Canon PowerShot A550 Digital Camera Review

Introduced in January 2007 and released the following month, the Canon PowerShot A550 has design features reminiscent of past models but promises to be even easier to use. It has automatic modes and basic features meant to attract first-timers and shooters moving up from the most primitive of entry-level models. The 7.1-megapixel digital camera has a 2-inch LCD screen and 4x optical zoom lens. It retails for $199.

Physical Tour

Front (7.5)
The Canon PowerShot A550 looks similar to other A-series cameras from the front. It has a chunky hand grip on the left that has a chrome band down the apex surrounded by the Canon and PowerShot logos.. The band is more decorative than functional. On the right side of the camera body is the 4x optical zoom lens with its specs printed across the bottom of the circular rim: “5.8-23.2mm 1:2.6-5.5.” The glass is covered by two plastic petals when the camera is turned off. When turned on, the covers open and the lens extends in two segments about an inch and a half from the body. The front surface is a matte silver that has contours for handling . The lens sticks out about a quarter-inch from the camera body. To the top left of the lens are three holes that make up the built-in microphone. Above the lens is the optical viewfinder, with an auto focus assist lamp to its left. To the top right of the lens is a rectangular flash that is about half the size of an SD card – still quite large for a built-in flash. Below the flash is a printed label, “4x Optical Zoom,” and to the bottom right of the lens is another label: “7.1 Mega Pixels.” Overall, the front isn’t incredibly attractive. It looks like a standard digital camera.

Back (7.0)
The back of the A550 looks almost identical to the A530. It has the exact same layout but with a slightly larger display screen. The 2-inch LCD is on the left and is only 0.2 inches larger than its predecessor's. It has a black frame around it and is raised above the rest of the camera body. Just above the LCD is a circular optical viewfinder with two LED indicator lights and a Canon logo to the left. On the right side of the screen is a series of buttons that is found on other PowerShot A-series models. The central element is the Func./Set button that has a navigational ring around it. That ring has raised lines between the cardinal directions to help guide the fingers. The top portion of the selector accesses the ISO range; the right side has a flash icon on it; the bottom has burst and self-timer icons; and the left side has a flower graphic that represents the macro mode. Directly above the multiselector is a “jump” icon and below it is a trash icon. There are two buttons above the multiselector and two buttons below it. The two on top are for playback/recording and printing/transferring. The two on the bottom change the display and show the menu system. All of the buttons have the same circular shape, although the print button has an LED in its middle. In the top right corner of the back is a pattern of holes that looks almost like a snowflake which is the built-in speaker.