by buying this book I might learn more about the workings of my E-510. I did not. This is partly due to the fact that the Olympus manual is surprisingly good. I just wish the print quality was better. Save yourself the money and read the manual. Then I recommend purchasing a book on digital photography in general.

this book is just a glorafied owners manual , I was completly dissapointed in it. Was mostly just the owners manual with some extra words and pictures. If you have little knowlage about digital SLR you wont learn much , if you have a lot of knowlage you will lear even less.
dont buy this book , I through mine in the garbage after reading it.

It is not what I expected it to be but it is great information, I have an EVolt 500 and that is what I thought I was buying. My mistake not the sellers. The sellers review is great service.

Thank you