EOS 600D - Rebel T3i - Kiss X5

Replacement for the 550D / Rebel T2i

May 17th

The next in the XXXD series.

600D info and reviews

550D specs for Comparison

Key features

- 18-megapixel CMOS sensor

- Scene Intelligent Auto mode

- Full-HD EOS Movie

- On-screen Feature Guide

- 3.7fps continuous shooting

- Wide-area 9-point AF

- 1,040k-dot vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) screen

- Basic+ and Creative Filters

- Built-in wireless flash control

 

 

EOS 600D News and reviews

Updated as we find them

Press info (UK)
US Press info [on Canon US site]
600D compared to 1100D
> Firmware Update V1.0.1 [Win | Mac]

Reviews/previews

Preview at DPreview
Sample image comparisons at DPReview
Preview at Imaging Resource
Preview at PhotoRadar
Review at PhotoRadar
Gizmodo info
AmPhot info

Latest 600D Information

           

2011 May

• 17th Firmware updated to V1.0.1 [Win | Mac]
• Firmware Version 1.0.1 incorporates the following fixes and changes:
• 1. Clarifies the feature guide description of the digital zoom function for movie-shooting that appears on the camera's LCD monitor.
• 2. Fixes a phenomenon in which, in rare cases, a computer connected to the camera with a USB cable cannot recognize the camera.

March

• 11th Reviews updated
• 1st Availability of T3i from B&H w/18-55 II at $899

February

• 10th Added featues list and comparisons, updated preview links.
• 5th The 600D seems to have moved to the front in the 'what's to be announced' rumours.
• 3rd A Korean regulatory note [RRA] appears, suggesting that a 600D was registered by Canon on January the 25th. Whenever a consumer electronics item is released into a market, there are various type approval required - I'm surprised that this is publically accessible, but a 600D has looked pretty likely this time of the year, since the 550D came out.

Canon UK press info

Capturing stunning images and Full HD video has never been easier, thanks to a range of automatic shooting modes that beginners can use to instantly express their creativity. A Feature Guide has been added to the user interface to help you learn about the camera as you use it, helping to develop your photography skills. With an unrivalled range of EF lenses, Speedlites and other accessories to enhance your shooting, the EOS system holds the key to the perfect shot – wherever your journey takes you, and whatever the scene before you.

First-class image quality

The EOS 600D provides all the tools to capture beautiful stills and HD movies. Amazing picture detail is provided by a high-resolution 18 Megapixel (MP) APS-C CMOS sensor, which combines with 14-bit DIGIC 4 processing so you can capture the wonder of a beautiful blue sky and enjoy exceptionally smooth gradients between colours. The camera’s low light shooting capability enables you to achieve clear, natural images in darker conditions, with an ISO range of 100-6400 that can be further expanded to 12800.

Great for shooting pets, children or wildlife, the EOS 600D allows high-speed shooting at 3.7 frames per second (fps), enabling you to capture fast-moving action. Each shot will be captured in sharp detail thanks to the 9-point Auto Focus system, which can track subjects using the auto focus points across the frame. Even more accurate focusing is providing by an extra-sensitive central AF Sensor, while the iFCL Metering system from the semi-professional EOS 7D features a 63-zone Dual-layer metering sensor, helping you to ensure your shot is correctly exposed, even in difficult lighting conditions.

Easy shooting, amazing results

New fully-automatic Scene Intelligent Auto mode makes it easy for you to capture outstanding quality shots with almost no effort. Allowing you to focus exclusively on framing your picture, Scene Intelligent Auto analyses the scene for you and automatically picks the best settings to capture it. Your images will look better than ever thanks to a new ‘Auto’ Picture Style, which automatically makes fine adjustments to colours while you focus on capturing the scene you want.

The EOS 600D also makes it easy for you to instantly add creativity to your pictures. Change the atmosphere of a scene with Basic+, which allows you to pick the mood you want to achieve from one of eight options, including ‘Warm’, ‘Cool’ or ‘Intense’. Whether you’re shooting landscapes, portraits, or close-up macro shots, Basic+ makes it easy to capture the perfect image.

Simple, flexible, artistic

Ideal for beginners, a Feature Guide has been added to the EOS 600D’s menu system, offering a brief description of each key setting and its effect, helping you learn more about the camera as you use it.

You can also shoot overhead, at ground level or around corners with the EOS 600D’s
Vari-angle 7.7cm 3:2 ratio ClearView LCD. Rich on-screen detail is provided in 1.04 million-dot resolution, and the side-mounted hinge allows users to comfortably and creatively shoot from a range of unusual angles, or when using a tripod. A smudge-resistant fluorine coating and three anti-reflection coatings also ensure you can see the LCD in clear detail, wherever you are.

Allowing you to apply your own stamp to your shots, the EOS 600D is perfect for experimenting with different Creative Filters. Fish-eye-Effect creates a barrel-shaped distortion similar to a fish-eye lens, and you can instantly turn a scene into a small-scale model with Miniature Effect. Toy Camera Effect, Grainy B/W and Soft Focus offer additional options, allowing you to experiment with your images in a number of different ways.

Capture stunning detail with EOS movie

Capture your memories in superb clarity with Full HD (1080p) movie mode, while a dedicated movie shooting mode means you can switch between stills and HD video instantly. You can also reach distant subjects using new Movie Digital Zoom function, which crops the centre of the sensor from 3x to 10x while still maintaining Full HD quality – great for capturing wildlife on a safari holiday.

Enabling you to capture more engaging videos, Video Snapshot mode shoots video in two, four, or eight second segments, creating clips that are short, easy to edit and of similar lengths to clips used in most TV programmes. As they are recorded, the clips are saved to a Video Snapshot Album and combined into one movie. A soundtrack can be added by choosing from tracks uploaded to the camera and the result viewed on the camera’s LCD, or on an HDTV via the built-in mini HDMI connection.

