Canon EOS 550D Digital SLR Camera (inc 18-55 mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens Kit)

Combining stunning stills and crisp full HD movies in a compact Digital SLR

The EOS 550D not only lets you take superb still shots but it also allows you to explore your creativity to the full by shooting great movies in pin sharp, Full High Definition.

The powerful DIGIC 4 processor delivers many of the technologies developed for our professional models and matches them with intuitive design and controls so they are easy to access and apply. Features include an 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, high ISO (expandable up to 12800) and iFCL-AE Metering for better results in low and difficult lighting situations, 3-inch Clear View LCD monitor and Live View Function. The EOS 550D also incorporates dedicated support functions for the next-generation SDXC memory cards as well as Eye-Fi cards.

Zoom in to High Definition movie-making

Boasting the most advanced EOS full HD (1080p) movie capturing features to date, the EOS 550D does not just shoot video clips, it offers the enhanced image quality, smooth frame rates and adaptive exposure compensation you would normally find in a professional movie-making tool.

In addition to selectable frame rates, the EOS 550D enables easy manual control of exposure, focus and Live View features and even allows for in-camera editing. The large APS-C CMOS sensor and compatibility with over 60 lenses provide a wealth of depth-of-field options. And it's all as easy as the press of a dedicated Live View/Movie Recording button that gets the shooting started fast.

It also features a new Movie Crop mode that effectively provides a 7x zoom.

What's more there's no need to choose: you can capture both still and moving images nearly at the same time by pressing the movie button. The camera also has a built in microphone with wind cut filter and a stereo mini-jack for an external microphone.

It is easy to view and share your movies and stills too, thanks to an HDMI connection, which allows High Definition playback of footage and images on any HDTV.

The EOS 550D performs outstandingly in low light, with incredibly low image noise. Click here for a larger image

Powerful resolution and low light performance

The EOS 550D's 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS sensor performs outstandingly in low light and produces images with incredibly low noise. Canon's DIGIC 4 processor works alongside the sensor to deliver 14-bit image processing, for smooth gradations and natural looking colours, as well as split-second startup times and near-instant image review after shooting. DIGIC 4's advanced Noise Reduction when shooting at higher ISO speeds enables the EOS 550D to offer a high ISO range of up to 6400 - expandable to 12800 - so you can shoot in low light without the need for flash.

With continuous shooting up to 3.7 frames per second in bursts of up to 170 JPEGs or 9 RAW files it is easy to capture dramatic action shots. It captures enough detail to enable you to make ultra-large prints or crop sections from pictures and still maintain the highest quality, as well as get creative with your image processing.

The 9-point AF system, 63 zone dual-layer sensor and 3.7fps shooting means you'll always get the perfect shot. Click here for a larger image

Focusing made easy

A wide-area Auto Focus (AF) system uses nine separate focusing points to lock onto subjects fast and makes it so easy to get the shot you want. As well as Manual Focus there are three auto-focus modes to choose from: One-Shot AF, ideal for static subjects such as portraits and landscapes; AI Servo, great for moving subjects and keeps following the subject with predictive tracking until you take the shot; and AI Focus, which switches from One Shot to Servo when movement is detected. The center, cross-type focus point operates flawlessly in lower-light and lower-contrast settings.

iFCL Metering for better results in difficult lighting situations

To complement the 9-point AF system, the EOS 550D features a new, 63 zone dual-layer sensor. By taking into account the color and luminosity surrounding chosen AF points, this new system delivers an entirely new level of accuracy for better results even in difficult lighting situations. Since the metering sensor has a colour measurement function, exposure errors and focus errors caused by different light sources are minimised; the EOS 550D gives stable exposure from shot to shot in situations where light changes, such as a theater or concert hall. This makes the EOS 550D ideal for scenes with extreme difference in brightness; the camera balances exposure of the main subject at the background, and exposures are not overly influenced by bright areas in the shot.

Live View Function

Live View is a real-time visual feed, which enables you to view your subjects directly on the LCD monitor, a great help when shooting from awkward angles. It's easy to magnify any part of the scene 5x or 10x for precise manual focus. You can even choose a grid overlay, perfect for keeping vertical or horizontal lines in your composition straight. Live View Function can be used remotely via a computer through a USB connection, and the included EOS Utility software.

