Last February 8, 2010, Canon officially announced its latest addition to its EOS range of DSLRcameras--the Canon EOS 550D. It is expected to be availble on the 24th of February 2010. Estimated retail price is $799.99 for body-only configuration and $899.99 for the kit version (bundled with Canon's EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens).
Walkthrough Video
Headline Features (source: Canon website)
Note: Italicized items are my personal comments.
- 18 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
- DIGIC 4 processor with ISO 100-6400 (Expansion to 12800)
- Continuous shooting at 3.7fps
- (Non-crippled) Full HD movie recording with manual control and selectable frame rates (30, 25, and 24 fps)
- 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Clear View LCD with 1,040k dots
- iFCL metering System with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering Sensor (this feature is first seen with the pricier Canon EOS 7D)
- Quick Control screen to change shooting settings
- Exposure compensation +/-5 stops.
- Select maximum value for Auto ISO
- External Microphone socket
- Movie crop function
- Eye-Fi connected functions compatibility
Key Differences Between the 550D and the 500D (source: dponline.com)
- ISO 6400 no longer in 'expanded' range (12,800 max remains the same)
- Redesigned buttons and new movie/live view button
- Customizable auto ISO ranges
- Improved 63 zone metering (iFCL)
- 3:2 format screen with more pixels
- Improved movie functionality
- Slightly higher burst shooting rate (though buffer holds fewer shots)
- HDMI control (CEC)
- SDXC compatible