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Canon 550D Comparison Review

The Canon EOS 550D (called Canon T2i in some regions) is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was revealed to the public in February 2010 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 17.9 megapixel.

camera

Is the Canon 550D a good camera? The 550D has a Camera Elo of 1387. This rating puts the 550D below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the 550D also ranks below average. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 2.5-star performance rating. – Well, the Canon 550D is more than 14 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2010.

Headline Specifications
Canon 550D
Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses
17.9 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/30p Video
ISO 100 - 6 400 (100 - 12 800)
Optical viewfinder
3.0 LCD, 1040k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3.7 shutter flaps per second
440 shots per battery charge
129 x 98 x 62 mm, 530 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

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Body comparison with a credit card

The physical dimensions of the Canon 550D relative to a credit card are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

Canon 550D vs credit card front
550D versus credit card top view
550D and credit card rear side

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon 550D alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

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Body Specifications
#   Camera
Model
Camera
Width
Camera
Height
Camera
Depth
Camera
Weight
Battery
Life
Weather
Sealing
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 550D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 530 g 440 n Feb 2010 699ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 4000D 129 mm 102 mm 77 mm 436 g 500 n Feb 2018 399 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon 750D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 555 g 440 n Feb 2015 749ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 760D 132 mm 101 mm 78 mm 565 g 440 n Feb 2015 649ebay.com
5.
 
Canon 1200D 130 mm 100 mm 78 mm 480 g 500 n Feb 2014 449ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 700D 133 mm 100 mm 79 mm 580 g 440 n Mar 2013 649ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 650D 133 mm 100 mm 79 mm 575 g 440 n Jun 2012 849ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 600D 133 mm 100 mm 80 mm 570 g 440 n Feb 2011 599ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 1100D 130 mm 100 mm 78 mm 495 g 700 n Feb 2011 449ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 500D 129 mm 98 mm 62 mm 520 g 400 n Mar 2009 799ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D5100 128 mm 97 mm 79 mm 560 g 660 n Apr 2011 749ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
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The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon 550D was launched in the US market at a price of $699. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Canon 550D features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon 550D among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Canon 550D sensor measures

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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Sensor Characteristics
#   Camera
Model
Sensor
Class
Resolution
(MP)
Horiz.
Pixels
Vert.
Pixels
Video
Format
DXO
Portrait
DXO
Landscape
DXO
Sports
DXO
Overall
1.
 
Canon 550D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.578466
2.
 
Canon 4000D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.911.469563
3.
 
Canon 750D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.712.091971
4.
 
Canon 760D APS-C 24.0 6000 40001080/30p22.612.091570
5.
 
Canon 1200D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.911.372463
6.
 
Canon 700D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.711.268161
7.
 
Canon 650D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p21.711.272262
8.
 
Canon 600D APS-C 17.9 5184 34561080/30p22.111.579365
9.
 
Canon 1100D APS-C 12.2 4272 2848720/30p21.911.075562
10.
 
Canon 500D APS-C 15.1 4752 31681080/20p21.711.566363
11.
 
Nikon D5100 APS-C 16.1 4928 32641080/30p23.513.6118380
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Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The 550D indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the 550D can use is 1080/30p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the 550D has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 95% and a magnification of 0.54x. The adjacent tables list some of the other core features of the Canon 550D along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

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Core Features
#   Camera
Model
Viewfinder
(Type or
000 dots)
Control
Panel
(yes/no)
LCD
Specifications
(inch/000 dots)
LCD
Attach-
ment
Touch
Screen
(yes/no)
Max
Shutter
Speed *
Max
Shutter
Flaps *
Built-in
Flash
(yes/no)
Built-in
Image
Stab
1.
 
Canon 550Doptical n3.0 / 1040 fixed n 1/4000s 3.7/s Y n
2.
 
Canon 4000Doptical n2.7 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
3.
 
Canon 750Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
4.
 
Canon 760Doptical Y3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
5.
 
Canon 1200Doptical n3.0 / 460 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
6.
 
Canon 700Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
7.
 
Canon 650Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel Y 1/4000s 5.0/s Y n
8.
 
Canon 600Doptical n3.0 / 1040 swivel n 1/4000s 3.7/s Y n
9.
 
Canon 1100Doptical n2.7 / 230 fixed n 1/4000s 3.0/s Y n
10.
 
Canon 500Doptical n3.0 / 920 fixed n 1/4000s 3.4/s Y n
11.
 
