Olympus E-300 vs E-510

The Olympus Evolt E-300 and the Olympus E-510 are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in September 2004 and March 2007. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. The E-300 has a resolution of 8 megapixels, whereas the E-510 provides 10 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-300		Olympus E-510
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses		Four Thirds lenses
8 MP – Four Thirds sensor		10 MP – Four Thirds sensor
no Video		no Video
ISO 100-400 (100 - 1,600)		ISO 100-1,600
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
1.8" LCD – 134k dots		2.5" LCD – 215k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)		Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
2.5 shutter flaps per second		3 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
750 shots per battery charge		750 shots per battery charge
147 x 85 x 64 mm, 624 g		136 x 92 x 68 mm, 538 g

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Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Olympus Evolt E-300 and the Olympus E-510? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Olympus E-300 and the Olympus E-510. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Olympus E-300 and the Olympus E-510 are of equal size. However, the E-510 is markedly lighter (14 percent) than the E-300. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the E-300 nor the E-510 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Four Thirds Lens Catalog.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-300	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-510	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	538 g	750	n	Mar 2007	799	ebay.com
3.		Canon XT	127 mm	94 mm	64 mm	540 g	400	n	Feb 2005	899	ebay.com
4.		Leica Digilux 3	146 mm	87 mm	77 mm	606 g	750	n	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-620	130 mm	94 mm	60 mm	521 g	500	n	Feb 2009	699	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-520	136 mm	92 mm	68 mm	535 g	750	n	May 2008	699	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-410	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-330	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-400	130 mm	91 mm	53 mm	435 g	500	n	Sep 2006	699	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-500	130 mm	95 mm	66 mm	479 g	750	n	Sep 2005	599	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-1	141 mm	104 mm	81 mm	738 g	750	Y	Jun 2003	1,699	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The two cameras under review were launched at the same price and fall into the same market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a Four Thirds sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability. Both cameras feature a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 4:3.

Technology-wise, the E-510 uses a more advanced image processing engine (TruePic III) than the E-300 (TruePic), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the E-510 offers a higher resolution of 10 megapixels, compared with 8 MP of the E-300. This megapixels advantage translates into a 12 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the E-510 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.74μm versus 5.30μm for the E-300). However, it should be noted that the E-510 is much more recent (by 2 years and 5 months) than the E-300, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The resolution advantage of the Olympus E-510 implies greater flexibility for cropping images or the possibility to print larger pictures. The maximum print size of the E-510 for good quality output (200 dots per inch) amounts to 18.2 x 13.7 inches or 46.3 x 34.7 cm, for very good quality (250 dpi) 14.6 x 10.9 inches or 37.1 x 27.8 cm, and for excellent quality (300 dpi) 12.2 x 9.1 inches or 30.9 x 23.2 cm. The corresponding values for the Olympus E-300 are 16.3 x 12.2 inches or 41.5 x 31.1 cm for good quality, 13.1 x 9.8 inches or 33.2 x 24.9 cm for very good quality, and 10.9 x 8.2 inches or 27.6 x 20.7 cm for excellent quality prints.

The Olympus Evolt E-300 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 400, which can be extended to ISO 100-1600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Olympus E-510 are ISO 100 to ISO 1600 (no boost).