In Live View Function you can action two Auto Focus (AF) modes: Quick mode, which uses the camera's standard AF system (great for capturing action or for shooting in low light) and Live mode, which is a contrast-based AF system that reads the sharpness of subjects right from the imaging sensor, and can be overridden by pressing the AF mode selection button. The target area for Live Mode AF is at the center by default, but it can be moved around most of the picture area with the cross keys on the back of the camera.

The different modes allow you to control the look and feel of your images. Click here for a larger image

Unlock your creativity

The EOS 550D has five Creative Modes to explore: Av mode automatically sets the shutter speed, but allows you to control depth of field by letting you choose the aperture. By setting the extent to which the lens opens or 'aperture', you can control the portion of a scene that appears sharp in the image or 'depth of field'. A larger aperture will provide a shallow depth of field - sharp in the foreground with a blurred background - where as a smaller aperture will give a sharp picture throughout.

Tv mode automatically sets the aperture and you select the shutter speed. This enables you to change the appearance of motion in your shots; Photograph a waterfall with a fast shutter speed and every droplet is captured in crisp detail: use a slower shutter speed and you will create a soft blurred effect, giving a sense of motion in your photograph.

In Program Mode both the aperture and shutter speed are controlled by the camera but you can select other settings: With Drive Mode you can select from Single Shot, Continuous Shooting or Self-timer; Metering Mode allows you to specify the area of the image you wish the camera to use to calculate exposure; White Balance setting means you can determine what the camera reads as white to allow for your specific lighting conditions; and Flash Mode gives you control over your flash settings.

Manual Mode allows you to control both aperture and shutter speed so you have total creative freedom with your shots. Great for difficult lighting situations or capturing subjects with different effects.

A-DEP Mode automatically sets your depth of field so you can be sure to capture as much or as little of the scene as you wish in focus.

All the Creative Modes allow you to change your ISO speed. This is the measure of the sensor's sensitivity to light. Altering it allows you to modify the exposure accordingly and gives you more freedom to be creative with your shots in different lighting conditions.

For those times when you prefer to concentrate on great composition the EOS 550D also offers several Basic Modes, which control all the settings. These include; Full Auto, which allows you to use the camera to 'point and shoot'; Portrait, which ensures the background is out of focus and the foreground is pin sharp; Landscape, which sets a longer exposure and a smaller aperture to capture both the foreground and background in focus, Close-up which allows you to focus on very close objects; Sports, which uses a fast shutter speed to freeze action; and Night Portrait, which increases the ISO to make the camera more sensitive to light. You can also prevent the built-in flash from popping up using the Flash Off setting (for shooting in Museums and galleries).

The ergonomic design and large 3-inch Clear View LCD makes the EOS 550D Easy to use. Click here for a larger image

Effortless operation

The EOS 550D is ergonomically designed for comfortable handling. A large, bright 3-inch Clear View LCD monitor with 3:2 aspect ratio, ultra-high 1,040,000 pixel resolution and dual anti-reflection coatings makes it easy to preview, check focus, review and share your shots even when you are using the camera in bright sunlight.

SDXC and Eye-Fi card support

The EOS 550D incorporates dedicated support functions for the next-generation SDXC memory cards as well as Eye-Fi cards. SDXC cards are for high capacity storage of up to 2TB while Eye-Fi are the first memory cards with their own Wi-Fi transmitter that allow you to effortlessly transfer pictures or videos directly from the camera to online sharing sites via the Eye-Fi server without the need for a PC. You can also send movies wirelessly to your own PC and customize not just where your pictures and movies are sent but also how you want them organised.

Choose your style

The EOS 550D allows you to change the look of your images by customising Picture Style settings for colour, saturation, sharpness and contrast, either in-camera or later with Canon's comprehensive software suite supplied. Six preset Picture Styles include Portrait, which provides a slightly sharp and crisp image with nice skin tones, Landscape, which emphasizes vivid blues and greens, and Monochrome to give you stunning black and white images. Canon also offers additional downloadable 'Picture Style Files' that can be installed into your camera for even more imaging options at your fingertips.

