Olympus took the wraps off two new digital SLR cameras today, both featuring ten megapixels and a live view mode.
The live view mode is a feature borrowed from the successful E-330 which demonstrated that even DSLRs can benefit from a live preview of the image being composed, especially with an articulated screen. The new Olympus DSLRs, however, do not have pivoted LCDs but fixed 2.5-inch HyperCrystal displays.
The E-410 is a compact and lightweight DSLR which improves on its successor the E-400 with a new image processing engine that promises excellent noise performance.
The E-510, on the other hand, is a bigger professional camera which updates the E-500. It also features a new image processing engine and in-body mechanical image stabilization. The IS of the E-510 is hoped to be more cost-effective by having the image stabilization mechanism in the body, instead of in the lens. The latter system requires each and every lens to have the IS mechanism, thus translating to higher costs.
Both new Olympus DSLRs are equipped with the company’s own Supersonic Wave Filter for dust-free photography. The E-410 and E-510 are based on the Four Thirds Standard.