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April 2010 | Barnaby Britton and Simon Joinson

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The Canon EOS 550D is a difficult product to categorize. Ostensibly designed to appeal to first-time DSLR
buyers and enthusiasts, it offers a lot more technology, and at a higher price, than we might expect for a camera
aimed squarely at this sector. Although it might seem logical for the 550D to replace the EOS 500D, the older
camera is set to continue in Canon's lineup, which leaves the 550D pinched between its entry-level (represented
by the still-current EOS 1000D and the 500D) and nominally enthusiast (the EOS 50D) peers. Confusingly
however, apart from build quality (which is all but identical to the EOS 500D), the 550D has more in common
with the prosumer EOS 7D, and - perhaps even more confusingly - it out-specifies the EOS 50D in many areas.

Central to the impressive specification of the EOS 550D is a high-spec movie mode which offers full HD capture
at up to 30 fps, manual control over exposure, and the option to use an external stereo microphone. The new
camera also inherits the EOS 7D's sophisticated metering system (which brings it a lot closer to similarly
positioned Nikon SLRs).

So why has Canon apparently risked cannibalizing 7D sales by releasing such a similarly-specced, lower-end
model? Well, Canon might have invented the 'entry-level' DSLR way back in 2003 with the attractively priced
(for the time) EOS 300D, but these days, this sector of the marketplace is pretty crowded. Far from enjoying a
monopoly, Canon, like all manufacturers, faces a stiff battle to make its products stand out amongst their
numerous peers. To this end, Canon has pulled out all the stops with the EOS 550D and produced the most
highly-specced Rebel we've ever seen. Now that a production sample has arrived in dpreview's offices, we've had
the chance to subject it to our full in-depth test procedure. Read on to find out how it performs.

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 20/08/03: Canon EOS 300D / Digital Rebel (6 mp)

 17/02/05: Canon EOS 350D / Digital Rebel XT (8 mp)
 24/08/06: Canon EOS 400D / Digital Rebel XTi (10 mp)
 24/01/08: Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi (12 mp)
 10/06/08: Canon EOS 1000D / Digital Rebel XS (10 mp)
 25/03/09: Canon EOS 500D / Digital Rebel T1i (15.1 mp)
 08/02/10: Canon EOS 550D / Rebel T2i (18 mp)

* The Canon EOS 1000D represents a sub-class of the Rebel series and hence should be considered a parallel
series.

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 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
 ´uick 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

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 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

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If you're new to digital photography you may wish to read some of our Digital Photography Glossary before
diving into this article (it may help you understand some of the terms used).

Conclusion / recommendation / ratings are based on the opinion of the author, we recommend that you read the
entire review before making any decision. Images which can be viewed at a larger size have a small magnifying
glass icon in the bottom right corner of them, click to display a larger image in a new window.

To navigate this article simply use the next / previous page buttons or jump to a specific page by using the drop-
down list in the navigation bar at the top of the page. You can support this site by ordering through the affiliate
links shown at the bottom of each page (where available).

This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed
medium without prior permission from the author.

Dpreview use calibrated monitors at the PC normal gamma 2.2, this means that on our monitors we can make out
the difference between all of the grayscale blocks below. We recommend to make the most of this review you
should be able to see the difference (at least) between X,Y and Z and ideally also A, B and C.

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 ‡ Body only: $799
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‡ Body+18-55 IS Kit: $899
‡ Body only: ¼729 + VAT
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‡ Body+18-55 IS Kit: ¼829 + VAT
‡ US: Canon Rebel T2i




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‡ Japan: Canon EOS Kiss Digital X4
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‡ Elsewhere: Canon EOS 550D
?*&   Stainless Steel and polycarbonate resin with glass fiber
‡ 18.7 million effective pixels
‡ 18.0 million total pixels
‡ 22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor

B
‡ RGB Color Filter Array
‡ Built-in low-pass filter with self cleaning unit
‡ 3:2 aspect ratio
‡ Low-pass filter vibration at power-on (can be
interrupted)
""#
 ‡ Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces
‡ Software based dust-removal (camera maps dust,
removed later)
‡ 5184 x 3456
& 8B ‡ 3456 x 2304
‡ 2592 x 1728
‡ RAW (.CR2 14-bit)
& %&  ‡ RAW (.CR2 14-bit) + JPEG Large/Fine
‡ JPEG (EXIF 2.21) - Fine, Normal
‡ 1920 x 1080 (1080p, 16:9) @ 30/25/24 fps
3 #
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‡ 1280 x 720 (720p, 16:9) @ 60/50 fps
 ‡ 640 x 480 (4:3) @ 60/50 fps
‡ ´uicktime MOV format (H.264 video,linear PCM
audio)
‡ Up to 29 min 59 sec (or max file size 4 GB)
& # DIGIC 4
‡ Canon EF / EF-S lens mount
,

