Product ReviewsCanon PowerShot A550 7.1MP Digital Camera - Silver

Poor battery life.To call it a 'starter camera is an UNDERSTATEMENT

I have a pair of these things that I use together to take stereo photographs. I find that one of the cameras takes slightly washed out and out of focus photographs when I enlarge the finished photograph even 4 times. When the photo is viewed 1:1 the blurriness is not so pronounced but easily noticable. The way this camera meters the light compared to the other is also very noticeable. This one overexposes the scene slightly losing color of the sky, making it look white (smoggy/cloudy). As I have used this dual camera rig I have noticed that the lens doors do not open as they should as they stick almost closed after the lens is at full extension. Sometimes I have changed the batteries thinking they were expended but not. This leads me to my worse opinion of these things. They suck down batteries like a mini black hole! On average, I get about 26 photos before the camera starts to cry that the batteries are expended and turn off unexpectedly. I have had them turn off in less than a minute with NEW Duracell batteries. To add displeasure to this, I have found that this camera also does not have a good power jack with which to power it externally. On the point of battery life, I must borrow some extra hands to give it a Double-Double thumbs down. It is a total disappointment that it cannot use D-cells (or higher capacity cells) either internally or externally on a belt pack for a decent battery life. After all, what good are all the gee-gaws and doo-dads on the program dial if the camera will not turn on??
I am thinking this is the main reason Canon kicked this model to the curb instead of the simple reason that it was last year's model as they do with new cars.Read full review...

Big Bang for the Buck

I'd rate this camera Excellent for the price -- But I give it a good overall. I bought this cameera for my daughter who is in High School and she loves it. The quality of the picture is outstanding and the camera is very easy to use. I bought a used one in excellent condition for $35 on Ebay (but they usually go for $65 or so depending on condition). In her case, it's better to have a battery powered one because she is very much 'on the run' and not always able to charge a battery. Having an extra two AA batteries in the purse/pouch is easier for her. I've had dozens of cameras over the years and Canon makes the best lenses. That is the most important part of any camera. The A550 7.1 is a fine example of combining great quality with frugality.Read full review...

Handy little compact

Bought this to replace an A450 for a friend. Slightly higher megapixel (7.1) and takes pretty good video. No image stablization tho' which is probably the handiest thing invented for cameras in the last century. Size is good for sticking in a pocket, about 1/2 inch narrower and 1/2 inch higher than the A450 but about the same depth (ie: more square) but still pretty small. Don't know what is maximum size for the memory card. Came with a 16 MB but as a 7.1 megapixel camera takes large format photos in the 3 or 4 megabite range you can imagine that the card doesn't hold much. Would buy another if I could get a good price on it but wouldn't want to pay new prices as it is rapidly becoming obsolete.Read full review...

camera

It is a nice size. I love the view window. because it makes it easy to see what you are shooting in high sun light.i like the bump on the right side and the ridge around the lense that keep your fingers from sliding into the shot. You need to use good quality batteries, because it drains the cheap ones really fast.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: circuittweaker

Canon Powershot A550

Camera in very good shape . Great packaging . My wife wanted a small camera with the optical viewer . This was just the ticket . She takes some fuzzy pics . I tried and had NO problem . Great Camera and very good price . Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: atarmiga

Good value, minor issues

For the price, it's a great camera. But it didn't come with a memory card and the date battery needs to be changed. Still great value for the price

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: mcdo_7163

Canon A550

I love this camera for its ease of use and for its ability to take photos and video in less than ideal lighting conditions. It gives excellent quality for both sound and video, but the video clips are only for a few minutes, which is the only negative. Pictures can be cropped and enlarged with still excellent quality. The software is also easy to use and download from the camera to the computer is simple.Read full review...

Bought it again

This is one of the best cameras to have with you at all times .
Over the years I had several of the Cannon A 550 cameras .
All of them in daily use .
One my puppy ate , several got dropped and broke .
For the "more demanding photographic tasks" I have another more upgrade Cannon and a Leica.
This little camera you can not be beat for the every day chores .
If you brake or loose this camera - no problem , at todays prices - just buy another one .
One of the best features , it has an optical view finder !
That means regardles of bright sunlight , you can even see the scene that you are taking a picture of ! ! !
Another feature I like is that it takes AA batteries .
That means it does not take hours to recharge the ever degrading rechargeable battery pack .
Read full review...

Small camera with big potential

I had A460 before and I loved it better than other brands of similar affordable cameras , so I found this one for cheap price and I am so very happy with my purchase! This little camera has a lot to offer.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: equipexports

Cannon A550 Digital Camera

Great compact dependable camera which is capable of taking both high quality photos and videos. I use my Cannonn A550 from every day photography to taking still shots on filming locations. Trusty handy camera!Read full review...