Professional Software

The EOS 550D allows you to shoot in RAW format and the Digital Photo Professional software which comes free with it enables high-speed RAW image processing, fast previewing for real-time image adjustment and support for sRGB, Adobe RGB and Wide Gamut RGB color spaces. Because it is CMS (Color Management System) compatible, Digital Photo Professional allows for easy image layout and printing in Adobe RGB in conjunction with Easy-PhotoPrint and PictBridge printers.

A world of advantages from Canon technology

Canon's CMOS senser and DIGIC 4 processor combine perfectly in the EOS 550D Click here for a larger image

In-built genius

The CMOS sensor lies at the heart of the EOS system. Indeed, Canon is the only camera manufacturer to produce their own sensor and years of imaging experience are borne out by the results - a range of sensors designed to perfectly match the performance requirements of each specific EOS model and superb clean detailed images with minimum noise.

The CMOS sensor's larger pixel sizes mean wider dynamic range for greater contrast and detail in shadow and highlight areas and a low-pass filter in front of the sensor suppresses the false colour and moiré that can affect high resolution digital photography.

It is extremely powerful and efficient so not only does it improve battery life giving you more shots per charge, but it also enables fast transfer of data to the processor allowing you to keep shooting continuously.

Power in your hands

Canon's latest generation of DIGIC processor, the DIGIC 4, is the brain of the camera and is responsible for the superb responsiveness of all EOS models. Faster and more powerful than it's predecessor, the DIGIC 4 processor gives exceptional performance and low noise at higher ISO speeds.

In the instant between your shot being taken and its appearance on the LCD screen, Canon's cutting-edge DIGIC technology, which was originally developed for Canon's Professional range, is racing to optimise your image.

DIGIC processors are able to analyse ultra-detailed image data gathered by the camera sensor then use this to swiftly reproduce the subtlest of tonal graduations and an exceptionally wide colour range.

When shooting in darker conditions, even if you are pushing the ISO to the limit, DIGIC processing applies sophisticated Noise Reduction algorithms - helping to eliminate graininess and preserve detail. The speed of DIGIC also means less processing time for long battery life and fast start-up times.

With over 60 lenses to choose from you'll never be short of creative options. Click here for a larger image

EF & EF-S Lenses

Over 60 years of experience give Canon an inherent advantage when it comes to lens manufacture. EOS digital SLRs are backed up by the world's most comprehensive system of interchangeable lenses. From the 15mm ultra wide angle to 800mm super telephoto, the 60+ lenses in the EF series cover all possible shooting requirements.

Canon lenses employ advanced optical expertise and micron-precision engineering to deliver unprecedented performance in all facets of the photographic process. Special optical technologies, such as aspherical, ultra-low dispersion, or fluorite elements are featured in the universally acclaimed L Series lenses. And Canon's Optical Image Stabiliser technology is featured in selected lenses to minimise the effect of camera shake.

Extend your lighting capabilities

The Speedlite range is compatible with all EOS cameras and includes a choice of three standard models and two models for specialist macro use.

The self cleaning unit combats dust using ultrasonic vibrations. Click here for a larger image

EOS Integrated Cleaning System

This is not a stand-alone feature but a built-in system to minimize the effect of dust in high-resolution digital images - particularly appreciated by those photographers who need to change lenses frequently and in dusty environments.

Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit

A key element of minimising dust is preventing it from clinging to the front surface of the imaging sensor. To combat against this EOS cameras feature a Canon-designed Self Cleaning Sensor Unit. The low-pass filter at the front of the sensor shakes off dust automatically with ultrasonic vibrations, removing dust from the sensor assembly. A collar positioned around the sensor then collects the loosened dust. In addition to this a special coating on the front surface of the low-pass filter actually causes it to repel dust.

Dust Delete Data Detection

Any dust that still remains on the front of the sensor can be erased with software included in Digital Photo Professional software. A simple test shot of a plain, white object can be taken, using a menu setting. This Dust Delete Data image is analysed in-camera, and the location and size of any remaining dust is added to any subsequent pictures taken. This data is transmitted along with the image, whether JPEG or RAW, and can be either manually or automatically erased. This added software option ensures the cleanest possible image, perfect for printing or archiving.