$1,499 (includes 14-42mm ZUIKO Digital lens and 2GB Card)
Available at all major retailers

It wasn't too long ago when I overheard a customer at a camera shop complaining that the screen on his new dSLR camera wasn't working properly - the picture appeared on the screen only after he shot it. This promptly attracted sniggers from the many photographers in the store.

You see, with most other DSLRs, you need to shoot with the optical viewfinder, while the LCD serves only as a screen to review the photos you've taken.

If only the poor chap had bought the Olympus E-510, he would have saved himself from this embarrassing episode. The camera has a live preview feature. So live images appear on the LCD before you shoot the picture - just as they do on compact digital cameras.

Other reasons why the first-time DSLR user should consider the E-510: at 460g, it is lighter than most of its competitors in the same price bracket. Yet, it feels robust, balanced and the grip is comfortable.

The E-510 accepts both CompactFlash and xD cards, so Olympus upgraders have the option to reuse their xD cards.

To keep dust off its sensor, the E-510 has a patented Supersonic Wave Filter that is activated every time you turn on the camera.

An image stabiliser inside the body helps keep your shots steady. There are two modes: IS1 counters both vertical and horizontal camera shake while IS2 only stabilises the camera vertically; the horizontal stabiliser is turned off. The IS2 is useful as you can pan shots to catch fast-moving objects against a blurred background.

In addition to recording in Raw format, Jpegs of different quality can also be recorded simultaneously with Raw pictures. In many other dSLRs, you are limited to fixed Jpeg settings.

The E-510's speed matches up to its competitors. It manages a quick 3fps (frames per second) continuous shooting, and has a RAW buffer that stores up to seven sequential pictures.

I found the E-510 highly responsive and its autofocus quick and accurate. Menus don't look very pretty, but they're well-structured and easy to use.

The E-510 gave crisp, detailed photos, with vibrant colours. At lower ISOs, noise wasn't really a problem, so I preferred to keep the noise filter off or at low setting to avoid losing details.

A minor complaint: Shooting pictures with Live View takes some getting used to. Because of the mechanical design required for this feature, the camera focuses only the shutter button is fully depressed. So expect a slight shutter lag when shooting in this mode.

I also found the 2.5-inch LCD screen was also rather dim and images displayed on this LCD didn't seem very sharp.

- By Melvin Seah, who works in the IT industry

FINAL SAY

The E-510 gets my vote with unique features that make the transition from digicams to DSLRs easier for first-timers.