Canon PowerShot A550 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom

Product Features and Technical Details
Product Features

* 7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
* 4x optical zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display
* 16:9 Widescreen mode for full-screen viewing on widescreen TVs and computer monitors
* Three movie modes including 30 fps VGA and 60 fps Fast Frame Rate
* Stores images on SD, SDHC, or MMC memory cards (16MB MMC card included); powered by 2 AA-size batteries (2 alkaline batteries included)

Technical Details

* Sensor size: 1/2.5 inches
* Total pixels: 7.4 megapixels (approximate)
* Effective pixels: 7.1 megapixels (approximate)
* Focal length: 5.8-23.2mm f/2.6-5.5 (35mm film equivalent: 35-140mm)
* Digital zoom: 4x
* Focusing range: Normal: 1.5 feet; Macro: 2 inches - 1.5 feet (WIDE), 1 - 1.5 feet (TELE)
* Autofocus system: TTL Autofocus
* Optical viewfinder: Real-image optical zoom viewfinder
* LCD monitor: 2-inch TFT color LCD
* LCD pixels: 86,000 (approximate)
* LCD coverage: 100 percent
* Max aperture: f/2.6 (W) - f/5.5 (T)
* Shutter speed: 15 - 1/2000 seconds
* Sensitivity: Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800 equivalent
* Light metering method: Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot
* Exposure control method: Program AE, AE lock available
* Exposure compensation: +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments
* White balance control: Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Flourescent, Flourescent H), Custom
* Built-in flash: Auto, Auto w/ Red-Eye Reduction, Auto w/ Slow Synchro, Flash On, Flash On w/ Red-Eye Reduction, Flash On w/ Slow Synchro, Flash Off
* Flash range: Normal: 1.5-11 ft./45cm-3.5m (W), 1.5-7.2 ft./45cm-2.2m (T); Macro: 1.0-1.5 ft./30-45cm (W), 1.1-1.5 ft./33-45cm (T) (when sensitivity is set to ISO Auto)
* Recycling time: 10 seconds or less with fully-charged AA rechargeable NiMH batteries
* Shooting modes: Auto, Camera M, Portrait, Landscape, Special Scene (Night Scene, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks) Indoor, Kids and Pets, Night Snapshot, Movie
* My Colors: Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black and White, Custom
* Self-timer: Activates shutter after an approx. 2-sec./10-sec. delay, Custom
* Continuous shooting: Approximately 1.7 fps
* Storage media: SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card, MultiMediaCard
* File format: Design rule for camera file system, DPOF version 1.1
* Image compression: Still image: Exif 2.2 (JPEG); Movie: AVI (Image: Motion JPEG)
* Image quality: Normal, Fine, SuperFine
* Number of recording pixels: Still Image: 640 x 480 (Small), 1,600 x 1,200 (Medium 3), 2,048 x 1,536 (Medium 2), 2,592 x 1,944 (Medium 1), 3,072 x 2,304 (Large), 3,072 x 1,728 (Widescreen); Movie: 640 x 480 / 320 x 240 (30 fps/15 fps) available up to 1GB or 60 minutes, 320 x 240 (1 min. at 60 fps), 160 x 120 (3 min. at 15 fps)
* Playback modes: Still image: Single, Magnification (approx. 2x-10x), Jump, Auto Rotate, Rotate, Histogram, Index (9 thumbnails), Sound Memos, Auto Play, Resume; Movie: Normal Playback, Special Playback
* Erase modes: Still image: single image, by date, by folder, all images; Movie: part of movie, all of movie
* Computer interface: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed (mini-B jack)
* Video out: NTSC/PAL
* Audio out: Mono
* Other: Memory card slot; direct connection to Canon CP and SELPHY compact photo printers, PIXMA photo printers and PictBridge-compatible printers via USB
* Power source: AA alkaline battery (x2), Rechargeable AA NiMH battery (x2), AC adapter kit (ACK800)
* Shooting capacity: Still image: 140 shots (Alkaline battery, LCD screen on, approximate), 500 shots (NiMH battery, approximate)
* Playback time: 540 minutes (Alkaline battery, approximate), 660 minutes (NiMH battery, approximate)
* Operating temperature: 32 - 104 degrees F, 0 - 40 degrees C
* Operating humidity: 10 - 90 percent
* Dimensions (W x H x D): 3.59 x 2.52 x 1.70 inches
* Weight: 5.64 ounces
* What's in the box: PowerShot A550 body, AA Alkaline battery (x2), MultiMediaCard (16MB), wrist strap, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable, A/V cable

Product Description
From the Manufacturer
Easy-to-use and easy-to-hold, the PowerShot A550 gives you 7.1 megapixels, a 4x optical zoom lens, an ISO 800 feature for expanded low-light shooting, and a DIGIC II Image Processor with iSAPS technology for beautiful pictures and great performance. Plus, there's even a Fast Frame Rate Movie Mode. Power is never a problem, because the A550 uses standard "AA" batteries. Great features at a great price--it's what makes the A550 such an amazing camera.

Surprisingly affordable high-resolution digital camera
Treat yourself to a new standard of performance and simplicity. With 7.1 megapixels, the PowerShot A550 gives you the resolution you need to capture life's precious moments in radiant, real-life color and fully textured detail. Even when you enlarge, crop and print, every image is still breathtakingly beautiful. Better still, Canon's high-quality 4x optical zoom lens makes all your favorite subjects--portraits, landscapes, night scenes, even casual snapshots--crisp, sharp and bright.

DIGIC II Image Processor
Canon's DIGIC II Image Processor is designed to improve processing speed and image quality, so DIGIC II provides markedly fast startup, autofocus and playback, plus it assures that every image is more colorfully vibrant.

iSAPS Technology
iSAPS Technology is an entirely original scene-recognition technology developed for digital cameras by Canon. Using an internal database of thousands of different photos, iSAPS works with the fast DIGIC II Image Processor to improve focus speed and accuracy, as well as exposure and white balance.

See the image in big screen
The PowerShot A550 features a 2.0-inch LCD screen with 86,000 pixels of resolution. So whether you're setting up your shot or playing it back, everything is bright and clear. And with 9-point AiAF, you can count on exact focus no matter where your subject is in the frame. You also have Shooting modes that gives you breathtaking, exhilarating pictures even when shooting conditions are tough.

Shooting Modes
Advanced presets for the best possible photos under certain conditions.

Auto
The camera chooses all the settings so you can concentrate on your subject.

Manual
The ultimate in creative control, you set ISO speed, exposure compensation and white balance.

Portrait
The camera sets a large aperture, focusing the subject and artistically blurring the background to make your subject "pop."

Landscape
For front-to-back sharpness, the camera sets a small aperture.

Indoor
Reduce blur and improve color accuracy when shooting handheld indoors.

Kids & Pets
Reduced focusing time freezes fast-moving subjects, so you won't miss those special shots.

Night Snapshot
Get natural-looking pictures with brighter backgrounds and subjects lit by flash.

Movie
Shoot in VGA (30 frames per second [fps]/15 fps) and QVGA (60 fps/30 fps/15 fps) or QQVGA (15 fps for up to 3 minutes).

Special Scene Modes
Night Scene
For impressive sunset or nightlife shots, the camera properly exposes the background and uses slow-sync flash for the subject.

Foliage
Capture brilliant shots of autumn foliage, greenery and blossoms.

Snow
Shoot clear snow scenes without darkened subjects or an unnatural bluish tint.

Beach
Get clear shots of people at a sunny beach without darkened faces.

Fireworks
Grab brilliant images of skyrocketing fireworks.
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