Camera Tests: Canon EOS 550D SLR, Olympus Pen E-PL1 Micro 4/3

One is the latest addition to a very long line of cameras, while the other breaks some of the new conventions in a standard that is only just finding its feet.  For today's tests, we have a traditional digital SLR with a standard interface, an 18 Megapixel sensor and 1080p HD video alongside a new micro four-thirds camera with a thoroughly reworked interface, a 12 Megapixel sensor and 'only' 720p HD video.

The Canon EOS 550D is the sixth generation of a family of cameras launched back in 2003.  As with previous updates, this one is a matter of incremental evolution, with several new features, including a change in the aspect ratio of the screen, a new sensor and several elements borrowed from the semi-professional EOS 7D.  In a segment where competition is always tough, Canon is banking on a hybrid approach, offering the best quality video currently available on an SLR.

The Olympus Pen E-PL1 is the first camera we've seen quite like this: it takes the micro four-thirds standard as a starting point, but targets after people who would otherwise buy a simple point-and-shoot camera but want better photos without having to learn about technical concepts like aperture, exposure and shutter speed.  With that audience in mind, it has a whole new interface, with new names for standard features that make much more sense to newcomers: 'depth of field', for instance, becomes 'blurry background'.

In some ways, then, these two cameras couldn't be more different.  But they have two things in common: a big sensor and interchangeable lenses, which are both essential to producing top quality photos.

Olympus Pen E-PL1	Canon EOS 550D
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> Test: Canon EOS 550D
> Test: Olympus Pen E-PL1

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