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instruction manual the quick reference guide and software start guide are provided at end of this manual english instruction manual

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introduction the eos 550d is a high-performance digital single-lens reflex camera featuring a fine-detail cmos sensor with 18.0 effective megapixels digic 4 high-precision and high-speed 9-point af approx 3.7 fps continuous shooting live view shooting and full hd full highdefinition movie shooting the camera is highly responsive for shooting at anytime provides many functions fitted for advanced shooting and offers many other features take test shots to familiarize yourself with the camera with a digital camera you can immediately view the image you have captured while reading this manual take a few test shots and see how they come out you can then better understand the camera to avoid botched pictures and accidents first read the safety warnings p.233 234 and handling precautions p.12,13 testing the camera before use and liability after shooting playback and check whether the images have been properly recorded if the camera or memory card is faulty and the images cannot be recorded or downloaded to a computer canon cannot be held liable for any loss or inconvenience caused copyrights copyright laws in your country may prohibit the use of your recorded images of people and certain subjects for anything but private enjoyment also be aware that certain public performances exhibitions etc may prohibit photography even for private enjoyment this camera is compatible with sd memory cards sdhc memory cards and sdxc memory cards this manual will refer to all these cards as just card the camera does not come with a card for recording images please purchase it separately 2

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item check list before starting check that all the following items have been included with your camera if anything is missing contact your dealer camera with eyecup and body cap battery pack lp-e8 with protective cover battery charger lc-e8/lc-e8e wide strap ew-100db iii interface cable stereo av cable avc-dc400st eos digital solution disk software eos digital software instruction manuals disk camera instruction manual this booklet battery charger lc-e8 or lc-e8e is provided the lc-e8e comes with a power cord if you purchased a lens kit check that the lens is included depending on the lens kit type the lens instruction manual might also be included be careful not to lose any of the above items 3

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conventions used in this manual icons in this manual <6

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chapters for first-time dslr users chapters 1 and 2 explain the camera s basic operations and shooting procedures introduction camera basics 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 getting started basic shooting and image playback fully automatic shooting for different subjects 23 45 creative shooting basic shooting features for specific types of subjects 59 advanced shooting advanced shooting features 77 shooting with the lcd monitor live view shooting shooting movies handy features convenient menu-based functions 107 123 137 image playback printing images customizing the camera reference 155 175 189 201 243 end pages quick reference guide and software start guide 5

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contents introduction 2 item check list 3 conventions used in this manual 4 chapters 5 contents at a glance 10 handling precautions 12 quick start guide 14 nomenclature 16 1 getting started 23 charging the battery 24 installing and removing the battery 26 turning on the power 27 setting the date and time 29 selecting the interface language 30 installing and removing the sd card 31 attaching and detaching a lens 33 about the lens image stabilizer 35 basic operation 36 q using the quick control screen 38 3 menu operations 40 formatting the card 42 switching the lcd monitor display 44 2 basic shooting and image playback 45 1 fully automatic shooting 46 1 full auto techniques 48 7 disabling flash 49 2 shooting portraits 50 3 shooting landscapes 51 4 shooting close-ups 52 5 shooting moving subjects 53 6 shooting portraits at night 54 c creative auto shooting 55 x image playback 58 6

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contents 3 creative shooting 59 d program ae 60 z changing the iso speed 62 d using the built-in flash 64 e changing the af mode 66 s selecting the af point 68 mf manual focusing 69 i continuous shooting 70 j using the self-timer 71 setting the image-recording quality 72 a selecting a picture style 75 4 advanced shooting 77 s action shots 78 f changing the depth of field 80 depth of field preview 82 a manual exposure 83 8 automatic depth-of-field ae 85 q changing the metering mode 86 oy setting exposure compensation 87 auto exposure bracketing 89 a customizing a picture style 91 a registering a picture style 94 setting the color space 96 a ae lock 97 a fe lock 98 b setting the white balance 99 2 white balance correction 101 auto lighting optimizer 103 lens peripheral illumination correction 104 preventing camera shake 106 7

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contents 5 shooting with the lcd monitor live view shooting 107 a shooting with the lcd monitor 108 shooting function settings 111 using af to focus 113 focusing manually 120 6 7 shooting movies 123 k shooting movies 124 shooting function settings 130 handy features 137 handy features 138 silencing the beeper 138 card reminder 138 setting the image review time 138 setting the auto power-off time 139 adjusting the lcd monitor brightness 139 file numbering methods 140 auto rotation of vertical images 142 b checking camera settings 143 reverting the camera to the default settings 144 preventing the lcd monitor from turning off automatically 146 changing the shooting settings screen color 146 setting the flash 147 f automatic sensor cleaning 150 appending dust delete data 151 manual sensor cleaning 153 8 image playback 155 hi searching for images quickly 156 u/y magnified view 158 b rotating the image 159 k enjoying movies 160 k playing movies 162 x editing the movie s first and last scenes 164 8

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contents slide show auto playback 165 viewing the images on tv 167 k protecting images 170 l erasing images 171 b shooting information display 173 9 printing images 175 preparing to print 176 wprinting 178 trimming the image 183 w digital print order format dpof 185 direct printing with dpof 188 10 customizing the camera 189 setting custom functions 190 custom function settings 192 registering my menu 198 setting copyright information 199 11 reference 201 when autofocus fails 202 using a household power outlet 203 remote control shooting 204 external speedlites 206 using eye-fi cards 208 function availability table according to shooting modes 210 menu settings 212 system map 216 troubleshooting guide 218 error codes 224 specifications 225 index 237 end pages quick reference guide and software start guide 243 9

