Just picked up the 550D at DVinfo.net

James Miller · February 24th, 2010, 10:36 AM

Park Cameras have them in stock now.

Just picked up the 550D, its raining and getting dark very quick in the uk but i'm shooting on. Quick tests look great, very small camera.

Love it.

James

Tony Davies-Patrick · February 24th, 2010, 11:25 AM

It's about time we got some good weather. This rain, sleet and cold rain has gone on for too long!
Enjoy your new toy in the rain. :)

Ed Kishel · February 24th, 2010, 05:25 PM

drats- over here in the colonies we must wait unitl march

carefull- its not waterproofed

EDIT: I guess it is in stock in some US stores- hmm

John Wiley · February 25th, 2010, 12:46 AM

Congratulations James!

Can you confirm that it has full manual control over shutter speed, ISO and aperture in video mode? I remember reading that it had 'exposure control' but it was ambiguous whether this meant full control like the 7d or only Aperture priority.

Thanks,
John

James Miller · February 25th, 2010, 09:07 AM

Hi John, yes it has full control in video mode. It also has a dedicated dial for video so you don't need to select manual. You control the Auto/Manual video in the main menu once you select the video mode on the top dial.

David T. Smith · February 25th, 2010, 09:20 PM

Hi,
I heard that the T2i/550D does not send a monitor feed out via the HDMI port the way the 5D/7D/1D do. Is this true?

That may be the deciding factor for me buying one or saving up for the 7D.

Thanks,
DAve

Stan Chase · February 25th, 2010, 09:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Kishel

drats- over here in the colonies we must wait unitl march EDIT: I guess it is in stock in some US stores- hmm

I ordered the body only from an authorized dealer on eBay this afternoon. They had 2 available and sold both within an hour. Shipping in 1-2 business days via FedEx..awaiting a tracking number.

The total damage came out to $799 - $63.92 Instant Bing Cashback -$15.98 eBates -$15.98 eBay Bucks = $703.12 delivered. My T1i's on eBay already with a bid. :)

Matt Davis · February 26th, 2010, 10:18 AM

My 550D is sitting here waiting for the battery to charge.

It came from Park Cameras, came with a Kit lens and a few other bits.

Compared to my Nikon D200, and a colleague's 7D, it is VERY SMALL AND LIGHT. Toylike. Only when you hold two side by side do you realise just how small and dinky this thing is.

The whole ensemble feels like a pimped up consumer DSLR because that is exactly what it is. There is no way any security guard, police officer, busybody, naredowell or animal will mistake this for professional kit. And because of that, I love it to bits already.

John Wiley · March 3rd, 2010, 11:45 PM

A quick question... Does the 550d have a true live preview on the LCD screen, showing exactly what your recording will look like, or is it an automatic preview?

I'm asking because I've stepped into the world of DSLR's with the Pentax K-x. I love it for stills but in video mode you get an automatic preivew on the LCD screen, and as soon as you hit record it switches to a true live display and looks completely different. It makes it almost impossible to set exposure correctly.

The 550d will be a bit of a sideways upgrade for stills if I do get one but will be alot better better for those times I want it for video.

Thanks,
John

Alex Sava · March 31st, 2010, 04:42 AM

After some time of posting here and feeling like I'm not part of the club, finally got my 550D. Waiting for the battery to charge.

Unfortunately I couldn't find "body only" anywhere so I had to get that kit lens... Oh well, I'm a complete dSLR noob anyways so might as well play with this glass until I get the hang of it, then move on.

David St. Juskow · March 31st, 2010, 07:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Wiley

A quick question... Does the 550d have a true live preview on the LCD screen, showing exactly what your recording will look like, or is it an automatic preview?

Having never seen that Pentax in action, from what you're describing, it's a true live preview. The screen does not switch in any way from "photo" to "video" quality. Focusing using the screen seems to be easier on this than on the 5D for some reason, or I've just gotten better at it. You can't use the "focus assist" magnification while recording, which would be a MAJOR help, but it's actually an incredibly sharp display, so if you have good eyes, you can hit your focus without any extra gear. If anything, the screen actually looks WAY BETTER than the final result- makes you want to have people watch your final films on the camera!

not sure about the HDMI port but if you read a recent thread from a couple of weeks ago, people were discussing this and it seems like they WERE getting an HDMI preview... I know the SD preview works fine...