The EOS system – unrestricted creativity

As your skills develop, the EOS 600D grows with you. As part of Canon’s EOS range, the camera is compatible with the unrivalled selection of EF lenses and a range of accessories, so you can add to your kitbag as your ability and style develops. Over 60 lenses provide you with unlimited creative possibilities: wide-angle lenses capture sweeping landscapes, macro lenses capture the most intricate beauty of the tiniest creatures, and telephoto lenses make distant scenes appear as if they are right in front of you.

Using Canon’s range of Speedlite flashes and the EOS 600D’s Integrated
Speedlite Transmitter, you can also experiment with different lighting techniques, or use your flash off-camera, to give your subject or scene a completely different look and feel. With the Easy Wireless function, the camera will also take care of the complicated settings whilst you focus on framing and lighting your scene as you wish.

Introducing the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II

Launching with the EOS 600D is the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II – a new kit lens that provides excellent performance for beginners. A lightweight construction makes it easy to carry, and Canon’s acclaimed optical Image Stabilization also minimises the risk of blur, allowing photographers to use shutter speeds 4 stops slower while still maintaining a blur-free shot. The EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II will succeed the existing EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS in Canon’s lens line-up.

EOS 600D – key features:

18-megapixel CMOS sensor
Scene Intelligent Auto mode
Full-HD EOS Movie
On-screen Feature Guide
3.7fps continuous shooting
Wide-area 9-point AF
1,040k-dot vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) screen
Basic+ and Creative Filters
Built-in wireless flash control
Technologies explained

Canon CMOS sensor

Exclusively designed and manufactured by Canon to work in combination with its own DIGIC processors, Canon’s CMOS technology integrates advanced noise reduction circuitry at each pixel site, delivering virtually noise-free images. In comparison with CCD technology, the lower power consumption characteristics of Canon’s CMOS sensors also contribute to longer battery life.

Signal conversion in Canon’s CMOS sensors is handled by individual amplifiers at each pixel site. Unnecessary charge transfer operations are avoided, vastly speeding up the process of getting the signal to the image processor. Noise is reduced, power consumption is limited and faster frame rate potential is increased.

DIGIC 4

Image data captured by the CMOS sensor is processed by Canon’s purpose-built DIGIC 4 image processors before being written to memory card. DIGIC technology uses advanced image processing algorithms to ensure precise, natural colours, tonal gradation, accurate white balance, and advanced noise reduction. Ultra-fast processing speeds result in highly responsive camera operation and near-instant start-up times.

DIGIC chips work with a high speed image buffer, reading, processing, compressing and writing image data fast enough to keep the buffer clear during long continuous shooting bursts. In addition, because DIGIC 4 integrates all key processing functions, power consumption is kept to a minimum.

iFCL metering system with 63-zone Dual-layer Metering sensor
The iFCL system uses focus, colour and luminance information to determine consistently exposed shots. All focus points provide distance information to the metering system to determine the location of the subject and allow the algorithm to weight the exposure accordingly.

Both the EOS 600D and EOS 1100D models feature a metering sensor with 63 zones, compatible with all nine AF points. Typically, metering sensors are more sensitive to red subjects which can lead to overexposure. The EOS 600D and EOS 1100D counter this with the dual layer sensor, which has one layer sensitive to red and green light and one that is sensitive to blue and green light. The metering algorithm then compares the level of the two layers and adjusts the meter reading accordingly.

EOS Integrated Cleaning System
The new EOS 600D features the EOS Integrated Cleaning System, used to combat sensor dust in three important ways: Reduce, Repel and Remove.

Reduce - Internal camera mechanisms are designed to minimise dust generation. The redesigned body cap prevents dust generation through wear on the cap itself
Repel - Anti-static technologies, including a magnesium fluoride coating, are applied to the low-pass filter covering the front of the sensor so as not to attract dust
Remove - A Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit uses hi-frequency vibrations to shake dust from the infrared filter for a period of approximately one second after each start up. For instant shooting after power up, this feature is disabled immediately as the shutter release is depressed
The front surface of the EOS 1100D’s low-pass filter features a fluorine coating to minimize dust adhesion to the sensor. Both the EOS 600D and the EOS 1100D feature an internal Dust Delete Data system, which can map the position of visible dust on the sensor. This can then be deleted automatically after the shoot with the latest Digital Photo Professional software.

Vari-Angle Clear View LCD (EOS 600D only)

The EOS 600D features a 7.7cm (3.0”) 3:2 Vari-Angle Clear View LCD screen offering approximately 1.04 million dot resolution – allowing high-quality viewing of images, and focus checks, in playback. With a wide 160º angle of view, images on the Clear View LCD can be easily reviewed in a vast range of environments with reduced ghosting and reflections, thanks to three anti-reflection coatings and a smudge-resistant fluorine coating. Marks on the screen are prevented and colours on the monitor appear natural and close to the sRGB colour space. The vari-angle screen has been designed to open sideways, enabling photographers to shoot from unusual angles, even while the EOS 600D is attached to a tripod or battery grip. The screen flips out 175° and can then rotate 90° forwards or 180° backwards, allowing the photographer to view the screen from low or high angles, and even from in front of the camera.

EOS Movie

EOS Movie allows users to record Full HD (1920x1080p) movies on the EOS 600D and HD (1280x720p) movies on the EOS 1100D. The EOS 600D offers full manual control of exposure and frame rates of 30, 25 and 24 fps at full resolution, with 60 and 50 fps available at 720p resolution. The EOS 1100D has a choice of 30 and 25 fps frame rates.

When filming Full HD footage with the EOS 600D, Movie Digital Zoom can be used to magnify the centre of the sensor by 3-10x while maintaining Full HD quality.

EOS Scene Detection Technology (EOS 600D only)
EOS Scene Detection Technology automatically analyses faces, brightness, movement, contrast and distance in the scene, with information provided as feedback to the Scene Intelligent Auto mode.

