Canon EOS 550D DSLR Camera Body, Black {18MP} European Version of Rebel T2I

Canon's 18MP Rebel that brought 7D metering downstream

The EOS 550D (also sold as the Rebel T2i and Kiss X4) paired an 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor with the Digic 4 processor, giving Canon's consumer line a resolution jump that held up well against the enthusiast bodies of its era. What set it apart from prior Rebels was the 63-zone iFCL metering sensor borrowed from the EOS 7D, a dual-layer design that reads focus, color, and luminance data together so exposures stay consistent even under mixed lighting that tends to fool single-layer meters.

Full HD video arrived here too, recording 1920 x 1080 at 30, 25, or 24 fps with full manual control over aperture and shutter speed during capture, plus a stereo microphone jack for cleaner audio than the built-in mic could offer. The 3-inch, 1,040,000-dot fixed LCD makes focus confirmation in live view straightforward, and the 9-point AF system with a center cross-type sensor covers the basics for stills shooters moving between viewfinder and live view work.

Continuous shooting runs at 3.7 fps, ISO stretches natively from 100 to 6400 with expansion to 12800, and the pentamirror viewfinder gives 95% coverage at 0.87x magnification. At 530 g body weight, it remains an easy body to carry through a full day of shooting, and the EF/EF-S mount opens it to one of the deepest lens catalogs in photography.

Who It's For

Enthusiast photographers stepping up from a point-and-shoot benefit from the 18MP sensor and 63-zone iFCL metering, which keeps exposures consistent in backlit or mixed-color scenes that trip up simpler metering systems. Hybrid shooters who want stills and video from one body get full manual exposure control during 1080p30 recording along with a stereo mic input for better audio capture. Portrait and event shooters can lean on E-TTL II compatibility with external flash units for controlled fill light, while travel photographers will appreciate the 530 g body and compatibility with the wide EF/EF-S lens lineup for packing light without giving up glass options.

Key Features

• 18.0MP APS-C CMOS sensor with gapless microlenses
• 63-zone iFCL dual-layer metering from the EOS 7D
• Full HD 1920 x 1080 video at 30, 25, 24 fps with manual exposure control
• 9-point autofocus with center cross-type sensor
• 3.7 fps continuous shooting
• Pentamirror viewfinder with 95% coverage and 0.87x magnification
• 3-inch 1,040,000-dot fixed LCD with live view
• ISO 100–6400 native, expandable to 12,800

FAQ

What metering system does the 550D use?

The 63-zone iFCL dual-layer sensor borrowed from the 7D. It reads focus, color, and luminance data together, with one layer sensitive to red and green light and another to blue and green, so the meter compensates for casts that fool single-layer designs.

Does the 550D shoot full HD video?

Yes. 1920 x 1080 at 30, 25, or 24 fps with full manual control over aperture and shutter speed during recording. Stereo microphone jack is built in.

What's the sensor resolution?

18.0 MP APS-C CMOS with gapless microlenses that boost pixel efficiency. The sensor is similar to but not identical to the one in the 7D.

How fast does it shoot in burst mode?

3.7 fps continuous. Solid for a consumer body at this resolution.

What autofocus system does it have?

9-point AF with a center cross-type sensor. All points feed distance information to the iFCL metering system for proximity-weighted exposure.

What ISO range does the 550D support?

Native 100 to 6400, expandable to 12800. The Digic 4 processor handles the scaling.

Can you use live view and shoot video?

Yes to both. Live view uses the rear LCD for composing, and a dedicated button switches to movie mode. The 3-inch fixed LCD with 1,040,000 dots makes focus confirmation straightforward in either mode.