My Canon 550D Review – Should You Buy This Camera?
Posted in Canon 550D Price, Canon 550D Review on June 25th, 2011 by Admin – 1 CommentLet’s start with a caveat: the review you’re going to read here is all about Rebel T2i. No, we are not diverting from the main topic. Instead, we are simply telling you that it turns out this handy camera has a number of names. If you’re getting it from Japan, then you’re purchasing Kiss X4. If you’re from Europe, there’s a good chance it’s labelled as Canon 550D.
Click Here To Buy The Canon 550D Body Only
Regardless, the features, benefits, and cons are practically the same. Canon 550D is next in line to Canon 500D, but it’s often compared to Canon 7D. And though many still find the latter as a much better choice, for someone who’s simply starting out in photography or who wants to veer away from compact cameras, 550D/T2i is worth the value for your money. You already have a stunning LCD camera, more decent images, and an affordable price with T2i.
It’s Portable!
Physically, Canon 550D looks like any regular Canon camera, especially the Rebel series. Its body is made from magnesium alloy, which offers it a good and sturdy build. It also has dust deletion features, including a self-cleaning sensor unit. As for its dimensions, it has a width of 5 inches, a height of 3.8 inches, and a depth of 2.4 inches. Its weight is 16.8 ounces. This is definitely one of the easiest-to-carry cameras around. If being able to shoot all day long is one of your criteria’s, then this is the one you’re going to need. You can conveniently wear your neck strap, as well as placing this in your travelling bag. It also offers a more comfortable grip. You simply have to watch out for one thing: the battery door. Some people have already complained about how it’s a bit loose. Nevertheless, many still find great joy over the camera’s build; it turns out to be very useful and in good condition after how many months.
Click Here To Purchase The Canon 550D And Canon 18-55 mm Lens Kit
Be Amazed by Its Image Quality
Before we proceed talking about image quality in our Canon 550D review, it’s very important that you remember this isn’t the best camera to use if you’re a professional photographer. You’ll certainly find other Canon options or even other brands that are worth it. However, Canon has also stressed that it’s not positioning Canon 550D as for professionals or avid enthusiasts either. It’s ideal for those who are trying to acquaint themselves with photography, in general, and DSLRs, in particular.
Despite being more economical, Canon 550D is still equipped with hard-to-miss features. One, it has an amazing 18.0-megapixel CMOS. While others only have 16.0, 550D can already come up with images that are much clearer and colours a lot brighter. The finer details, those that you can hardly notice in compact cameras, are greatly magnified by this camera. It is also packed with DIGIC 4 image processor, which has helped optimize the speed and efficiency of the camera. It owes its intuitive operation to this one.
Many users have greatly noticed the difference in ISO setting. It has been improved tremendously, making individuals who love to take shots at night truly happy. The higher ISO setting lets you less dependent on Flash. It has a range up to 6,400, which is actually very common among high-end cameras. But you can expand it to 12,800. This doesn’t mean that photos no longer show any noise. In fact, some experience some noise as they increase the ISO setting. Nevertheless, they don’t in any way decrease the value of the photos. With the boost of ISO range, you’ll have more fun shooting in the dark. You can also stabilize the images by attaching either the EF-S or the EF lens.
Images don’t just appear great in Canon 550D, they are also highly accurate. This then saves you a lot of time post processing the photo. Most of all, you’re able to retain the essence of the moment that has just been captured. The camera is equipped with a 63-zone dual-layer metering system. This means that the camera takes into account the light, ambiance, or luminosity of the surroundings of your subject. With this feature, you don’t have to do adjustments yourself. The camera already does it for you. Further, the 9-point AF system increases your focus to your main subject, giving you better chances of putting it at the center of your still.
The auto-focus has also turned out to be an excellent come-on for Canon 550D. Unlike some cameras such as XSI, this one rarely comes up with soft photos. Whether you’re in manual or automatic mode, majority of the photos are crisp and sharp. The camera also has the capacity to capture fast movements with great precision. Nevertheless, there are others who worry about overexposing the photos. We say the images just appear much richer.
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Issues with Control and Navigation?
The controls and/or menus of Canon 550D can be considered a boon or a bane, depending on how you see them. For a start, it’s helpful for users that the camera has a button for the Quick Control screen. This gives you immediate access to several settings. Doing so also minimizes the long and sometimes tedious process of acquainting yourself to the buttons and what they do. Some of the settings you can access are image quality, exposure, white balance, and drive mode. You can also immediately shift from video to camera mode by merely pressing the Live View/Movie button. A lot of cameras, interestingly, still don’t have this handy option.
But a number don’t really appreciate the gradual shifting of buttons from left to right. We don’t think Canon is preferring one hand over the other. It’s just that as a photographer, you don’t want to take a pause just to look at the right side and manipulate the buttons. Besides, we find it awkward to do a lot of things on your right part alone.
Click Here To Purchase The Canon 550D And Canon 18-55 mm Lens Kit
The Pretty LCD Monitor
Our Canon 550D review should also give some attention to the clear view LCD monitor. With an aspect ratio of 3:2, it offers a proportioned look at the images. It also has a screen that is around 3 inches wide. The screen is well protected with a smear-resistant surface, minimizing maintenance. You can also change the orientation of the display either sideways or titled.
Come Up with Your Own HD Movie
Canon 550D also tries to convince you to ditch your camcorder with a plethora of movie creation features. For an affordable Canon 550D price, the camera produces HD quality videos. You can also easily shift to manual controls, and there are plenty of shooting choices to pick. You can also save the video files in different frame rates and resolutions.
Click Here To Buy The Canon 550D Body Only
What’s Included?
- EOS 550D Body
- EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS Lens
- USB interface cable
- Wide neck strap
- Eyecup Ef
- Battery pack
- Battery charger
- AV cable
- EOS digital solution disc
- Instruction manuals
Is There a Warranty?
Yes, one-year limited warranty
What Others Are Saying
- The camera has nice features.
- You don’t have to wait to start up the camera.
- It is lightweight.
- It has a decent battery life.
- The controls or menus are easy to use.
Complaints
- The manuals may be too complicated to read for others.
- Some experience problems with video recording.
- There is no articulating screen.
Where Can You Buy Canon 550D Digital SLR Camera?
You can buy this Canon 550D camera from Amazon. At the moment they include free shipping if you buy the camera and lens package. From what I can tell, Amazon currently have the best deal with free shipping and comparative rates online.
Click here to view on Amazon.
Where to Read More Reviews
If you want to get more information about Canon 550D, you can check out the other user reviews you can now find in Amazon.
We hope you have thoroughly enjoyed our Canon 550D Review. Best of luck with your new camera purchase.