Scene Intelligent Auto (EOS 600D only)
Scene Intelligent Auto takes the information gathered by the
EOS Scene Detection System and determines the best settings to capture the scene. For example, when shooting portraits, the settings are adjusted to make the skin appear more natural.

Picture Styles
Picture Style presets can be likened to different film types – each one offering a different colour response. Within each selectable preset, photographers have control over sharpness, contrast, colour tone and saturation. The camera’s Standard Picture Style is designed to deliver immediately-usable JPEG images without need for additional processing. When shooting RAW images Picture Styles can be revised with Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software.

The presets available with both the EOS 600D and EOS 1100D are:

Standard: For crisp, vivid images that don’t require post-processing.
Portrait: Optimises colour tone and saturation and weakens sharpening to achieve attractive skin tones.
Landscape: For punchier greens and blues with stronger sharpening to give a crisp edge to mountain, tree and building outlines.
Neutral: Ideal for post-processing.
Faithful: Adjusts colour to match the subject colour when shot under a colour temperature of 5200K.
Monochrome: For black and white shooting with a range of filter effects (yellow, orange, red and green) and toning effects (sepia, blue, purple and green.
A new Picture Style has been added to the EOS 600D – Picture Style Auto. This new Picture Style makes fine adjustments, based on the EOS Scene Detection System’s analysis, to create a Picture Style for the particular image. Three User Defined Picture Styles can be used to store customised pre-sets created using the supplied Picture Style Editor, or any of the pre-sets available for download from Canon’s web site: www.canon.co.jp/Imaging/picturestyle/file/index.htm

Basic+
Basic+ is a creative imaging function that was first introduced in the EOS 60D, which makes it easier to create the desired image effects when shooting a scene. With Basic+, photographers have the option to apply a creative intent to their images whilst using the scene-based modes.

Shoot by ambience: exposure compensation and white balance are adjusted according to preset styles to create ambience or tone in the image
Shoot by lighting or scene type: a simplified form of white balance, which allows new digital photographers to change the white balance settings according to more understandable terms such as “Daylight”, “Shade”, “Cloudy”, “Sunset”, “Tungsten light” and “Fluorescent light”
Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO)
Auto Lighting Optimiser analyses the image and selectively adjusts the brightness to achieve a more even result. For example, when a person is backlit, ALO detects the face and increases its brightness to ensure a more pleasing image.

Lens peripheral illumination correction
The lens peripheral illumination correction function uses the power of the DIGIC 4 image processor to improve image quality by maintaining evenness of illumination from corner to corner, even when shooting wide open with a zoom lens. When shooting in RAW this correction can be further adjusted using
Digital Photo Professional.

Highlight Tone Priority
With Highlight Tone Priority the dynamic range of the highlight tones is extended. The gradation between 18% greys (standard exposure) and the highlights are improved, reducing loss of detail in highlights. This enables a picture with a large proportion of highlights, such as a brightly-lit bride in her wedding gown, to show greater detail in the white and grey areas of the photo, making the image more attractive and natural.

Feature Guide
The Feature Guide acts as an on-board guide by displaying a simple description of each mode and the functions on the Quick Control Screen.

Creative Filters (EOS 600D only)
EOS 600D provides a range of creative effect filters which can be applied to RAW images and all JPEG images. Since the filter can be applied after the shot is taken, users can apply different filters to the same image and see the effects:

Fish-eye effect: Creates a barrel-shaped distortion similar to a fish-eye lens. The effect can be adjusted, and, depending on the level of distortion, the image periphery may be cropped.
Grainy B/W: Creates a grainy, black-and-white image. The effect can be emphasized by adjusting the contrast.
Soft focus: Produces a soft result. This can be increased by adjusting the blur.
Toy camera effect: Provides colour cast typical of toy cameras. The four corners are also darkened. The image looks soft with a subtle grainy look. The colour cast can be changed to cool or warm colours.
Miniature effect: Can be set by the user to make part of the image look sharp. The orientation (vertical or horizontal) of the area can be changed by pressing the INFO button.
Video Snapshot (EOS 600D only)
The Video Snapshot feature enables the user to capture short video clips of 2, 4 or 8 seconds in length. These short snapshots are then stitched together into one file as a Video Snapshot Album, creating a dynamic, fast-paced movie sequence. Once video clip duration has been selected, every time the Movie shooting button is pressed a video clip of that length will be captured. For example, if a 4 second Video Snapshot is selected, the Video Snapshot Album will be created consisting of 4-second movie clips. This creates a much more engaging movie and encourages the user to think about the shots they take.

When playing a Movie, Video Snapshot Album or Slideshow, background music (BGM) can be applied, whether on the camera’s screen, or on a larger HDTV using the camera’s HDMI connection. To do this, users must convert audio files*1 to the supported .WAV format, before using EOS Utility software to upload the files to the camera’s SD card ready for selection during playback. A choice of five music tracks supplied with the camera can also be used.

Digital Photo Professional Software
Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software provides high speed, high quality processing of lossless RAW images. Processing with Digital Photo Professional allows real-time display and immediate application of image adjustments, giving control over RAW image variables such as white balance, dynamic range, exposure compensation, noise reduction and colour tone – plus the ability to view Auto Focus points on an image and apply un-sharp mask sharpening. The Lens Aberration correction tool allows precise correction of different types of distortion caused by certain lenses. Newly added is a set of distortion corrections for use with the EF 8-15mm f/4L USM Fisheye. These corrections allow you to produce fisheye images for different uses.