In terms of underlying technology, the E-300 is build around a CCD sensor, while the E-510 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Olympus E-300	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.4	10.1	-40	48
2.		Olympus E-510	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.2	10.0	442	52
3.		Canon XT	APS-C	8.0	3456	2304	none	21.8	10.8	637	60
4.		Leica Digilux 3	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
5.		Olympus E-620	Four Thirds	12.2	4032	3024	none	21.3	10.3	536	55
6.		Olympus E-520	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.4	10.4	548	55
7.		Olympus E-410	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.1	10.0	494	51
8.		Olympus E-330	Four Thirds	7.4	3136	2352	none	20.8	10.4	73	52
9.		Olympus E-400	Four Thirds	10.0	3648	2736	none	21.0	10.6	127	53
10.		Olympus E-500	Four Thirds	8.0	3264	2448	none	20.7	10.3	45	51
11.		Olympus E-1	Four Thirds	4.9	2560	1920	none	20.0	9.7	-145	44
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The E-300 and the E-510 are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinders of both cameras offer the same field of view (95%), but the viewfinder of the E-300 has a higher magnification than the one of the E-510 (0.5x vs 0.46x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-300, the Olympus E-510, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Olympus E-300	optical	n	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
2.		Olympus E-510	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	Y
3.		Canon XT	optical	n	1.8 / 115	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
4.		Leica Digilux 3	optical	n	2.5 / 207	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
5.		Olympus E-620	optical	n	2.7 / 230	swivel	n	1/4000s	4.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Olympus E-520	optical	n	2.7 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.5/s	Y	Y
7.		Olympus E-410	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
8.		Olympus E-330	optical	n	2.5 / 215	tilting	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Olympus E-400	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
10.		Olympus E-500	optical	n	2.5 / 215	fixed	n	1/4000s	2.5/s	Y	n
11.		Olympus E-1	optical	Y	1.8 / 134	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that differentiates the E-510 and the E-300 is in-body image stabilization (IBIS). The E-510 reduces the risk of handshake-induced blur with all attached lenses, while the E-300 offers no blur reduction with lenses that themselves do not provide optical image stabilization.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the E-300 and the E-510 write their files to Compact Flash or xD Picture cards. Both cameras feature dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus Evolt E-300 and Olympus E-510 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Olympus E-300	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
2.		Olympus E-510	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
3.		Canon XT	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
4.		Leica Digilux 3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
5.		Olympus E-620	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
6.		Olympus E-520	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Olympus E-410	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
8.		Olympus E-330	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
9.		Olympus E-400	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
10.		Olympus E-500	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-
11.		Olympus E-1	Y	- / -	-	-	-	2.0	-	-	-

Both the E-300 and the E-510 have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The E-300 was replaced by the Olympus E-330, while the E-510 was followed by the Olympus E-520. Further information on the features and operation of the E-300 and E-510 can be found, respectively, in the Olympus E-300 Manual (free pdf) or the online Olympus E-510 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Olympus E-300 and the Olympus E-510? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Olympus Evolt E-300:

• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.5x vs 0.46x).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in September 2004).

Reasons to prefer the Olympus E-510:

• More detail: Has more megapixels (10 vs 8MP), which boosts linear resolution by 12%.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (TruePic III vs TruePic).
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (2.5" vs 1.8") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (215k vs 134k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (3 vs 2.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight (by 86g or 14 percent) and is thus easier to take along.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 5 months of technical progress since the E-300 launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the E-510 is the clear winner of the contest (8 : 2 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Olympus E-300 and the Olympus E-510 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the E-300 or the E-510. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Olympus E-300	..	..	..	+	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	799	ebay.com
2.		Olympus E-510	..	89/100	..	+ +	3.5/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	799	ebay.com
3.		Canon XT	..	80/100	..	+ +	o	..	Feb 2005	899	ebay.com
4.		Leica Digilux 3	..	..	..	..	..	..	Sep 2006	1,499	ebay.com
5.		Olympus E-620	3/5	88/100	..	72/100	4.5/5	5/5	Feb 2009	699	ebay.com
6.		Olympus E-520	..	87/100	..	+ +	4.5/5	4.5/5	May 2008	699	ebay.com
7.		Olympus E-410	..	86/100	..	+ +	4/5	4.5/5	Mar 2007	699	ebay.com
8.		Olympus E-330	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jan 2006	999	ebay.com
9.		Olympus E-400	..	85/100	..	..	4/5	4/5	Sep 2006	699	ebay.com
10.		Olympus E-500	..	76/100	..	+ +	..	..	Sep 2005	599	ebay.com
11.		Olympus E-1	..	..	..	+	o	..	Jun 2003	1,699	ebay.com
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Other camera comparisons

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