My first digital camera - The Camedia D-510 Zoom
Written: Jun 27 '02 (Updated Jul 04 '05)
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Pros: Convenient, good quality pictures, works reliably
Cons: Runs through batteries very fast, annoying delay in taking pictures
The Bottom Line: A good choice for a first digital camera for amateur photographers. Compact and easy to travel with.
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| lyagushka's Full Review: Olympus Camedia D-510 Zoom Digital Camera |
I've owned my Olympus Camedia D-510 Zoom for a little less than a year now. While I've never had any major problems with the camera, there are a few design issues that I find a bit annoying. Overall, I'm pleased with its performance, so much so that I recently bought a newer model, the D-520 Zoom for some friends as a wedding gift.
The Good
Let's start with what I like about the camera. First of all it has great ease of use for its basic functions. I hate reading owners manuals and usually don't unless I really need to. The way the Camedia D-510 works is intuitive enough that I could figure out how to open the camera, take pictures, zoom in and out and review my pictures on the display screen without having to refer to the manual. For more advanced functions I spent some time trying to figure out how to delete unwanted shots, etc., but you're probably brighter than I am and willing to do it the easy way: by reading the manual.
The owner's manual is pretty well done, although the low number of Japlish typos greatly reduces its entertainment value; something I always look forward to when buying a pricey new techno-gadget. There are plenty of easy to follow diagrams and an idiot's trouble shooting guide.
I also like the versatility of the camera in taking close up pictures (I've taken pictures as close up as 6 inches/ 15 cm.) as well as panoramas. The zoom feature allows a modest range of framing that helps you get the shot you want. Of course, the pictures can be edited on your computer as well for even greater flexibility. The D-510 is compatible with both Macs and PCs as our heterodox household can attest. The camera comes with a USB port cable, so your computer merely needs one of these ports to be able to upload your pictures.
I like that the design of the camera provides good protection for the lens and the flash. The lens projects and retracts, controlled by a sliding cover that snaps firmly into place. When the lens is covered completely, there is a little latch to fold down the flash so it is concealed.
I also love being able to just delete unflattering pictures or ones that didn't turn out the way I wanted. Even though this pretty much applies to all digital cameras, I just had to put this in the review. It's great to be able to see what you've captured instantly, instead of taking your film to be developed and waiting for your prints to come back. To me this is one of the major selling points of digital cameras in general.
I've been quite satisfied with the quality of the pictures taken with this camera. I have printed very few of them out, but those few have looked very good to me. They look at least as sharp as a picture taken with a traditional camera when printed in a 5"x7" format. You do need to buy special photographic paper for your printer if you want to use this feature. More often, however, I just look at the pictures on my computer or send them to friends via email.
This model comes with software on a CD-rom that works for both PCs and Macs. The software is pretty basic, but it allows you to fiddle with your pictures once you have them on your computer. You can make them brighter or darker, change the contrast, trim them, rotate them, etc. I know that other models of Olympia digital cameras come with more sophisticated software that allows for advanced fiddling. This software more than meets my needs for personal use.
The Bad
Now for the aspects of this camera I was less than thrilled about. For starters, there's a delay between the moment you push the shoot button and the time the camera actually snaps the picture. You can learn to accommodate this behavior in time, but you may end up missing shots you thought you had, especially at first. It also makes fast action shots problematic.
The display screen on the back of the camera is located right under the viewfinder. This means that my nose is pressed up against the display screen unless I make an effort to contort my face or hold the camera a bit away from my face. The problem for anyone who presses their nose against the display is that it can be damaged by the oils from your skin. And most noses are pretty oily. This can be avoided to a large degree if you turn on the display while your shooting the picture. If you do this it's a little bit like having one of those old Hasselblad cameras that allow you to frame the picture from a distance before you shoot.
The D-510 comes equipped with a pretty small memory card; just 16 meg. I can't say exactly how many pictures this card will hold because I bought a 128 meg card at the same time I bought the camera. So far I've had as many as 250 pictures stored on this card and haven't run out of storage space. (I understand that each picture takes up about 0.4-0.5 meg.) It seems to me that a small storage card is a bit nonsensical for a digital camera, so I view it as somewhat of a rip-off to package one with a 16 meg card. It seems calculated to force consumers to pay for an upgrade just the way I did.
Next grievance: the flash. I have no problems with the way the pop-up flash works except that the camera always gets to decide when to use it. Sometimes I don't want the flash to fire, but it does anyway. I've looked carefully through the manual and have found no way to override this function. The only thing I have found is to actually hold the pop-up flash down so it doesn't fire, but this is physically awkward and annoying.
The Indifferent
The D-510 is capable of shooting short videos without sound. I don't seem to use this feature very often and so I can't say much about it other than that it's available but will suck up a lot of memory if you use it.
Because I've had the camera for less than a year I can't say much about how well it will hold up over the long haul. My camera has a number of nicks and dents in it because I'm a rough and ready sort and I don't care much about appearances, just performance. All I can say is mine has performed just fine for the 10 months I've owned it.
From what I've heard, pretty much all digital cameras are battery drainers and this model is no exception. The only solution I've found is to use the rather expensive nickel metal-hydride batteries, which definitely last longer than the standard type.
I also wish the camera had been sold with some kind of carrying case. Most of the camera's body is hard plastic which resists damage pretty well. But the viewing screen is a little more susceptible to real damage that could diminish its functioning.
The Specs
Memory card: sold with 16 meg card, upgradeable
Batteries: requires 4 AA
Weight: just over 12 ounces with 4 AA batteries loaded
Overall dimensions: 4.5" x 1.75" x 2.5" (11.5cm x 4cm x 6cm)
Viewing screen dimensions: 1.5" x 1.125" (3.7cm x 2.8cm)
Warranty: 1 year, limited: covers only defects
Final Thoughts
Overall this is a satisfactory camera that I've had a lot of fun using. Although it drains batteries very quickly, it's reliable. For amateur photographers this camera and the bundled software should meet most needs. If you think you can live with the drawbacks listed above, I recommend it.
I also recommend another Olympus digital camera, the Camedia D-520.
Recently, I upgraded to the much more powerful Camedia C-7000. I recommend it very highly.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 289
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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