Customer Reviews

Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom 7.1MP Digital Camera with Digital Image Stabilized 10x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(41)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

It is important to thoroughly read the manual for any camera and test it out fully before making a decision on keeping it. For example, the "it picks some random focus point" issue can be solved by choosing P mode and telling the camera that the focus point should always be in the center. A lot of this camera's hidden beauty lies in its ability to be fully manually operated, from zoom (albeit awkwardly with buttons) to exposure. Unfortunately, this camera falls slightly short of being a great camera due to excessive noise and no optical image stabilization.

Let's hit the bad points first and then balance them out with the good ones. The Olympus has no manual zoom control or manual ring focus control. This hurts because the motorized zoom is a lot slower than a manual can be and it is very noisy. Next, CCD imaging chips have a lot of pixels on them. Each pixel is sensitive to one color, so you'll have some of the pixels dedicated to blue, some to red and some to green. If a red pixel is placed on the sensor, only red will be sensed at that location. This is OK, because the camera's processor is able to guess the value of the missing colors and output it to the file. The ability of a camera to accurately guess colors (unless it's a 3 CCD camera with one imaging chip for each color) is what makes its photos look good or bad. Additionally, pixels are a certain size. As manufacturers put more pixels on the same-sized chip, these pixels must necessarily be smaller and are therefore more subject to electrically interfering with each other when the chip is exposed to light. This interference is called "noise" and is usually heavily processed out so that it doesn't mess up the photo's resolution. ISO ratings are an old film standard that defined the size of the individual film grains (100 being larger grains than 200, 400 or 800), with larger grains being able to capture more light and smaller grains being quicker at exposure, but shorter on detail. Digital cameras use this same terminology for their light sensitivity settings, with 100 being a bright daylight setting and 3200 being almost pitch dark. This camera is good to about ISO 200, after which, unacceptable amounts of noise creep in, preventing the use of the full 7.1 MP resolution print sizes. It'll make good 4x6s or 8x10s to ISO 800 and, after that, the camera will limit its own resolution to 3MP around 1600 and 3200. I would say that if you were shooting a lot of low light scenes without the flash, you'd be better off getting a DSLR and high quality lenses. This problem with ISO ties into the picture stabilization. The camera will adjust the shutter speed and flash and bump up the ISO to counteract camera shake, but, if you're using the stabilization and the light's not bright sunlight, you'll get a higher ISO and therefore more noise in the photo. This concept makes the higher end of the zoom unusable without a tripod or at least a monopod. The last real downside that is glaring is Olympus's refusal to allow CD cards in their cameras. They want you to buy their special media which is only available up to 2GB and has a higher per-byte cost than any other card. An SD or even a CF slot would have been welcome here! By the way, the flash is not automatic. It's got a little pop up button and you have to manually push it to get the flash up. Not a big deal, but might put people off. Another Olympus blunder is the LCD screen. It's big, but only slightly more than 100,000 pixels...meaning that it will NOT show the photos you take in their full quality. The electronic viewfinder is equally bad. You'll take a bunch of blah photos that will look great once you get them off of the camera...Olympus isn't the only guilty party-other big name manufacturers use a similar trick so they can advertise a 'HUGE SCREEN" and save money on the build cost. Check for this before you buy!