Emphasize Linearity: Converts the image to a ‘Central Projection’ style image. This creates a full frame image from a circular fisheye image.
Emphasize Distance: This converts the image into an ‘Equidistant Projection’ image. This method preserves distance relationships between objects, but removes much of the distortion. It is particularly useful for creating star maps and solar path diagrams.
Emphasize Periphery: This converts the image into a ‘Stereographic Projection’ image. This allows positional relationships on a spherical surface to be displayed correctly, such as an image of a globe.
Emphasize Centre: This converts the image to an ‘Orthogonal Projection’ image, enlarging the centre of the image. This is useful for city planners to measure the luminance of an area by the sky to ensure adequate lighting.
Images can be recorded in camera with sRGB or Adobe RGB colour space. Images can also be rotated and trimmed allowing photographers to correct framing and horizons as part of the RAW processing. Digital Photo Professional also provides full support for the rating system within the EOS 600D and EOS 1100D allowing star ratings to be added or edited for easier sorting.

Digital Photo Professional supports sRGB, Adobe RGB, ColorMatch RGB, Apple RGB and
Wide Gamut RGB colour spaces. ICC (International Colour Consortium) profiles can be attached to TIFF or JPEG images when converted from RAW. This allows faithful reproduction of colours in software applications that support ICC profiles, such as Adobe Photoshop. For improved efficiency, a set of image adjustments can be saved as a recipe and applied.

EOS Utility
The latest version of EOS Utility provides essential support for Live View remote shooting (with the ability to overlay an image to assist with alignment of subsequent shots during product photography), camera configuration and image transfers. Tightly integrated with Digital Photo Professional, EOS Utility can be configured to monitor ‘hot’ folders, automatically renaming and moving incoming images to a structured file system. Images can also be tagged with EXIF data, including copyright information. Newly added is the ability to register background music, with users now able to add or remove .WAV format files from the playlist used by the camera*1.

Picture Style Editor
Picture Style Editor allows photographers to create individual Picture Styles that meet their personal requirements. Each Picture Style contains detailed information on how specific colours should be represented within an image. Once new Picture Styles have been created, they can be uploaded directly into the camera and applied to JPEG or RAW images. When working with RAW files in DPP, both personal Picture Styles and predetermined Picture Styles can be adjusted.

ZoomBrowser EX (PC)/ImageBrowser (MAC)
ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser is designed to give photographers a quick and easy way of managing their images. Basic JPEG editing functionality enables users to adjust image brightness and colour balance, with an in-software connection to DPP for RAW image editing. Users can select, rename and resize multiple images at once, set star ratings and organise images by shooting date, making it simple to manage large image libraries. Photographers can also select, add comments and then print images via a range of simplified printing options, and direct uploads to
CANON iMAGE GATEWAY enables image sharing via personal online photo albums.

ZoomBrowser EX/ImageBrowser also offers support for video editing, including a new Video Snapshot Edit Task that makes it easy for users to manage, edit and share Video Snapshot Albums.

Video Snapshot Edit Task
This feature allows Video Snapshot Albums to be edited using a computer. Individual snapshots can be removed or reordered, and a background music track can also be added*1. The resulting file can be uploaded to YouTube quickly and easily using a new YouTube upload task.

*3Copyright laws in your country may prohibit the use of your recorded images or copyrighted music and images with music in the memory card for anything but private enjoyment.

