When it comes to camera brands, Olympus has a touch of Marmite about it: people seem either to love or loathe its camera designs. At this point, I should declare an interest: I've been an Olympus fan since the late '70s when I owned two OM SLRs and a clutch of Zuiko lenses.

However, since Olympus chose to plough its own furrow with the Four Thirds digital system, with its relatively small sensor, I've had my doubts.

When Olympus launched this system, the idea was to create a common standard for SLRs that would enable smaller and lighter cameras to be made. However, many Olympus SLRs looked as slender as a sumo wrestler.

The promise of compact Four Thirds SLRs was finally fulfilled with the launch of the E-400 a year ago; and that model has been superseded by the E-410 and is now joined by the E-510.

This latest model draws inspiration from the old OM-series SLRs so beloved by photographers of the '70s. And with the E-510's Image Stabilisation and Live View functions, it looks like the Four Thirds advantage might be starting to materialise.

Exquisitely built

The E-510 is slightly wider than the E-410, but its glass-reinforced body is exquisitely built and feels very solid. A ridged handgrip makes it comfortable to hold and use.

The slightly larger size of the body compared with the E-410 may be due to the E-510's battery - it's the same type found in the E-500, E-330 and E-300 models. Apart from that, there are one or two cheap finishes on the camera, such as the flimsy memory-card doors and the plastic exposure mode dial.

The E-510 ships with the Zuiko 14-42mm lightweight kit lens, which features, much to some people's disgust, a plastic mount. But don't let that put you off... it's sharp and an excellent performer.

The E-510's viewfinder is a bit small but it's an improvement on the gloomy, claustrophobic tunnel found on the E-500. Start-up time is swift, even though the E-510 carries out its sensor-cleaning routine every time it's switched on.

The SuperSonic Wave Filter shakedown dislodges any dust that might have settled on the sensor and it's probably the most effective mechanical sensor-cleaning method offered by any camera manufacturer.