Euisung Lee · March 31st, 2010, 02:51 PM

HDMI preview in HD works fine. It switches to 480p when camera is recording, which is the same limitation as 5D mk2 with single image processor.
7D and 1D has dual processor so the HDMI preview stays HD even during recording.

February 24th, 2010, 10:36 AM	#1
James Miller Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sussex, UK Posts: 317	Just picked up the 550D Park Cameras have them in stock now. Just picked up the 550D, its raining and getting dark very quick in the uk but i'm shooting on. Quick tests look great, very small camera. Love it. James

February 24th, 2010, 11:25 AM	#2
Tony Davies-Patrick Trustee Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Worldwide Posts: 1,589	It's about time we got some good weather. This rain, sleet and cold rain has gone on for too long! Enjoy your new toy in the rain. :) __________________ www.WILDCARP.com www.NIKON.me.uk

February 24th, 2010, 05:25 PM	#3
Ed Kishel Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Phoenix, AZ Posts: 80	drats- over here in the colonies we must wait unitl march carefull- its not waterproofed EDIT: I guess it is in stock in some US stores- hmm Last edited by Ed Kishel; February 24th, 2010 at 05:57 PM.

February 25th, 2010, 09:20 PM	#6
David T. Smith Tourist Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Berkeley, CA Posts: 1	Monitor Feed Hi, I heard that the T2i/550D does not send a monitor feed out via the HDMI port the way the 5D/7D/1D do. Is this true? That may be the deciding factor for me buying one or saving up for the 7D. Thanks, DAve

February 26th, 2010, 10:18 AM	#8
Matt Davis Trustee Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Berkshire, UK Posts: 1,562	Just arrived - boy, is it small and light! My 550D is sitting here waiting for the battery to charge. It came from Park Cameras, came with a Kit lens and a few other bits. Compared to my Nikon D200, and a colleague's 7D, it is VERY SMALL AND LIGHT. Toylike. Only when you hold two side by side do you realise just how small and dinky this thing is. The whole ensemble feels like a pimped up consumer DSLR because that is exactly what it is. There is no way any security guard, police officer, busybody, naredowell or animal will mistake this for professional kit. And because of that, I love it to bits already. __________________ Director/Editor - MDMA Ltd: Write, Shoot, Edit, Publish - mattdavis.pro EX1 x2, C100 --> FCPX & PPro6

February 25th, 2010, 12:46 AM	#4
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	Congratulations James! Can you confirm that it has full manual control over shutter speed, ISO and aperture in video mode? I remember reading that it had 'exposure control' but it was ambiguous whether this meant full control like the 7d or only Aperture priority. Thanks, John

February 25th, 2010, 09:07 AM	#5
James Miller Major Player Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Sussex, UK Posts: 317	Hi John, yes it has full control in video mode. It also has a dedicated dial for video so you don't need to select manual. You control the Auto/Manual video in the main menu once you select the video mode on the top dial.

March 3rd, 2010, 11:45 PM	#9
John Wiley Trustee Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Byron Bay, Australia Posts: 1,155	A quick question... Does the 550d have a true live preview on the LCD screen, showing exactly what your recording will look like, or is it an automatic preview? I'm asking because I've stepped into the world of DSLR's with the Pentax K-x. I love it for stills but in video mode you get an automatic preivew on the LCD screen, and as soon as you hit record it switches to a true live display and looks completely different. It makes it almost impossible to set exposure correctly. The 550d will be a bit of a sideways upgrade for stills if I do get one but will be alot better better for those times I want it for video. Thanks, John

March 31st, 2010, 04:42 AM	#10
Alex Sava Regular Crew Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bucharest, Romania Posts: 37	After some time of posting here and feeling like I'm not part of the club, finally got my 550D. Waiting for the battery to charge. Unfortunately I couldn't find "body only" anywhere so I had to get that kit lens... Oh well, I'm a complete dSLR noob anyways so might as well play with this glass until I get the hang of it, then move on.

March 31st, 2010, 02:51 PM	#12
Euisung Lee Regular Crew Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 57	HDMI preview in HD works fine. It switches to 480p when camera is recording, which is the same limitation as 5D mk2 with single image processor. 7D and 1D has dual processor so the HDMI preview stays HD even during recording.