600D Specifications

List price (US)	Body only: $tbc Body+18-55 IS II Kit: $900
List price (EU)	Body only: €tbc Body+18-55 IS II Kit: €tbc
List price (UK)	Body only: £679 Body+18-55 IS II Kit: £769
Body material	Stainless Steel and polycarbonate resin with glass fiber
Sensor	18.7 million effective pixels 18.0 million total pixels 22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor RGB Color Filter Array Built-in low-pass filter with self cleaning unit 3:2 aspect ratio
Dust reduction	Low-pass filter vibration at power-on (can be interrupted) Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces Software based dust-removal (camera maps dust, removed later)
Image sizes *	RAW 5184 x 3456 JPEG 3:2 5184 x 3456 3456 x 2304 2592 x 1728 1920 x 1280 * 720 x 480 * 4:3 * 4608 x 3456 3072 x 2304 2304 x 1728 1696 x 1280 640 x 480 16:9 * 5184 x 2912 3456 x 1944 2592 x 1456 1920 x 1080 720 x 400 1:1 * 3456 x 3456 2304 x 2304 1728 x 1728 1280x1280 480 x 480
Still image formats	RAW (.CR2 14-bit) RAW (.CR2 14-bit) + JPEG Large / Fine JPEG (EXIF 2.3) * - Fine, Normal
Movie recording *	1920 x 1080 (1080p, 16:9) @ 30/25/24 fps 1280 x 720 (720p, 16:9) @ 60/50 fps 640 x 480 (4:3) @ 60/50 fps Quicktime MOV format (H.264 compression, linear PCM audio) Up to 29 min 59 sec (or max file size 4 GB)
Image processor	DIGIC 4
Lenses	Canon EF / EF-S lens mount 1.6x field of view crop
Focus modes	Auto Focus Manual Focus (switch on lens)
Auto Focus	9-point CMOS sensor F5.6 cross-type at center, extra sensitivity at F2.8 AF working range: -0.5 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100) Predictive AF up to 8m
AF modes	AI Focus One Shot AI Servo
AF point selection	Auto Manual
AF assist	Flash strobe
Shooting modes	Scene Intelligent Auto Flash off Creative Auto Portrait Landscape Close-up Sports Night portrait Movie Program AE (P) Shutter priority AE (Tv) Aperture priority AE (Av) Manual (M) Auto depth-of-field
Metering	TTL 63-zone SPC Metering range: EV 1.0 - 20 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100, 50 mm F1.4)
Metering modes	Evaluative 63-zone (linked to AF points) Partial 9% at center Spot 4% at center Center-weighted average
AE Lock	AE lock button
AE Bracketing	+/- 2.0 EV (3 shots) 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
Exposure compen.	+/- 5.0 EV 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
Sensitivity	Auto (100 - 6400) ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO 6400 H1 expansion (ISO 12800 equiv.) Highlight tone priority
Shutter	Focal-plane shutter 30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps) Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec Bulb
Aperture values	F1.0 - F91 (0.3 EV steps) Actual aperture range depends on lens used
White balance	Auto  Daylight  Shade  Cloudy  Tungsten  Fluorescent  Flash  Custom
WB Bracketing	+/-3 levels 3 images Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias
WB fine-tuning	Blue (-9) to Amber (+9) Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Color space	sRGB Adobe RGB
Picture style	Standard Portrait Landscape Neutral Faithful Monochrome User 1 User 2 User 3
Custom image parameters	Sharpness: 0 to 7 Contrast: -4 to +4 Saturation: -4 to +4 Color tone: -4 to +4 B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, G B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
Image processing	Highlight Tone Priority Auto Lighting Optimizer - 4 settings Long exposure noise reduction High ISO speed noise reduction Peripheral illumination correction Basic+ (Shoot by ambience selection, Shoot by lighting or scene type) * Creative filters (Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Toy camera, Miniature effect, Fish-eye) - during image Playback only *
Drive modes	Single Continuous: 3.7 fps up to 34 Large/Fine JPEG / 6 RAW frames Self-timer 10 secs (2 sec with mirror lock-up) Self-timer continuous
Mirror lockup	Yes (custom function)
Viewfinder	Pentamirror 95% frame coverage Magnification: 0.85x (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) Eyepoint: 19 mm Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter Fixed precision matte
Viewfinder info	AF information (AF points focus confirmation light) Shutter speed Aperture value ISO speed (always displayed) AE lock Exposure level/compensation Spot metering circle Exposure warning AEB Flash ready High-speed sync FE lock Flash exposure compensation Red-eye reduction light White balance correction SD card information Monochrome shooting Maximum burst Highlight tone priority
DOF preview	Yes, button
LCD monitor *	Vari-angle 3.0" 3:2 TFT LCD * 1,040,000 dots  Approx 100% coverage Wide viewing angle (170° horizontal and vertical) Dual anti-reflection, anti-smudge 7 brightness levels Up to 10x zoom playback
LCD Live view	Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor Approx 99% frame coverage (30 fps display rate) Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image sensor Grid optional (thirds) Live Histogram optional Magnify optional (5x or 10x at any point on the screen) Quick or Live mode autofocus
Record review	Uses last play mode Magnification possible 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold
Flash *	Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash Guide number approx 13 Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye Reduction Integrated Speedlite Transmitter, wireless multi-flash support * X-Sync: 1/200 sec Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV steps) Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.)
External flash	E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites Hot-shoe
Other features	Orientation sensor  In-camera copyright information  Image rating (0-5 stars) * Automatically writes FAT16/FAT32 depending on capacity
Auto rotation	On (playback uses orientation data in file header) Off
Playback mode	Single image Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB ) Magnified view (1.5 - 10x in 15 steps, browsable) 4 and 9 image index Auto play Image rotation Jump (by 10, 100 or date)
Custom functions *	11 custom functions with 34 settings
Menu languages *	English German French Dutch Danish Portuguese Finnish Italian Norwegian Swedish Spanish Greek Russian Polish Czech Hungarian Romanian Ukrainian Turkish Arabic Thai Simplified Chinese Traditional Chinese Korean Japanese
Firmware	User upgradable
Connectivity	USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) Video out (PAL / NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal) HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC) E3 type wired remote control  Remote Controller RC-6 External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack
Audio	Mono microphone on front Mono speaker on rear  External stereo mike (optional)
Storage	SD / SDHC /SDXC cards
Power	Lithium-Ion LP-E8 rechargeable battery  Approx 440 shots (23°C AE 50%, FE 50%), CIPA standard  4 level battery life display Optional ACK-E8 AC adapter kit
Battery Grip	Yes, BG-E8
Direct printing	Canon Selphy Printers Canon Bubble Jet Printers with direct print function Canon PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge PictBridge
Dimensions *	133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7 mm (5.2 x 3.9 x 3.1 in)
Weight (inc batt/card) *	570 g (1.26 lb)
Software	Zoom Browser EX / ImageBrowser Digital Photo Professional (Windows / Mac) PhotoStitch EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture; Windows & Mac except Mac Intel) Picture Style Editor

600D compared to 1100D (T3i vs T3)