Now for the good things. I know the ISO noise thing sounds like a killer, but the noise level is pretty much on par with other cameras in this class. Most long zoom cameras are basically point and shoots that try to squeeze too much out of their lenses and imaging chips and ISO ratings suffer for it. As long as you learn how to use the camera and learn how to take photos (for which this FULL MANUAL capable camera is ably suited), you'll be able to adjust. The lens is good and doesn't soften too much or distort more than any other camera in its class. This camera features a RAW shooting mode, where you can get the image straight off of the CCD without processing and then tweak it yourself...this is HUGE for this class of camera because even though the files are a LOT bigger, you can basically "take the photo" all over again in processing by adjussting levels and color saturation. This is well worth the effort, but realize that the JPEG color saturation is pretty good already. I would recommend shooting at the next-lowest level of resolution if you're shooting JPEG. This will help the noise problem a little bit by increasing the size of the pixels because they're grouping together. You sacrifice some resolution, but save noise. This camera is light and comfortable to hold and the battery life is outstanding. The camera is responsive and you can save custom settings easily. I also liked the lock on the bottom battery door; it's a small issue, but having a door pop open and batteries raining out of the camera prevents phototaking! The tripod mount is close to center, but the memory card slot is on the back/side of the camera, meaning that you can change cards without removing the tripod! Very nice. The movie mode is great, with the big lens catching a lot of detail and the 640x480 resolution at 30fps making things smooth. The videos don't look too bad on a TV, although they're not in the MPEG format. The software is good and offers a complete solution for not only viewing/editing (especially RAW files) and phot stitching, but also for updating the camera's firmware. Also note that using an Olympus-branded card will unlock a special panorama mode for your camera.

This camera is a good, basic camera that tries to get a little too ambitious and falls slightly short of great. Some of it is due to Olympus's reliance on xD and noisy imaging processor and some of it is due to cutting corners to save the retail price, but overall, the camera is a good buy for the money. People that are disappointed with this camera will be people who might not want to do manual control but just want a camera for point-and-shoot and want quick snapshots to be perfect and fast. Other people want $2000 worth of quality and features in a sub-$400 camera and get upset when it can't match a DSLR with a full-sized imaging chip. Believe me when I say that, if you're wanting a commuter car that will get you there, save power and do it well, this is the camera for you...if you want a sports car, go spend the money and get one. Don't think this is an adequate substitute.


A definite recommend for amateurs who want more control, but can't afford the $150-$200 more that other cameras cost.

Pros: very long battery life uses 4 AA batteries alkaline or Ni-MH rechargeables. I took over 500 shots with fully charged 2500 mAh Ni-MH batteries. Plenty of settings from full auto to manual

Cons: non so far

Other Thoughts: I have read several negative reviews on this camera that are not justified. Reading these reviews I am certain that these people have not read the ADVANCED MANUAL that is included in the CD that came with the camera. There is a way to set the camera so that it focuses on where you want it to, three modes actually: Auto, Spot and Area. I am so happy with this camera that I am buying two more to give as gifts. The price drop is an added bonus.

Please view some of the images I have captured with this camera!

I purchaed this camera to replace my older Olympus C750 camera. My main criteria in a camera is the 10x zoom. Both cameras have 10x zoom but the C750 has 4MP vs the SP510's 7MP. I expected the SP510 to be a better camera, especially since it's at least two generations newer and it is loaded with extra features such as motion stablizer and higher movie resolution with sound. However, I was deeply disappointed to find that some of the picture quality of the SP510 isn't as good as my older C750. Both camera are used almost exclusively in auto-mode. My older C750 produced very sharp and vibrant outdoor pictures while the newer SP510's outdoor pictures are not as sharp and the colors have lost some of their vibrance.

I used to highly recommend Olympus cameras because of the great pictures that they produced, but now I'm not too sure I'll do the same. The main reasons for me are the decreased outdoor picture quality compared to my older Olympus C750 and the frustrating way the SP-510 shifts its focus when used in auto-mode. The way the SP510 focuses is not adjustable when used in auto-mode.

Below are my pro and con for the SP510. I've now had this camera for several month and have taken 1000+ pictures and a bunch of movies on the SP510.

PROS:
1. Indoor and night time shots are clearer and does not look too washed out.
2. Battery lasts very long. With NiMH batteries I am able to take several hundred pictures and a bunch of movies without recharging.
3. Camera is very well made and feels solid.
4. Movie quality is much improved over the older Olympus and now has sound.
5. Able to capture pictures in lower light then many other cameras.

