Editor's Choice 2007

EDITOR'S CHOICE Advanced DSLRs

Best Buy: Olympus EVOLT E-510

The mid-sized Olympus EVOLT E-510 is the world's first D-SLR to combine supersonic-wave sensor cleaning, in-body image stabilization, and a "live view" system that turns its LCD into a viewfinder. The 10-megapixel model is about the same size as its eight-megapixel predecessor, the E-500, but is much improved in its comfortable handling and rounded good looks. Like all Olympus D-SLRs, this one has a Four Thirds format image sensor. It's smaller than the APS-C-sized sensors found in other brands, but this allows comparable lenses to be made lighter and more compact. The smaller chip also gives the E-510 a higher FOV crop factor, 2X instead of the usual 1.5X or 1.6X. Unlike Olympus's E-330, which has a two-mode live view system that allows autofocus with the mirror down, the E-510 has just one live-view mode. Simply hit a button to raise its mirror and your subject appears on the LCD. This disables AF but lets you see real-time exposure and white balance changes, as well as a live histogram. Though there are only three focus points, AF is super-swift, particularly in continuous mode. Aimed at serious users, the E-510 has lots of advanced features, our favorite being its LCD "super control panel," a brilliant alternative to hunting through a menu.

Read more on the Olympus EVOLT E-510. Next product: Canon EOS-1D Mark III.