With improved performance and the latest features, Canon’s new EOS 550D DSLR offers photography enthusiasts a powerful, versatile, and user-friendly platform for shooting stunning stills and high definition (HD) movies.

Stunning image quality

At the heart of the EOS 550D is a new APS-C size DIGIC 4 imaging processor that features a photodiode construction and gapless microlens array that provides for a wide dynamic range and low noise. The DIGIC 4 sensor also allows the EOS 550D to capture stunning images up to 18 megapixels.

Compared to the EOS 500D’s 35 metering sensor zones, the EOS 550D is equipped with a 63-zone dual-layer metering sensor found in the EOS 7D. Color and AF (autofocus) information are also used to compute optimal exposure settings with greater accuracy in all types of lighting. This can be fine-tuned by the user to ±5 stops’ exposure compensation.

Enhanced HD video recording

The EOS 550D records in Full HD (1920 x 1080) at 24p, 25p, and 30p frames per second. It also captures movies at HD Ready (1280 x 720) and SD (640 x 480) formats. High frame rates of 50p and 60p can also be achieved. The new Movie Crop mode allows about 7x more zoom magnification to speed up the shooting of close-ups when shooting from a distance.

Besides customizing resolution and frame rate, the EOS 550D also allows manual control of exposure in movie mode. In addition, users can also connect accessories such as an external stereo microphone to capture videos with audio in stereo.

DIGIC 4: Geared for high performance

For exceptional real-world performance, the EOS 550D is equipped with Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor, offering high-speed image processing (1.3x faster) with noise suppression capabilities.

As a result, the EOS 550D boasts a higher ISO operating range of up to ISO 6400, and expandable to ISO 12800. On top of these additional demands on its sensor, the EOS 550D is capable of shooting up to 3.7 frames per second stills.

When shooting in Live View, the face detection AF mode automatically recognizes human faces and focuses on them. Live View shooting is now possible even in the Basic Zone modes.

Auto Lighting Optimizer secures the optimum brightness and contrast settings. In the EOS 550D, this feature is enhanced and made available even in manual exposure and bulb mode.

With Lens Peripheral Illumination correction, up to 40 lenses can be registered in the camera to automatically correct for vignetting, producing images that are more evenly illuminated from center to the periphery.

Improved user experience

The EOS 550D’s wide 3-inch monitor features an amazing 1.04 million dot resolution that lets users see even the smallest detail clearly.

It now has the same 3:2 aspect ratio as the image which allows it to be displayed over the entire screen. It is also double-coated to reduce glare and treated to resist smudging.