CONS:
1. For outdoor shots, the SP510 is not as sharp or vibrant as my older Olympus C750. I've updated the firmware and made sure that the focus is locked on the subject and have found the SP510's pictures tend to look out of focus. Some pictures will sometimes be more focused than others, but even then the depth of focus seems to be shallow (e.g. other nearby objects are not as in focus). When I compare the pictures between my two Olympus cameras the pictures taken with my older Olympus are simply sharper.
2. Very frustrating to focus. The SP510 keeps locking focus away from the subject in the center. Even when I point the center of the frame at the subject the camera often locks on some object to the side. My old C750 does not have this problem and neither does my low-end Nikkon camera. I'm not sure why Olympus changed how the camera locks on a subject. The way the camera focuses cannot be changed in auto-mode.
3. xD Picture is more expensive than the sD memory card.
4. The view screen is very dark when using the camera in low light. I can't see where I'm pointing the camera. However the view screen does gradually brighten after a several seconds or when I lock focus on the subject.

Overall I am disappointed because I expected the SP510 to be better (or at least the same) in every catagory compared to my old Olympus C750. Instead I found the SP510 has lost some of the picture quality I've come to expect from Olympus and the frustrating way the SP510 keeps shifting its focus away from subject in the center of the frame is keeping me from fully enjoying my new camera. Maybe that's why the SP510 has dropped $40 one month after I've purchased mine.

If this was my first digital camera, I might have rated the SP510 higher. But having had an older Olympus camera as a reference, I expected the SP510 to be the same or better in every catagory--not worst in some catagories.

Ok I felt it was very necessary to write a review on this camera due to the many misconceptions there are about it. When I first purchased this camera I fell imediatly in love with all the endless features it has. Then once I started taking pictures I found that there was a large amount of graininess and "noise" in the pictures. At first I was very disapointed and decided to return the camera. While I was back at the store the person there told me that the ISO was set way to high in auto mode. It was at 800. He told me to set it lower and low and behold the pictures got 10 times better. That was just the begining though!! After reading the advanced manual that comes with the camera and understanding the full features of this wonderfull camera I was able to tweak it enough to get excellent clarity without any noise in the backround or distortion I even found ways to take great night shots with limited light. Having this camera really makes you feel like a photographer because it forces you to understand what you are doing before you take pictures. Anyways all im saying is that if you dont have patience and are the point and shoot type with picutres, do not buy this camera go buy one of those sleak tiny cameras that are made for just that. Point and shoot. This camera has awsome features I cant even get into all of them and once you master the picture taking technique (which by the way took my all of 1 day!) you will be absoulutly thrilled with this camera.

When I first started taking pictures with this camera earlier today, I was almost ready to return it. My first shots turned out blurry, grainy, off-color, and all-around unsatisfactory. So much for the factory settings. After spending some time with the manual on CD-ROM, however, I was able to fix the problems.

First, the digital stabilization needs to be turned on--it is not on when the camera comes out of the box. To do this, put the camera in shooting mode and then push the button with the shaking hand next to it. From there you can select to turn the feature [ON] or [OFF], then press OK. This immediately fixed the problems with blurriness.

Second, I initially confused the red-eye reduction with the actual flash. When I realized the mistake and opened the flash, that made a world of difference with the color and graininess. Hey, I know it was a silly mistake, but these small things can happen--at least I didn't snap any pics with the lens cover on (this time, anyway). *grins*

Finally, depending on what kind of pictures you're going to be taking, there are a wide variety of picture quality settings to choose from. Check your manual and play around with those until you find one that works for you. That took care of any remaining complaints that I had.

At the end of the day, I think this camera is decent. There's a definite learning curve, but if you're patient and you take the time to tweak your settings it takes a great picture. It saves your settings, too, so once you have it set right it'll stay that way.

I love the fact that it records movies, too. This feature seemed to work very well right out of the box. Fun stuff!

This is a great overall camera! The optical zoom is adequate - not the best I have used but you can get other lenses. The super macro is awesome, the auto feature works great as do the manual override features. This is the first digital camera I have used that I felt was worthy of purchase.

