EliteVideoOne of my cameras is the Olympus E-510, in some countries also known as the EVOLT E-510. It’s a very capable DSLR with some unique features. We have written about one of its predecessors, the E-300 more than two years ago and I’ve always been enamoured by the LiveView feature which was quite revolutionary in those days.  Normally I am quite happy to read the manual but this time around I also watched a couple of training DVDs from EliteVideo.com.

Was it worth the $50 that they cost?

I came across a clip on YouTube sometime ago when I was looking for some background material on my new camera.  I was quite impressed with the four-minute clip about image stabilisation for this particular camera and the style of presenting this topic.  I decided then and there that this was a very useful a way of getting to know your camera quite well.

For a professional photographer it’s not all that hard to find your way around a new DSLR.  Functionality is pretty much fairly standard on cameras when you talk about the various shooting modes, priority modes, wide balance modes and so forth.  The Olympus camera has a very logical layout and everything is very easy to find and accessible. It might be a different story if this is your first DSLR and you are overwhelmed with all the technical details in the manual.  Even if you are not, when you are demonstrated how things work or how to set up the camera for a certain type of shooting, it is much easier to absorb this knowledge from a DVD or video.

EliteVideoI was amazed frankly at the level of detail presented in these 2 DVDs, so much so that you need to break it up in at least four or five sessions to take it all in.  Even though EliteVideo bring out a number of training DVDs for several DSLRs, it was clear that the presenter really knew his way around the 510. It went way beyond a rehash of the manual.  What also became clear during the presentation was that he really liked this particular camera.  That’s always important to hear when you have just made a significant purchase.  No one wants to hear that you have bought a dud!

Below I have reproduced the contents of the DVD but it is far better to direct you to their website where you can see samples of the presentation to see if this suits you and if they cover your camera. I can highly recommend these presentations from EliteVideo.com if you want to go beyond the obvious point-and-shoot capabilities of this camera.  It’s almost impossible these days to ruin a shot if you put everything on Auto.  But if you want to get to know your camera intimately you must be willing to experiment and willing to be shown how to get the most out of your camera.  If you choose to order from EliteVideo you also get free e-mail support which can be quite handy.

EliteVideo

 

 

DVD Contents

Disc 1

Chapter 1 13:36:14

Charging the Battery
Out of the Box
Camera Walk Around
Basic Shooting

Chapter 2 13:36:14 – 27:28:26

Shooting Modes
Scene Modes

Chapter 3 27:28:26- 43:43:12

Setting the Time and Date
Auto Focus Modes
Metering Modes
White Balance
ISO

Chapter 4 43:43:12 – 57:32:00

All About ISO
Information Screens

Chapter 5 57:32:00 – 01:07:57:05

Image Playback
Image Stabilizer
Image Preview

Chapter 6 01:07:57:05 – 1:11:53:27

White Balance Bracketing
Exposure Bracketing
Drive Modes
Continuous Shooting

Chapter 7 01:11:53:27 – 01:22:58:21

Camera Menu #1
 
Disc 2

Chapter 1 0 – 08:34:18

Auto Exposure and Auto Focus Lock
Exposure Compensation
Auto Focus Area

Chapter 2 08:34:18 – 16:47:27

Camera Menu 2

Chapter 3 16:47:27 – 24:41:03

Playback Menu
Protecting Images

Chapter 4 24:41:03 – 34:16:27

Custom Menu (#1) Part 1

Chapter 5 34:16:27 – 45:05:17

Custom Menu (#1) Part 2

Chapter 6 45:05:17 – 1:06:19:18

Set-Up Menu (#2)
Display Info

Bonus Section 1:06:19:18 – 1:26:21:04

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