Consumer electronics

Canon EOS 550D (Rebel T2i / Kiss Digital X 4) review in-depth April 2010

The Canon EOS 550D is difficult to categorize. Seemingly designed to appeal to buyers DSLR for the first time and enthusiasts, it offers much more technology, and at a higher price, we could expect a camera aimed squarely at this sector. Although it may seem logical to the 550D to replace the 500D EOS, the oldest aircraft is called to continue in the rangeof Canon, leaving the 550D stuck between his entry (represented by the rest of current EOS 1000D and 500D) and nominally Enthusiast (EOS 50D peers). Be misleading, however, outside of the quality of construction (which is all but identical to the 500D EOS), the 550D has more in common with the semi-professional EOS d, and – perhaps even more be confusing – is – in specifies the 50D EOS in many areas                                                             

Central to the impressive specifications of the 550D EOS is a mode video high-Spec, which offers a

full range of HD ca

pture up to 30 fps, manual control of exposure, and the ability to use an external

microphone. New camera also inherits EOS d is a sophisticated measurement system of the (which provides much closer to same placed Nikon SLR). Then why Canon has seemingly risky cannibaliser man by releasing such a specced-even the end of the lower model sales? Well, Canon could have invented the "entry level" way DSLR in 2003 with the attractive price (for the moment) EOS 300D, but these days, this sector of the market is quite busy. Far from enjoying a monopoly, Canon, as all manufacturers face a battle hard to make its products stand among many peers. To this end, Canon has left the game with the 550D EOS and produces the rebel more highly specced we have ever seen. Now that the production of an extract arrived at dpreview offices, we had the chance to submit it to our complete test procedure in depth. Read on to see how it behaves.

Headline features

• 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
• Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
• Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates
• 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
• iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor
• Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
• Exposure compensation +/-5 stops (although viewfinder scale is still +/-2 stops)
• Select maximum value for Auto ISO
• External Microphone socket
• Movie crop function
• Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility

EOS 550D vs EOS 500D Key differences

• Higher resolution 18MP CMOS with gapless micro lenses
• ISO 6400 no longer in 'expanded' range (12,800 max remains the same)
• Redesigned buttons and new movie/live view button
• Customizable auto ISO ranges
• Improved 63 zone metering (iFCL)
• 3:2 format screen with more pixels
• Improved movie functionality
• Slightly higher burst shooting rate (though buffer holds fewer shots)
• HDMI control (CEC)
• SDHX Compatible