Many people have given this camera poor reviews that I feel are unwarranted. This camera has a great many fabulous features that, once learned, will allow you to compose a fabulous digital photograph. Although this particular model is classified as a simple "point and shoot", one really must spend some time with the Advanced Manual in order to master all of the functions. I think that is why there are so many bad reviews on this camera...Simply because the individual writing the negative review does not know how to use the camera properly. Take some time to learn how to adjust the ISO settings...That will help a great deal. This camera does great outdoors, and especially great taking photos in the macro mode setting. I also really enjoy the "Sport Mode" (for fast-moving subjects) and the digital image stabilization. Using the flash will help with graininess as well, and you can also adjust the flash setting. Low-light situations can be tricky, depending on the amount of available light, but for the price and the great features, this camera is excellent! If you are looking for the "perfect" point and shoot camera, there really is not one out there, that I could find. And I have done my research and played with many different brands and models. The reason I chose this camera over the popular Cannon S3 is because of the much larger LCD display on the Olympus and its SLR-like features. I also really like the Shooting Guide for the novice user. If you are seeking THE perfect camera for all lighting situations, I would spend the big bucks on a digital SLR. Overall, I give this camera a 5 for performance, picture quality, and features! I am very pleased with my purchase.

At first I thought I had made a mistake buying this camera. The digital view finder takes some getting used to but you do do not have to worry about parallax. What you see is what you get. The number of functions this camera has is outstanding. You can take pictures under conditions that would be impossible with a lesser camera. You have to set up the camera for the type of project you are shooting. For instance a soccer game is different than shooting a band concert. This camera is not for the beginner or a point and shoot photographer. Save your money and buy one of the cameras designed for this purpose. You can take fantastic photos with this Camera but you do need have some knowledge of photography and photographic equipment.

I used olympus digital camera and a film camera ..... and knowing the excellent quality of pictures it gives, i knew that i wanted only "olympus" camera when i decided to buy one for myself. and trust me... i am not disappointed.
what i liked and didnt like about the camera

--> very easy to use... the 'auto' feature is excellent for amateur photographers like me.
--> the zoom though does seem impressive... is in most of the cases unused (the pictures seems to luk grainy if u zoom too much)
--> the "Bright Capture for low-light photography" seriously works !!! i tried it myself. places where my friends camera gave blurred and dark snaps... my olympus gave excellent snaps.... and mind you... without the flash.... no prizes to guess that it will give even better ones with the flash (i prefer not to use flash unless required coz it takes up the battery life)
--> one thing i didn't like was that this thing requires 4 batteries !! and is a power sucker !! make sure that u have rechargeable batteries in hand !
--> the battery locking feature is good.
--> the rubber grip given (on the right as a protrusion) is really comfortable and makes the handling of the camera easy.

there are still so many features that i didn't explore in the camera and am sure that once i get a grip of them... this is gonna be one of my best assets !!

i would recommend this one to anyone over other cameras like sony and canon.

I have always been a HUGE Olympus fan. I have gigs and gigs of pictures from my old Olympus C-740 UZ. I have won competitions with this camera, everyone always tells me how great the photos look - it's awesome. I have recommended my old camera to everyone I meet.

So, when I read the reviews I figured geez, that can't be right...well unfortunately I have to agree - this camera falls short in several areas.

I was going to do Pros and Cons - but since the biggest con is "point and shoot on auto generates fuzzy off color photos", I think that says it all.

I'm sure if you tweaked it enough you can get stunning shots. However, when my three year old is blowing bubbles, or the dog is leaping to get her ball, I don't have time to tweak! I took side by side shots with my old beat up C-740 and the new SP-510 and there is NO COMPARISON! The older 3.2 megapixel camera has much better clarity, more lifelike color, and just a better looking photo!

Olympus - I am sooooo dissappointed. I am returning my nice new shiny toy today and returning to my old work horse. So much for my Christmas present!