I'm keeping an eye on this model. The 410 is being given a cashback by the distributor/manufacturer, this one isn't yet. From web forums, I can see that people have made mounts that mechanically fit many other brand manual everything lenses onto the four-thirds mount - even my venerable Minolta XD manual focus lenses at a pinch. Problem is that Olympus has not given a menu to dial in the focal length of a manual lens - apparently - therefore the body cannot assist in autofocus and/or image stabilisation. Yet, some enterprising fellow has created a dandelion contraption of chips that fakes the data to the body. Hmmmm. If the price was lower.....

Ananda: I had a long talk with Lucas from Olympus about fitting other lenses to the Four Thirds bodies. I was interested in the adaptor for my OM Zuikos. He told me that they do indeed sell such an adaptor but he predicted that if I used it I would soon give up. No auto focus. No auto metering. Infinity focus problems with some lenses. Some really don't work at all.

Also he says -- I have to take his word for this -- that the Four Thirds system is built around a precise set of optical physical specifications and that the results from non-system lenses are pretty dreadful.

Now that Panasonic/Leica are fully committed to the 4/3 system there will be some third party lenses coming along.

As far as I can tell the only difference between the E410 and the E510 is the movable sensor which gives image stabilisation plus auto dust removal.

TL

Thanks Terry. My jump to a DSLR is probably still some ways down the track, given the cost of the total package. I am used to my Kodak P880 24mm and obviously I would like 200mm reach etc... Which means the total DSLR package will be higher than the 2 lens kits. No autofocus is a pain, particularly if people say the 410 and 510 have small, tunnel like viewfinders, whatever that means. However, remember if you have OM-1 lenses and Minolta MD lenses and Pentax K lenses, we have been manual focus for years and that didn't hurt our photography. However, the lack of auto diaphragm will be painful. You would have to open the aperture, focus, then close the aperture before shooting. I am surprised Lucas says no autoexposure - are you sure about that? autoexposure even in the 1980s didn't need any lens couplings or electrical couplings. Certainly, you can't set P or S but Aperture priority should work. From my reading of the web, infinity focus is *not* an issue with the 4/3 body. It is an issue with Minolta manual lenses on Minolta autofocus cameras but the 4/3 body is the shortest backfocus body around - it is alleged and stated by various people to take nearly any legacy lens on the market as long as you can make the lens fit the mount. I saw some Flickr photos with a manual Minolta 50mm on the Oly body. Apparently if you fit other lenses on the body, you must ensure that the levers that stick out of the lenses don't prang the body cavity - so people shave down the levers. Yes, the party line is that 4/3 system can only do best with new 4/3 lenses.