Canon 550D
If you are looking for some actual user feedback, facts and detailed overview of the Canon 550D then you’ve come to the right place.
I know a lot about this DSLR camera from extensive research and experience and below I’ve organized all my research into a concise summary to help others decide if this DSLR camera is right for them also.
Before I get into the important points that you need to know about the Canon 550D, I first want to say that there are a lot of digital cameras on the market and it really does pay to look them carefully as they are not all the same as the materials and functionality vary widely.
So putting all the hype aside about what’s the best, lets just look at the facts.
==>Click HERE to visit the official Canon 550D website to purchase online<==
Canon 550D Review
Canon released its newest product, the Canon 550D DSLR, in April 2010. The Canon T2I 550D is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Canon 500D, boasting better HD resolutions, 18 megapixel images, and a vastly improved metering system previously available only in the much pricier Canon 7D.
This 550D review will hopefully enlighten you on this latest Canon product’s many good features:
18MP images – One of the most notable improvements of the Canon Rebel 550D over its predecessors is its leap from the previous models’ 12MP and 15MP capacity, to 18MP. Aside from this, the 550D includes the groundbreaking DIGIC 4 image processor technology (as opposed to the DIGIC 3 technology of the 500D), rendering photographs with visibly better quality.
New iFCL Metering System – Another edge that the 550D has over other digital SLRs is its new iFCL metering system, inclusive of the latest advancements in image-capturing technology. To illustrate, this system makes use of a 63-zone sensor that simultaneously analyzes color, focus and luminance to achieve consistent and accurate metering. Before the 550D, the only other SLR digital camera with this feature was the much pricier Canon 7D.
High Definition Video – No 550D review is complete without mentioning the 550D’s HD specs, something that even non-photographers can’t fail to appreciate. The Canon EOS 550D Rebel T2I’s HD video can shoot at 720p up to 1080p. If you manually tweak the settings, you can take full control over the frame rate, enabling you to capture fast-moving images for optimal quality.
ISO improvements – With a standard ISO range up to 6400, and expansions of up to 12800, you can use the 550D even under low-lighting conditions wherein using flash is not the best idea – or altogether not allowed. Coupling this with the DIGIC 4 image processor, you can be assured of quality low-light pictures in which graininess is minimal.
Movie Crop Function – This new function allows you to shoot at a standard definition of up to 7x zoom – without changing lenses. This feature is highly convenient when you don’t have time to change the lens.
LCD Screen Improvements – Every new Canon product takes the LCD screen quality a notch higher. The 550D’s screen size is still 3 inches, but the resolution is greatly improved and there is greater clarity for your routine point-and-shoot image checks.
Improving on a Strong Line – Compatible with EF and EF-S lenses, and even with EX-Speedlite accessories, the Canon 550D ensures that none of your previously bought lenses will go to waste. Add in the notable improvements in the Canon 550D’s control functions, and making the upgrade to the Canon 550D sounds better by the minute. Take it from this 550D review; the Canon 550D is a sure bargain.
Pros
- Excellent 18 megapixel sensor with impressively low noise and superb detail
- Very good high ISO performance, especially for 18-megapixel subframe sensor
- Live View mode works very well
- Live View mode offers a choice between phase-detect, contrast-detect modes, plus Face detect mode
- Zoom in five or ten times with Live View
- Image-stabilized kit lens is pretty good optically, although sensor resolution about reaches the limits of its ability
- Full HD (1920×1080) movies at 30/25/24p, 60/50p at 1280×720 and 640×480
Cons
- Main dial has too much resistance, is uncomfortable in use
- No rear control dial
- Evaluative metering tends to blow highlights, often requires 1/3 to 2/3EV of negative exposure compensation
- No dedicated AF-assist lamp (flash is used), and AF-assist adjustment is buried in the menu system
- No wireless flash control
Summary
The Canon EOS 550D is a very good camera by any standard. Build quality is excellent, the control layout and handling are near perfect, high ISO noise control is superb and the new monitor is the best on the market. However it doesn’t offer many more features or significantly better image quality than the EOS 500D, and is beaten in some crucial areas by cheaper rival cameras.
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