Overview

The EOS 550D is, for all intents and purposes, the little brother of the EOS 7D. With many of the same features, it’s no surprise that this camera had such an anticipated release once Canon announced its addition to their lineup of world class cameras. The main differences between the 550D and the 7D are the lack of professional features that come standard in the 7D.

Snap Shots

While the 550D shares the ability to take pictures at the same quality as the 7D, it can’t take them in as quick of succession. This means that if you’re trying to capture a specific moment, like a football catch or a particular point in someone’s walk or run, it may not be possible to do so on the first try. However, this doesn’t really affect the average person as they rarely, if ever, need to catch those quick moments.

Video

If something does arise that the camera cannot take shots of fast enough, with the new design of the buttons and the ability for most anyone to be able to use it, switching to video is easy to do and can be freeze framed and cleaned up for a photo later. The video that this camera shoots is of the highest quality, with multiple settings and even the ability to crop the video that you’re shooting built in.

One of the biggest advancements is the higher quality sound control that you get built into the camera itself. On older models with built in microphones, you needed to record with an external microphone to increase the sound quality.  However, on the 550D it is not necessary to do this under normal circumstances.

Photo Quality and Extras

Because this camera is capable of taking photographs at 18 megapixels, it is not at all impossible to crop out certain aspects that you don’t like, zoom in, or even have the photo blown up without losing the crispness of the original. When you combine this with the ISO speeds (which can be upgraded to 12800 like the 7D model) you get the ability to take excellent still or in-motion pictures, creating a great end result.

Another great point is the addition of the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), which allows for more tones in light and color to be picked up in still photos. From a consumer standpoint, this is one of the many additions that has helped create a reasonably affordable, almost professional camera that most people can work into their budgets. However, it also puts it on the high end of things as far as price is concerned. In any case, the combination of the CMOS and the DIGIC4 image processor has worked to create a fast and reliable camera, which on the Rebel platform is easy enough for anyone to use.

The Downside

The only real downside to the 550D is that the camera is in the upper reaches of most people’s budgets for a personal camera. Because of all its new and some improved features that weren’t previously seen on other Rebel platforms, the price has been driven up to around $900. This means that, unless you are serious about photography or you’re trying to find an entry level pro camera, you will not likely be buying this model.  For someone who is just looking for a personal digital camera, the upgrades, design and development that Canon put into it will have been wasted when many of the same features are available in others that are less expensive.

Conclusion

Overall, this camera has exceeded the expectations of many and has incorporated many new features that should eventually become standard on all models. With the camera’s abilities, anyone who wants to become the family photographer or push their own artistic pursuits to the next level can do so with the Canon EOS 550D.