Canon EOS 550D / Rebel T2i 18.0 MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Kit w/ EF-S IS 18-55mm Lens)(UK version)

My last camera was a Fuji 6800 Zoom which I have owned for the last 9yrs and so decided to buy something more modern and capable. After spending several weeks reserching on the net and magazines the Canon 550D came up with some very good reviews. I did consider a hybrid camera such as the Sony NEX 5 and although these are small body cameras, when the detachable lens is fitted they look and feel disproportunate. The 550D did appear to be out of my range cost wise selling at around £660 at John Lewis and close to £800 in some mags. My decision was made when I found I could purchase a new 550D for £485 on EBAY but under the model EOS KissX4 which is the name given in the South Asia market. I would describe this model as above an entry level DSLR and it shares some features with the more expensive 7D. This model is very compact for a DSLR and only weighs 530g with battery and card. It has many basic settings that will deal with portrait, landscape, sports etc that will take care of all the setings for you but its in the creative zone of settings that you can really experiment with your shots. The other great thing is the number of lenses available for this camera if you feel the need to specialise. I think I will add a 55-250 lens later to compliment the 18-55 lens supplied. Both these feature Canons IS system (Image stabilizer) to help reduce camera shake to obtain a less blurred shot. These are early days for me as I have only had the camera for a few weeks but find it very exciting and look forward to experimenting with different settings. One last feature that seems to be ahead of the competion is the true HD movie mode.

The camera has an excellent specification and fulfills all I want in a camera, at a reasonable price. The HD film mode is brilliant if you use a good quality SDHC card.The lens which came with the camera is o.k. without being brilliant.Compare to my previous camera, a Canon powershot G3,technology has improved immensely particularly in the number of megapixels available and the metering systems.All in all I am delighted with this camera.

This is the perfect camera for either the novice or the expert. Myself being somewhere in-between I found the Canon was more user friendly and had better features and quality than the other competition for around the same price.

The bonus of having the far superior sensor that detects light and colour in rgb is fantastic for quality.

Normally only the pro cameras have this technology so for the money this is great. 18mp quality is also a major benefit over other cameras in the range and the addition of full HD movie mode just sealed the deal.

The Canon has a great range of original and compatible lenses at good prices making this camera the best choice to scale for the future.

I am so glad I went for this model and spent that little bit more to gain so much more camera.

I'd been pining after a DSLR for ages, and then when I kindly received a 10% off coupon from eBay I decided to finally buy one. After looking at loads of stuff on the internet, and watching lots of videos on vimeo etc. (I get obsessive about things like these) I decided on the 550D because of its good all-round value and amazing video quality. I ended up managing to get the camera, the 18-55mm IS (it's important you get the IS to avoid blur in lower-light shooting) and some add-on lenses (macro, wide-angle, telephoto) all for £325 manufacturer refurbished which I was pleased with.

As soon as it arrived I started playing around with it and it was really easy to use. I would recommend getting the cheap 50mm f1.8 lens as well, you can really tell the difference between that and the kit lens and it is really cheap, however saying that, the kit lenses are nowhere near awful. But the camera is really easy to use and there are enough manual controls to keep you busy for a good while, and as everybody else says, it is the perfect camera for a relatively new DLSR user as you won't outgrow it too quickly. I can't think of anything I dislike about the camera, and I've already managed to convince a couple of other people to get one!

ive upgraded from eos 400,and find the 18 megapixels allows for bigger crops on small subjects,also higher iso ratings for difficult conditions,and also built in video if needed.allin all an excelent buy.