	Canon EOS 600D	Canon EOS 1100D
Sensor	18.0 MP 22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor	12.2 MP 22.2 x 14.7 mm CMOS sensor
Dust reduction	Low-pass filter vibration Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces Software dust-removal (camera maps dust, removed later in DPP)	Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces Software dust-removal (camera maps dust, removed later in DPP)
Output formats	RAW (14-bit), RAW  +  JPEG, JPEG	RAW (14-bit), RAW  +  JPEG, JPEG
Image sizes	RAW 5184 x 3456 JPEG 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 1:1 aspect ratios	RAW 4272 x 2848 JPEG 3:2 aspect ratio
Movie recording	1920 x 1080 (30/25/24 fps) 1280 x 720 (60/50 fps) 640 x 480 (60/50 fps) .MOV format (H.264, PCM audio)	1280 x 720 (30, 25 fps) .MOV format(Video: H.264, PCM audio)
Movie Audio	Auto or manual control Optional wind filter	Auto only
Image processor	DIGIC 4	DIGIC 4
Lenses	Canon EF / EF-S lens mount 1.6x "digital multiplier"	Canon EF / EF-S lens mount 1.6x "digital multiplier"
Auto Focus	9-point CMOS sensor F5.6 cross-type at center (extra vertical sensitivity at f2.8) Range: -0.5 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)	9-point CMOS sensor Cross-type F5.6 at center Range: 0 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100)
AF modes	AI Focus, One Shot, AI Servo	AI Focus, One shot, AI Servo
AF assist	Flash strobe	Flash strobe
Shooting modes	Program AE (P) Shutter priority AE (Tv) Aperture priority AE (Av) Manual (M) Auto depth-of-field Scene Intelligent Auto Flash off Creative Auto Portrait Landscape Close-up Sports Night portrait Movie	Auto Program AE (P) Shutter priority AE (Tv) Aperture priority AE (Av) Manual (M) Auto depth-of-field Portrait Landscape Close-up Sports Night portrait Flash off Creative Auto Movie
Metering	Evaluative 63-zone Partial 9% Spot 4% Center-weighted average Metering range: EV 1 - 20 EV (23°C, ISO 100, 50/1.4)	Evaluative 63-zone Partial (10%) Center weighted average metering Range : EV 1-20 (23°C, ISO100, 50/1.4)
AE Bracketing	+/- 2.0 EV (3 shots) 0.5 or 0.3 EV steps	+/- 2.0 EV 0.5 or 0.3 EV steps
Exposure compensation	+/- 5.0 EV 0.5 or 0.3 EV steps	+/- 5.0 EV 0.5 or 0.3 EV steps
Shutter	30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps) Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec Bulb	30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps) Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec Bulb
Sensitivity	Auto (100 - 6400) ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12800(H1)	Auto (100 - 6400) ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400
DOF preview	Yes (custom function)	Yes (custom function)
Drive modes	Single Continuous: 3.7 fps up to 34 Large/Fine JPEG / 6 RAW frames Self-timer	Single Continuous: 2 fps up to 5 RAW frames / 3 fps up to 830 JPEG Self-timer
White balance	Auto  Daylight  Shade  Cloudy  Tungsten  Fluorescent  Flash  Custom	Auto  Daylight  Shade  Cloudy  Tungsten  White Fluorescent Light  Flash  Custom
WB Bracketing	+/-3 levels 3 images Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias	+/-3 levels 3 images Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias
WB fine-tuning	Blue (-9) to Amber (+9) Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)	Blue (-9) To Amber (+9) Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Color space	sRGB, Adobe RGB	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Picture Styles	Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User 1, User 2, User 3	Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User 1, User 2, User 3
Viewfinder	Pentamirror 95% frame coverage Magnification: 0.85x Eyepoint: 19 mm Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 Fixed precision matte screen	Pentamirror 95% frame coverage Magnification: 0.87x Eyepoint: 19 mm Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 Fixed precision matte screen
LCD monitor	Vari-angle (tilt + swivel) 3.0" 3:2 TFT LCD, 1,040,000 dots Wide viewing angle (170° horizontal and vertical) Dual anti-reflection, anti-smudge 7 brightness levels Up to 10x zoom playback	Fixed 2.7" TFT LCD, 230,000 dots Wide viewing angle (170° horizontal and vertical) 7 brightness levels Up to 10x zoom playback
LCD Live view	Live TTL display Approx 99% frame coverage w/30 fps display rate) Real-time evaluative metering Optional grid Optional Live Histogram Magnify optional (5x or 10x at any point on the screen) Quick mode or Live modeAF	Live TTL display 100% frame coverage w/30fps frame rate Real-time evaluative metering Optional Grid Magnify optional (5x or 10x at AF point) Quick mode, or Live mode AF
Flash	Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash Guide number approx 13 9m, ISO 100) Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye Reduction Integrated Speedlite Transmitter, wireless multi-flash support X-Sync: 1/200 sec Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV steps) Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.)	Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash Guide number approx 13 (m, iso 100) Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye Reduction X-Sync: 1/200 sec Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV steps) Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.)
External flash	E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites Hot-shoe	E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites Hot-shoe
Processing Options	Highlight Tone Priority Auto Lighting Optimizer Long exposure noise reduction High ISO noise reduction Peripheral illumination correction Basic+ (Shoot by ambiance selection, Shoot by lighting or scene type) Creative filters (Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Toy camera, Miniature effect, Fish-eye)	Highlight Tone Priority Auto Lighting Optimizer Long exposure noise reduction High ISO  noise reduction Peripheral illumination correction Basic+ (Shoot by ambiance selection, Shoot by lighting or scene type)
Memory	SD / SDHC /SDXC cards	SD / SDHC / SDXC card
Playback modes	Single image Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB ) Magnified view (1.5 - 10x) 4 and 9 image index Auto play Image rotation Jump (by 10, 100 or date)	Single image Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB ) Magnified view (1.5 - 10x) 4 and 9 image index Auto play Image rotation
Custom functions	11 custom functions with 34 settings	10 custom functions with 32settings
Connectivity	USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) Video out (PAL / NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal) HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC) E3 type wired remote control Remote Controller RC-6 External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack	USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) mini-B Video out (PAL / NTSC) HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC compatible)
Battery	Li-Ion LP-E8 rechargeable battery ~440 shots (23°C 50% flash) 4 level battery life display Optional ACK-E8 AC adapter kit	Li-Ion LP-E10 rechargeable battery. ~700 shots (23°C 50% flash) Optional ACK-E10 AC adapter kit
Weight (minus battery)	570 g	495 g
Size	133.1 x 99.5 x 79.7 mm (5.2 x 3.9 x 3.1 in)	130 x 100 x 78 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 3.1 in)

Pre release info

January

• 13th Replacement for both the 1000D (1100D) and 550D at CP+ ? [1k1]
• The 600D is pitched at 18MP, DigicIV, 3.7fps, vari-angle 3" LCD screen and a new 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 IS II kit lens. The model name plate is also re-designed
• If you go to the orginal source [translation] you can see that DigicV is not expected until the 5D mk3 and 1Ds4 - we've had suggestions that it would first appear in the 550/1000D replacements, but leaving it out allows it to give the 70D and 7DMk2 a bit more of a jump on the 60D and 7D.
• 7th The CP+ show is next up [CP+ 9-12 Feb] The 550D will be a year old, whilst the 1000D comes in at just under 3 yrs. We've not had any detailed comments about what to see at CP+, other than that both were up for change sooner this year rather than later.