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contents at a glance shooting shoot automatically shoot continuously p.45 57 basic zone modes p.50 53 70 i continuous shooting p.71 j self-timer p.78 s shutter-priority ae p.80 f aperture-priority ae p.87 exposure compensation p.46 62 64 d flash photography p.49 7 flash off p.84 bulb exposure p.108 a live view shooting p.124 k movie shooting take a picture of yourself in a group freeze the action blur the action blur the background keep the background in sharp focus adjust the image brightness exposure shoot in low light shoot without flash photograph fireworks at night shoot while viewing the lcd monitor shoot movies image quality shoot with image effects matching the subject p.75 selecting a picture style 10

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make a large-size print of the picture take many pictures p.72 73 83 1 p.72 76 86 focusing change the point of focus shoot a moving subject p.68 s af point selection p.53 67 ai servo af playback view the images with the camera search for pictures quickly prevent important images from accidental deletion delete unnecessary images view the images on a tv set set the lcd brightness p.58 x playback p.156 h index display p.170 k image protect p.171 l delete p.167 video out p.139 lcd brightness printing print pictures easily p.175 direct printing 11

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handling precautions camera care this camera is a precision instrument do not drop it or subject it to physical shock the camera is not waterproof and cannot be used underwater if you accidentally drop the camera into water promptly consult your nearest canon service center wipe off any water droplets with a dry cloth if the camera has been exposed to salty air wipe it with a well-wrung wet cloth never leave the camera near anything having a strong magnetic field such as a magnet or electric motor also avoid using or leaving the camera near anything emitting strong radio waves such as a large antenna strong magnetic fields can cause camera misoperation or destroy image data do not leave the camera in excessive heat such as in a car in direct sunlight high temperatures can cause the camera to malfunction the camera contains precision electronic circuitry never attempt to disassemble the camera yourself use a blower to blow away dust on the lens viewfinder reflex mirror and focusing screen do not use cleaners that contain organic solvents to clean the camera body or lens for stubborn dirt take the camera to the nearest canon service center do not touch the camera s electrical contacts with your fingers this is to prevent the contacts from corroding corroded contacts can cause camera misoperation if the camera is suddenly brought in from the cold into a warm room condensation may form on the camera and internal parts to prevent condensation first put the camera in a sealed plastic bag and let it adjust to the warmer temperature before taking it out of the bag if condensation forms on the camera do not use the camera this is to avoid damaging the camera if there is condensation remove the lens card and battery from the camera and wait until the condensation has evaporated before using the camera if the camera will not be used for an extended period remove the battery and store the camera in a cool dry well-ventilated location even while the camera is in storage press the shutter button a few times once in a while to check that the camera is still working avoid storing the camera where there are corrosive chemicals such as a darkroom or chemical lab if the camera has not been used for an extended period test all its functions before using it if you have not used the camera for some time or if there is an important shoot coming up have the camera checked by your canon dealer or check the camera yourself and make sure it is working properly 12

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handling precautions lcd monitor although the lcd monitor is manufactured with very high precision technology with over 99.99 effective pixels there might be a few dead pixels among the remaining 0.01 or less pixels dead pixels displaying only black or red etc are not a malfunction they do not affect the images recorded if the lcd monitor is left on for a prolonged period screen burn-in may occur where you see remnants of what was displayed however this is only temporary and will disappear when the camera is left unused for a few days in low or high temperatures the lcd monitor display may seem slow or it might look black it will return to normal at room temperature cards to protect the card and its recorded data note the following do not drop bend or wet the card do not subject it to excessive force physical shock or vibration do not store or use the card near anything having a strong magnetic field such as a tv set speakers or magnet also avoid places prone to having static electricity do not leave the card in direct sunlight or near a heat source store the card in a case do not store the card in hot dusty or humid locations lens after detaching the lens from the camera attach the lens caps or put down the lens with the rear end up to avoid scratching the lens surface and electrical contacts contacts cautions during prolonged use if you use continuous shooting live view shooting or movie shooting for a prolonged period the camera may become hot although this is not a malfunction holding the hot camera for a long period can cause slight skin burns about smear adhering to the front of the sensor besides dust entering the camera from outside in rare cases lubricant from the camera s internal parts may adhere to the front of the sensor in case visible spots still remain after the automatic sensor cleaning having the sensor cleaned by a canon service center is recommended 13

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quick start guide 1 2 3 4 5 14 white index red index insert the battery p.26 to charge the battery see page 24 attach the lens p.33 align the lens white or red index with the camera s index in the matching color set the lens focus mode switch to

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quick start guide 6 7 8 9 set the mode dial to <1 full auto p.46 all the necessary camera settings will be set automatically focus the subject p.37 look through the viewfinder and aim the viewfinder center over the subject press the shutter button halfway and the camera will focus the subject if necessary the built-in flash will popup automatically take the picture p.37 press the shutter button completely to take the picture review the picture p.138 the captured image will be displayed for approx 2 sec on the lcd monitor to display the image again press the

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