Canon EOS 550D review
Canon's EOS 550D is a very good camera that's packed to the gills with features, but we'd recommend avoiding the kit lens
The control layout hasn’t changed much and the menu system is largely the same. The 550D still has only one control dial, meaning you’ll need to use the AV+/- button to control aperture in manual mode, or to apply exposure compensation in another mode. Canon says it has made the buttons larger in response to user feedback and has also added a “Q” (Quick Control) button just above the navigation controls, enabling users to make changes directly on the camera’s 3.0in screen.
The most noticeable external change is the 3.0in screen. It has a 3:2 aspect ratio – the same as the sensor – and a 1,024,000 dot resolution, meaning it’s the highest-resolution camera LCD to date. As a result, information isn’t crammed into the black strips along the top and bottom of the screen and is instead overlaid. At first, we weren’t so keen on this, but having used it more, it’s a definite improvement.
Basic Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Rating | **** |
| CCD effective megapixels | 18.0 megapixels |
| CCD size | 22.3×14.9mm |
| Viewfinder | optical TTL |
| Viewfinder magnification, coverage | 0.87x, 95% |
| LCD screen size | 3.0in |
| LCD screen resolution | 1,040,000 pixels |
| Articulated screen | No |
| Live view | Yes |
| Optical zoom | N/A |
| Zoom 35mm equivalent | N/A |
| Image stabilisation | optical, lens based |
| Maximum image resolution | 5,184×3456 |
| Maximum movie resolution | 1,920×1,080 |
| Movie frame rate at max quality | 25fps |
| File formats | JPEG, RAW, QuickTime (h.264) |
Physical | |
| Memory slot | SD. SDHC, SDXC |
| Mermory supplied | N/A |
| Battery type | 7.2V 1,120mAh Li-ion |
| Battery Life (tested) | 440 shots |
| Connectivity | USB Hi-Speed, AV, mini HDMI, 3.5mm stereo mic |
| HDMI output resolution | 1080p |
| Body material | plastic |
| Lens mount | Canon EF-S |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.6x |
| Kit lens model name | N/A |
| Accessories | USB and AV cables, neck strap |
| Weight | 530g |
| Size | 98x129x62mm |
Buying Information | |
| Warranty | one year RTB |
| Price | £635 (body only) |
| Supplier | http://www.warehouseexpress.com |
| Details | www.canon.co.uk |
Camera Controls | |
| Exposure modes | program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual |
| Shutter speed | 30 to 1/4,000 seconds |
| Aperture range | N/A |
| ISO range (at full resolution) | 100 to 6400 (expands to 12800) |
| Exposure compensation | +/-5 EV |
| White balance | auto, 6 presets, manual |
| Additional image controls | contrast, saturation, sharpness, color tone, noise reduction |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Closest macro focus | N/A |
| Auto-focus modes | 9-point |
| Metering modes | multi, partial, centre-weighted, spot |
| Flash | auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, rear curtain, red-eye reduction |
| Drive modes | single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket, WB bracket |