2010 December

• 11th A comment [CR] puts the 600D as an April announcement

August

• 17th With the 550D, 7D and likely 60D at 18MP, the scope for more MP seems limited, until some of the higher end cameras move upwards in MP.
• Will the 550D last beyond the usual 1 year?
• • 300D / Rebel - 20 Aug. 2003
  • 350D / Rebel XT – 17 Feb. 2005
  • 400D / Rebel XTi – 24 Aug. 2006
  • 450D / Rebel XSi - 23 Jan. 2008
  • 1000D / Rebel XS - 8 July 2008
  • 500D / Rebel T1i - 25 March 2009
  • 550D / Rebel T2i – 8 Feb. 2010

February

• 10th The 550D is here, so 600D next February then...

January

• 27th At an Israeli forum there is suggestions that we will see a 550D and a 60D in the near future [via CR]
  • 550D/600D Specs
  • Articulating screen
  • Body smaller than 500D
  • Upgraded 15.1MP APS-C Sensor
  • 720p Video @ 30fps
  • ~$800
  • 60D Specs
  • Articulating screen
  • Metal body, similar to 50D
  • Upgraded 15.1MP APS-C Sensor
  • 720p/1080p Video @ 30fps
  • Electronic Level
  • New battery & battery grip
  • ~$1200
• I note that both get an articulating screen - but it's suggested that they won't be available until May - perhaps not so likely for consumer level cameras?
• 17th A suggestion that what's coming up in February will be a new DSLR positioned 'between' the 50D/500D
• January 6th At CR there is the suggestion that two SLR cameras and some point'n'click boxes will be announced in February.
• The oldest DSLR (June 08) in the 'Rebel' lineup is the 1000D, which might get a makeover, since the 500D will not even be a year old, which seems to be the life expectancy for its type.
• The other suggestion is a 60D - although we've had conflicting rumours that the 1Ds4 will be announced in February.

2010

• March 26th First 550D thread spotted on DPR
• We're told (thanks) that some time either Nikon or Canon will announce in-body IS. It's been widely trialed and tested, but each is waiting for the other.
• 25th The 500D is announced - now go out and take some photos!
• Nothing to see here at the moment!
• Will it be the 550 and how long will the refresh cycle be?
• Yes - the 500D lasted a year, next up the 600D and then the EOS 650D
• As to numbering, have a look at this table of old EOS film camera numbers.

2009

Canon EOS Film SLR Timeline

	1987				1988				1989				1990				1991				1992				1993				1994				1995				1996				1997				1998				1999				2000				2001				2002				2003				2004				05-08
Pro.												1																				1N																						1V
Prosumer													10/10S											5/A2/A2E																								3
Advanced Amateur	650/620/630																		100 Elan																50/50E Elan II/IIE 55																					30/33 Elan 7/7E 7															30V/33V Elan 7N/7NE 7s
Consumer								750QD 850								1000F Rebel S						1000FN Rebel S II							500 Rebel XS Kiss												500N Rebel G New Kiss											300 Rebel 2000 Kiss III													300V Rebel Ti Kiss 5							300X Rebel T2 Kiss 7
Entry Level																																	5000 888																3000 88												3000N Rebel XS N 66						3000V Rebel K2 Kiss Lite

