The Canon Powershot A550 sits at the lower end when it comes to pricing. When you take into account the fact that it offers seven megapixels and a four times optical zoom lens it is a relatively inexpensive model.
Looking at the Powershot A550 it has a slight resemblance to an SLR camera. This is mainly due to the raised, grip area on the front of the camera. This helps you to take a good hold of the camera and keep it steady when you are taking a photograph. Without the battery the camera weighs around 160g. It is around 43mm wide. This makes it too large to slip into a pocket. Even so it is not exactly a large camera and you should not have too much trouble carrying it around with you. The camera body is made out of plastic.
When it comes to power, two AA batteries are used. As ever if you plan to be a frequent user of the camera it can pay to consider buying a set of rechargeable batteries. The important point to look out for when buying rechargeable batteries is the mAh rating. I always suggest a minimum of 2000 and preferably higher.
Images are stored by the Powershot A550 on either SD (Secure Digital) or SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) cards. A 16mb card is supplied with the camera. Unfortunately if you are shooting at seven megapixels and shooting movies this size of card is barely large enough to even test the camera out. Therefore it is likely to be a good idea to see if you can get a deal on a memory card with a decent capacity when you buy the camera.
Very few digital cameras have a viewfinder. Canon have built one into the Powershot A550. These can come in particularly handy on bright, sunny days when the sun is shinning directly onto the LCD screen. This can make the screen difficult to see and the viewfinder makes a useful back up. Many people also prefer using the viewfinder to compose a photo anyway. Being able to hold the camera up to your eye can make it easier to hold still. This reduces the likelihood of introducing camera shake and can be important in producing the sharpest possible photos.
The LCD screen itself is a little on the small side at 2". There has been a definite increase in the size of LCD screens in the last year with many entry level digital cameras offering a larger 2.5" screen. There is little doubt in my view that larger screens do make it easier to line up a shot.
Points to look out for when using the camera are a zoom ring and the fact that there are separate areas for the camera's main functions and menu system. The zoom ring can take a bit of getting used to if you are used to buttons on the back of a camera for zooming in and out, but the ring is definitely easier to use if you are using the viewfinder to compose your shot. Having the main functions and menus items controlled by different buttons does mean that it can take a while to really get to grips with the Powershot A550, but once you get to know what lives where it does make the main functions easier to get at.