‡ 1.6x field of view crop
‡ Auto Focus
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‡ Manual Focus (switch on lens)
‡ 9-point CMOS sensor
‡ F5.6 cross-type at center, extra sensitivity at F2.8
"6#"
‡ AF working range: -0.5 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
‡ Predictive AF up to 10 m
‡ AI Focus
6& ‡ One Shot
‡ AI Servo
‡ Auto
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‡ Manual
6  Flash strobe
‡ Auto
‡ Portrait
‡ Landscape
‡ Close-up
‡ Sports
‡ Night portrait

& ‡ Flash off
‡ Movie
‡ Program AE (P)
‡ Shutter priority AE (Tv)
‡ Aperture priority AE (Av)
‡ Manual (M)
‡ Auto depth-of-field
‡ TTL 63-zone SPC
3
B ‡ Metering range: EV 1.0 - 20 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100, 50
mm F1.4)
‡ Evaluative 63-zone (linked to AF points)
‡ Partial 9% at center
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‡ Spot 4% at center
‡ Center-weighted average
,#: AE lock button
‡ +/- 2.0 EV (3 shots)
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‡ 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
‡ +/- 5.0 EV
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‡ 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
‡ Auto (100 - 6400 *)
‡ ISO 100

 *
‡ ISO 200
‡ ISO 400
 ‡ ISO 800
‡ ISO 1600
‡ ISO 3200
‡ ISO 6400 *
‡ H1 expansion (ISO 12800 equiv.)
‡ Highlight tone priority
‡ Focal-plane shutter
‡ 30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps)
"
‡ Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec
‡ Bulb
‡ F1.0 - F91 (0.3 EV steps)
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‡ Actual aperture range depends on lens used
‡ Auto
‡ Daylight
‡ Shade
‡ Cloudy
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‡ Tungsten
‡ Fluorescent
‡ Flash
‡ Custom
‡ +/-3 levels
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 ‡ 3 images
‡ Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias
‡ Blue (-9) to Amber (+9)
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‡ Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
‡ sRGB
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‡ Adobe RGB
‡ Standard
‡ Portrait
‡ Landscape
‡ Neutral
=#"* ‡ Faithful
‡ Monochrome
‡ User 1
‡ User 2
‡ User 3
‡ Sharpness: 0 to 7
‡ Contrast: -4 to +4
c"&&  ‡ Saturation: -4 to +4
  & ‡ Color tone: -4 to +4
‡ B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, G
‡ B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
‡ Highlight Tone Priority
‡ Auto Lighting Optimizer (Basic and Creative modes)
& #
 ‡ Long exposure noise reduction
‡ High ISO speed noise reduction
‡ Peripheral illumination correction
‡ Single
 &
‡ Continuous: 3.7 fps up to 34 Large/Fine JPEG / 6 RAW
 frames *
‡ Self-timer 10 secs (2 sec with mirror lock-up)
‡ Self-timer continuous
3#:" Yes (custom function)
‡ Pentamirror
‡ 95% frame coverage
‡ Magnification: 0.87x (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at
infinity)
@!%
 ‡ Eyepoint: 19 mm
‡ Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter
‡ Fixed precision matte
‡ Proximity sensor disables LCD shooting mode
information
‡ AF information (AF points focus confirmation light)
‡ Shutter speed
‡ Aperture value
‡ ISO speed (always displayed)
‡ AE lock
‡ Exposure level/compensation
‡ Spot metering circle
‡ Exposure warning
‡ AEB
@!%