550D / T2i Specs

List price (US)	Body only: $799 Body+18-55 IS Kit: $899
List price (EU)	Body only: €729 + VAT Body+18-55 IS Kit: €829 + VAT
International naming	US: Canon Rebel T2i Japan: Canon EOS Kiss Digital X4 Elsewhere: Canon EOS 550D
Body material	Stainless Steel and polycarbonate resin with glass fibre
Sensor	18.7 million effective pixels 19.0 million total pixels 22.3 x 14.9 mm CMOS sensor RGB Colour Filter Array Built-in low-pass filter with self cleaning unit 3:2 aspect ratio
Dust reduction	Low-pass filter vibration at power-on (can be interrupted) Anti-static coating on sensor surfaces Software based dust-removal (camera maps dust, removed later)
Image sizes	5184 x 3456 3456 x 2304 2592 x 1728
Still image formats	RAW (.CR2 14-bit) RAW (.CR2 14-bit) + JPEG Large/Fine JPEG (EXIF 2.21) - Fine, Normal
Movie recording	1920 x 1080 (1080P, 16:9) @ 30/25/24 fps 1280 x 720 (720P, 16:9) @ 60/50 fps 640 x 480 (4:3) @ 60/50 fps Quicktime MOV format (H.264 video,linear PCM audio) Up to 29 min 59 sec (or max file size 4 GB)
Image processor	DIGIC 4
Lenses	Canon EF / EF-S lens mount 1.6x field of view crop
Focus modes	Auto Focus Manual Focus (switch on lens)
Auto Focus	9-point CMOS sensor F5.6 cross-type at center, extra sensitivity at F2.8 AF working range: -0.5 to 18 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100) Predictive AF up to 10 m
AF modes	AI Focus One Shot AI Servo
AF point selection	Auto Manual
AF assist	Flash strobe
Shooting modes	Auto Portrait Landscape Close-up Sports Night portrait Flash off Movie Program AE (P) Shutter priority AE (Tv) Aperture priority AE (Av) Manual (M) Auto depth-of-field
Metering	TTL 63-zone SPC Metering range: EV 1.0 - 20 EV (at 23°C, ISO 100, 50 mm F1.4)
Metering modes	Evaluative 63-zone (linked to AF points) Partial 9% at center Spot 4% at center Center-weighted average
AE Lock	AE lock button
AE Bracketing	+/- 2.0 EV (3 shots) 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
Exposure compen.	+/- 5.0 EV 0.5 or 0.3 EV increments
Sensitivity	Auto (100 - 6400 ) ISO 100 ISO 200 ISO 400 ISO 800 ISO 1600 ISO 3200 ISO 6400 H1 expansion (ISO 12800 equiv.) Highlight tone priority
Shutter	Focal-plane shutter 30 - 1/4000 sec (0.5 or 0.3 EV steps) Flash X-Sync: 1/200 sec Bulb
Aperture values	F1.0 - F91 (0.3 EV steps) Actual aperture range depends on lens used
White balance	Auto  Daylight  Shade  Cloudy  Tungsten  Fluorescent  Flash  Custom
WB Bracketing	+/-3 levels 3 images Selectable Blue/Amber or Magenta/Green bias
WB fine-tuning	Blue (-9) to Amber (+9) Magenta (-9) to Green (+9)
Colour space	sRGB Adobe RGB
Picture style	Standard Portrait Landscape Neutral Faithful Monochrome User 1 User 2 User 3
Custom image parameters	Sharpness: 0 to 7 Contrast: -4 to +4 Saturation: -4 to +4 Colour tone: -4 to +4 B&W filter: N, Ye, Or, R, G B&W tone: N, S, B, P, G
Image processing	Highlight Tone Priority Auto Lighting Optimizer (Basic and Creative modes) Long exposure noise reduction High ISO speed noise reduction Peripheral illumination correction
Drive modes	Single Continuous: 3.7 fps up to 34 Large/Fine JPEG / 6 RAW frames Self-timer 10 secs (2 sec with mirror lock-up) Self-timer continuous
Mirror lockup	Yes (custom function)
Viewfinder	Pentamirror 95% frame coverage Magnification: 0.87x (-1 diopter with 50 mm lens at infinity) Eyepoint: 19 mm Dioptric adjustment: -3.0 to +1.0 diopter Fixed precision matte Proximity sensor disables LCD shooting mode information
Viewfinder info	AF information (AF points focus confirmation light) Shutter speed Aperture value ISO speed (always displayed) AE lock Exposure level/compensation Spot metering circle Exposure warning AEB Flash ready High-speed sync FE lock Flash exposure compensation Red-eye reduction light White balance correction SD card information Monochrome shooting Maximum burst Highlight tone priority
DOF preview	Yes, button
LCD monitor	3.0" 3:2 TFT LCD 1040,000 pixels Approx 100% coverage Wide viewing angle (160° horizontal and vertical) Dual anti-reflection, anti-smudge 7 brightness levels Up to 10x zoom playback
LCD Live view	Live TTL display of scene from CMOS image sensor 100% frame coverage (30 fps display rate) Real-time evaluative metering using CMOS image sensor Best view or exposure simulation Grid optional (thirds) Magnify optional (5x or 10x at any point on the screen) Optional Auto-focus with mirror-down / mirror-up sequence Quick or Live mode autofocus
Record review	Uses last play mode Magnification possible 2 / 4 / 8 sec / Hold
Flash	Auto pop-up E-TTL II auto flash Guide number approx 13 Modes: Auto, Manual Flash On/ Off, Red-Eye Reduction X-Sync: 1/200 sec Flash exposure compensation: +/-2.0 EV (0.3 or 0.5 EV steps) Coverage up to 17 mm focal length (27 mm FOV equiv.)
External flash	E-TTL II auto flash with EX-series Speedlites Hot-shoe
Other features	Orientation sensor In-camera copyright information Automatically writes FAT16/FAT32 depending on capacity
Auto rotation	On (playback uses orientation data in file header) Off
Playback mode	Single image Single image with info (histogram brightness / RGB ) Magnified view (1.5 - 10x in 15 steps, browsable) 4 and 9 image index Auto play Image rotation Jump (by 10, 100 or date)
Custom functions	12 custom functions with 36 settings
Menu languages	English German French Dutch Danish Portuguese Finnish Italian Norwegian Swedish Spanish Greek Russian Polish Czech Hungarian Romanian Ukrainian Turkish Arabic Thai Simplified Chinese Traditional Chinese Korean Japanese
Firmware	User upgradable
Connectivity	USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) Video out (PAL / NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal ) HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC) E3 type wired remote control Remote Controller RC-6 External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack
Audio	Mono microphone on front Mono speaker on rear External stereo mike (optional)
Storage	SD / SDHC card SDXC card
Power	Lithium-Ion LP-E8 rechargeable battery Approx 440 shots (23°C AE 50%, FE 50%), CIPA standard 4 level battery life display Optional ACK-E8 AC adapter kit
Battery Grip	Yes, BG-E8
Direct printing	Canon Selphy Printers Canon Bubble Jet Printers with direct print function Canon PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge PictBridge
Dimensions	129 x 98 x 62 mm (5.1 x 3.9 x 2.4 in)
Weight (inc batt/card)	530 g (1.17 lb)
Software	Zoom Browser EX / ImageBrowser Digital Photo Professional (Windows / Mac) PhotoStitch EOS Utility (inc. Remote Capture; Windows & Mac except Mac Intel) Original Data Security Tools Picture Style Editor

Have you found an article on the site useful or helpful? If so, please consider passing on a link to the article or mentioning it on a forum - Thanks to everyone who's helped the site become better known.

Explore our site... Digital Black and White photography and printing - some of Keiths thoughts, techniques and tips for those interested in a digital approach to black and white. We've lots of original Photography Articles and Photography Reviews on the site to help anyone interested in photography. New site content appears on the What's New page.

Thanks to the visitors who've made Amazon purchases (any kinds of items whatosever)
via: Amazon UK/Amazon France/Amazon Germany/Amazon USA/Amazon Canada
It won't save extra money we're afraid, but it does help in the running of the site, and we really appreciate it...

Northlight Images is based in Leicester in the UK and supplies Commercial Photography services
Visiting Leicester or wondering where it is? We have views from the Leicester traffic cameras.