Canon 550D

Canon 550D is Canon's Entry-Level DSLR digital camera first introduced on April of 2010. The camera includes a 18MP, CMOS APS-C size sensor with a full resolution of 5184 x 3456. The camera is known as "EOS Rebel T2i / EOS Kiss X4" in other regions.

Canon launched this model in an effort to replace the earlier Canon 500D (Read Full Comparison) and then launched the more recent Canon 600D (Read Full Comparison) to update this camera.

The 550D places at #40 out of 80 in Entry-Level DSLR cameras and over all #319 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our list. Please try out our Smart camera search to see camera listings based on your personalized requirements.

The following is a graph of multiple factors used in the rating system.

The Canon 550D is part of a family of cameras. You can view the detailed list below.

You can look at the 550D from various angles in the gallery below.

Here is a collection of pros and cons of the Canon 550D based on aspects that are typically regarded as important in a digital camera.

The Canon 550D features the Digic 4 processor. The specification of the sensor in the Canon 550D is 22.3mm x 14.9mm (APS-C). The 332 mm² sensor can capture 5184 x 3456 pixels using aspect ratios of 3:2.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 18MP and features a standard ISO range of 100 - 6400. The ISO can also be extended electronically to a maximum of 12800. RAW format is saved which means that you have more margin for error.

The graphic below shows the 550D's sensor size when compared to other popular sizes. The 550D sensor comes with a crop factor of 1.6 and is pointed out in green.

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To get a sense of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Canon 550D weighs 1.17 lb (530g or 18.70 ounces) and the dimensions of the camera is 129mm x 98mm x 62mm (5.1" x 3.9" x 2.4"). The weight of average Entry-Level DSLR camera is 540g so the Canon 550D is similar as compared with other competitors.

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The following is a pic of the Canon 550D beside a softdrink to help you to have a feel for its size.

The top view below will provide the button arrangement on the 550D.

The 550D fits the Canon EF/EF-S mount and has 331 lenses to choose from. Here is a small number of the lenses we have in our database that will fit the 550D.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Samyang MF 14mm F2.8 Mk214mmf/2.8649g

Lensbaby Burnside 3535mmf/2.8374g

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Zeiss Milvus 35mm F1.435mmf/1.41174g

Tokina AT-X Pro 11-16mm f2.8 DX11-16mmf/2.8 560g

Sigma 70mm F2.8 EX DG Macro70mmf/2.8 527g

Canon TS-E 50mm F2.8L Macro50mmf/2.8945g

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Carl Zeiss Distagon T 1,43535mmf/1.4 830g

The 550D has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• Wireless Yes
• HDMI Yes

Digital cameras with NFC and Bluetooth support can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You are able to send files and in some cases alter settings without the hassle of connecting physically with the camera.

Many apps also allow a Liveview and release the shutter in case you are not close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI out, it can be connected to an external screen. Virtually all cameras will allow you to charge the battery pack through the USB port.

The highest possible video quality in the Canon 550D is 1920 x 1080 and it can record in H.264 file format. 1080p quality gives a great balance for video quality versus file size but 1080p won't leave you with much room to crop. While the body features a mic port, it is sadly missing a headphone port which means that you will not have the capability to monitor your sound levels.

There is no environment proofing for the Canon 550D so you have to be careful in rainy or dusty conditions.

The Canon 550D includes a 3" fixed screen having a resolution of 1,040k dots.

Unfortunately the screen isn't a touch screen.

Photography Glossary

The ViewFinder specs regarding Canon 550D are as follows:

• ViewFinder Optical (pentamirror)
• Coverage 95 percent
• Magnification 0.55x

Viewfinders can be quite helpful for bright outdoor conditions which might make the camera screen washed out and very difficult to view.

Canon 550D can shoot continuously at 4.0 frames/s. The maximum shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

Canon 550D boasts both built in flash plus external flash support. The maximum flash sync speed is 1/200 seconds.

Canon 550D boasts both Phase Detect AF along with Contrast Based AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot more quicker and exact as compared to Contrast Based autofocusing. The camera includes Face detection which can be handy for people photography.

It includes 9 focus points to pick from. Canon 550D can use manual focusing if needed for low light scenarios or you want to have more exact focusing control.

The battery life (LP-E8) for the Canon 550D is fashioned to last for 470 shutters as per the CIPA specifications which is lower in comparison with its competition. The average Entry-Level DSLR camera battery life is 589. Pentax K-x has got the best (1900) battery life for this kind of cameras.

Underneath is a list of Entry-Level DSLR cameras which have the best battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Pentax K-x
550D vs K-x1900 yesnono

Nikon D3500
550D vs D35001550 yesnoyes

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Nikon D3400
550D vs D34001200 yesnoyes

Canon SL3
550D vs SL31070 yesnoyes

Sony A450
550D vs A4501050 yesnono

The following chart shows a rundown of the Canon 550D for specific styles of photography. To understand more, have a look at the specific section below.

The Canon 550D receives a score of 74 which is above average, and means the camera is a very decent pick for portrait photography. Photographing portrait images favors greatly towards sensor dimensions, RAW support together with the capability to use off-camera lighting.

Coming in at a moderate points tally of 60, the Canon 550D is fairly suited to use in street photography. A good street photography camera has a good balance of picture quality plus portability.

A average sports photography rating of 54 indicates the Canon 550D is relatively suited for taking photos of sports. A camera needs to have very good tracking and shutter speeds for sports photography.

Weight is really crucial when picking a travel camera. Overall, the Canon 550D gets a modest 55 as a travelling camera which is relatively appropriate to take with you on your holidays.

For anyone planning to pick a camera for landscape pictures, the biggest aspect is going to be image quality. The Canon 550D with it's nice grade of 63 as a landscape camera is a good option in the current market.

A vlogging camera really should have a moving display, mic port and preferably image stabilization. Taking everything into account, the Canon 550D is not really very good for vlogging as it receives a awful rating of 31.

If you are in the market for alternatives to the 550D, here is a collection of the highest scored cameras which fall into the class of Entry-Level DSLR.

The diagram listed below shows you an overview of the 550D vs it's highest ranked rivals suggested above.

There are a bunch of cameras you might take into account as alternatives. To browse through a extensive comparison, go to the "compare" link.