Nikon D5100optical n3.0 / 921 swivel n 1/4000s 4.0/s Y n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.
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One convenient feature of the 550D is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

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Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 550D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

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Input-Output Connections
#   Camera
Model
Hotshoe
Port
Internal
Mic / Speaker
Microphone
Port
Headphone
Port
HDMI
Port
USB
Port
WiFi
Support
NFC
Support
Bluetooth
Support
1.
 
Canon 550DYstereo / -Y-mini2.0---
2.
 
Canon 4000DYmono / mono--mini2.0YY-
3.
 
Canon 750DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
4.
 
Canon 760DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0YY-
5.
 
Canon 1200DYmono / mono--mini2.0---
6.
 
Canon 700DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
7.
 
Canon 650DYstereo / monoY-mini2.0---
8.
 
Canon 600DYmono / monoY-mini2.0---
9.
 
Canon 1100DYstereo / mono--mini2.0---
10.
 
Canon 500DYmono / mono--mini2.0---
11.
 
Nikon D5100Ymono / monoY-mini2.0---
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It is notable that the 550D has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the 550D can be found in the free online Canon 550D Manual or on the Canon support site.

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Expert reviews

While the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the 550D in practical situations. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why expert reviews are important. The adjacent table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

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Review Scores
#    Camera 
 Model 
 AP 
 score 
 CL 
 score 
 DCW 
 score 
 DPR 
 score 
 EPZ 
 score 
 PB 
 score 
Camera
Launch
Launch
Price (USD)
Street
Price
1.
 
Canon 550D..+ +..77/1004/54.5/5 Feb 2010 699ebay.com
2.
 
Canon 4000D2.5/5o3/5..3.5/53.5/5 Feb 2018 399 amazon.com
3.
 
Canon 750D5/5....75/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 749ebay.com
4.
 
Canon 760D5/5+..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2015 649ebay.com
5.
 
Canon 1200D3/5+....4/54.5/5 Feb 2014 449ebay.com
6.
 
Canon 700D......76/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2013 649ebay.com
7.
 
Canon 650D4/5+ +..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Jun 2012 849ebay.com
8.
 
Canon 600D3/5o..77/1004.5/54.5/5 Feb 2011 599ebay.com
9.
 
Canon 1100D..80/100..69/1004/54.5/5 Feb 2011 449ebay.com
10.
 
Canon 500D..+ +..74/1004.5/54.5/5 Mar 2009 799ebay.com
11.
 
Nikon D51005/5+ +..76/1004.5/54.5/5 Apr 2011 749ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.
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The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Canon 550D FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the 550D.

What type of imaging sensor is used in the Canon 550D?

The camera features a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor.

Which image processing chip is used in the Canon 550D to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Canon equipped the 550D with the DIGIC 4 image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Canon 550D?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Canon EOS 550D?

Canon mentions a shutter rating of 100 000 actuations for the 550D. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the 550D over, say, three years, one would have to take about 100 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Canon 550D?

Canon embeds the number of shutter actuations in the camera firmware. You can check the number of shots that your 550D has taken up to now by using a third-party app, as described on the Canon 550D shutter count page.

Does the Canon 550D feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Canon 550D for flash photography?

The 550D's flash sync speed is 1/200 sec.

Which battery does the Canon 550D use?

The camera gets its power from the LP-E8 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Canon 550D?

Yes, Canon offers the BG-E8 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. An an alternative, you can also directly jump to any one of the listed comparisons that were previously generated by the CAM-parator tool.

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    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Canon 550D
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Canon EF mount lenses
    Launch Date February 2010
    Launch Price USD 699
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format APS-C Sensor
    Sensor Size 22.3 x 14.9 mm
    Sensor Area 332 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 26.8 mm
    Crop Factor 1.6x
    Sensor Resolution 17.9 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 5 184 x 3 456 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.31 μm
    Pixel Density 5.39 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability 1080/30p Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 6 400 ISO
    ISO Boost 100 - 12 800 ISO
    Image Processor DIGIC 4
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 66
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 22.1
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 11.5
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 784
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 95%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.54x
    Top-Level Screen no Top Display
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 3.0 inch
    LCD Resolution 1040k dots
    LCD Attachment Fixed screen
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/4000s
    Continuous Shooting 3.7 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy100 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium SDXC cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Single card slot
    UHS card support no
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port mini HDMI
    Microphone Port External MIC port
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Battery Type LP-E8 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)440 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 129 x 98 x 62 mm
    (5.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 in)
    Camera Weight 530 g (18.7 oz)

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