% ‡ Flash ready
‡ High-speed sync
‡ FE lock
‡ Flash exposure compensation
‡ Red-eye reduction light
‡ White balance correction
‡ SD card information
‡ Monochrome shooting
‡ Maximum burst
‡ Highlight tone priority
6 ! Yes, button
‡ 3.0" 3:2 TFT LCD
‡ 1040,000 pixels
‡ Approx 100% coverage
,c &
B ‡ Wide viewing angle (160° horizontal and vertical)
‡ Dual anti-reflection, anti-smudge
‡ 7 brightness levels
‡ Up to 10x zoom playback
‡ Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor
‡ 100% frame coverage (30 fps display rate)
‡ Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image
sensor
‡ Best view or exposure simulation
,c ,  !
‡ Grid optional (thirds)
‡ Magnify optional (5x or 10x at any point on the screen)
‡ Optional Auto-focus with mirror-down / mirror-up
sequence
‡ ´uick or Live mode autofocus
 ‡ Uses last play mode
# ! ‡ Magnification possible
‡ 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold
‡ Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash
‡ Guide number approx 13
‡ Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye
Reduction
6 
‡ X-Sync: 1/200 sec
‡ Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV
steps)
‡ Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.)
‡ E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites
2
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‡ Hot-shoe
‡ Orientation sensor
‡ In-camera copyright information
% "
‡ Automatically writes FAT16/FAT32 depending on
capacity
‡ On (playback uses orientation data in file header)
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‡ Off
‡ Single image
‡ Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB )
‡ Magnified view (1.5 - 10x in 15 steps, browsable)
= * #:& ‡ 4 and 9 image index
‡ Auto play
‡ Image rotation
‡ Jump (by 10, 100 or date)
c"&%"
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B 12 custom functions with 36 settings
‡ English
‡ German
‡ French
‡ Dutch
‡ Danish
‡ Portuguese
‡ Finnish
‡ Italian
‡ Norwegian
‡ Swedish
‡ Spanish
3
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" B
‡ Greek
‡ Russian
‡ Polish
‡ Czech
‡ Hungarian
‡ Romanian
‡ Ukrainian
‡ Turkish
‡ Arabic
‡ Thai
‡ Simplified Chinese
 ‡ Traditional Chinese
‡ Korean
‡ Japanese
6&!  User upgradable
‡ USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed)
‡ Video out (PAL / NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal
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# *B ‡ HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC)
‡ E3 type wired remote control
‡ Remote Controller RC-6
‡ External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack
‡ Mono microphone on front
"B ‡ Mono speaker on rear
‡ External stereo mike (optional)
‡ SD / SDHC card
 
‡ SDXC card *
‡ Lithium-Ion LP-E8 rechargeable battery
‡ Approx 440 shots (23°C AE 50%, FE 50%), CIPA
=!B standard
‡ 4 level battery life display
‡ Optional ACK-E8 AC adapter kit
? *5B Yes, BG-E8
‡ Canon Selphy Printers
‡ Canon Bubble Jet Printers with direct print function
#


‡ Canon PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge
‡ PictBridge
&

 129 x 98 x 75 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 2.9 in)
-

# #  530 g (1.17 lb)
‡ Zoom Browser EX / ImageBrowser
‡ Digital Photo Professional (Windows / Mac)
‡ PhotoStitch
%!  ‡ EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture; Windows & Mac
except Mac Intel)
‡ Original Data Security Tools
‡ Picture Style Editor

* New or changed compared to the EOS 500D / Digital Rebel T1i

 

The Canon EOS is very similar to the EOS 500D and EOS 450D before it, which are themselves evolutions of a
basic design which debuted in the EOS 300D, in 2003. There are a few tweaks here and there: the finish is
slightly different, there are subtle styling differences (including a new mode dial), and the buttons have been
redesigned for easier use. The main functional difference is that there's a new movie / live view button to the right
of the viewfinder. Where it used to be (and sharing a button with the indispensable 'direct print' feature) is a '´'
button, borrowed from the EOS 7D, which gives direct access to the ´uick Control Screen. The most obvious
external change - button and surface textures aside - is the new wider aspect ratio screen.

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The 550D inherits the 450D and 500D's body and construction, and other than the surface finish and minor
tweaks to the casing, it stays essentially the same. As such, it's primarily made from three materials; a stainless
steel chassis, the mirror box which is made of high-strength 'engineering plastic' and the body made of a special
lightweight polycarbonate resin with glass fiber, which also provides some electromagnetic shielding.
Construction isn't bad for the price, but with the EOS 550D it is clear that you're paying for the features, not the
build quality.
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Canon isn't officially 'replacing' the EOS 500D with the new 550D, and for the foreseeable future the EOS 550D
will sit in the range between the EOS 500D and the EOS 7D (ignoring for the moment the additional confusion of
the EOS 50D). The changes are partly cosmetic (a very slightly different body shell design, tweaks to the buttons
and mode dial), but the real changes are under the hood.

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Since the body shell is virtually identical to the EOS 500D that it replaces, the handling is (aside from slightly
better buttons) also virtually identical, meaning the grip still feels a bit fiddly unless you're got very delicate
hands. It's by no means terrible (and can be to an extent mitigated by use of the optional battery grip), but it's
worth handling one to find out if you're someone who can't live with it. The most convenient comparison (in
terms of size, weight and intended customer base) is with the Nikon D5000, which feels a little meatier.

7C,c 3


t's always been something of an oddity of digital SLR design (with the exception of Four Thirds models) that the
screen on the back is a different shape to the pictures taken, meaning images are always displayed cropped or
with black bars top and bottom. The EOS 550D's 3:2 screen perfectly matches its stills (and gets closer to the
16:9 used for movies), and with over a million dots and anti-reflective design that minimizes glare, it's a joy to
behold too. Very nice.

The resolution is similar to the EOS 500D (720x480 / 1040k pixels) but the wider shape makes a lot more sense.
Canon has removed the air-gap between the LCD¶s protective cover and the liquid crystal to reduce glare. The
screen has a viewing angle of 160 degrees.