For beginner and demanding pro who want a good light box backup

My location is in the category of demanding beginners (after almost 4 years of practice).
I practiced my photo work for 3 and a half years on a Nikon D80 and D60. I do not understand why I was taking some good pictures, sometimes bad.
What repelled me on these devices, it is the accessibility settings (all by the menu). Very few ergonomic.
The "revelation", I have 2 friends: one is an amateur that has formed itself to be an excellent technician and a very competent photographer. The other is a friend and former colleague who has made photography and practical studies today unfortunately more business to supplement his income. Together, they allowed me to take the step. Initially interested in bridges, I realized that I had high demands that could not be met in this way. My friend "technician" bought a Canon EOS 40D, an old model that still has a bright future ahead of him. Ergonomics Canon fashion seduced me right away, and during that time, my friend and former colleague explained to me what is this or that option (aperture priority, shutter priority, focus '').
In early August, I passed the course and I buy bare 550D (for the 18/55 IS kit was not available) and I adds a Tamron - bright lens SP AF 17-50mm / 2.8 XR Di II VC for Canon.

After 2600 pictures in 4 months with this couple, I do:
- Night photos: long exposure - low iso and short break - iso high. NO WORRIES
- Pictures shows. I have a stylist friend who I work and I am amazed to see such clean shots at iso 400 with flash, without flash and 800 iso. The only problems we find on my photos are behind the camera ^^
- Urban pictures with high contrasts,
- Portraits

Anyway, I still discovering a lot, but it is with an incomparable pleasure.

Why this model over another.

18 MILLION PIXEL: for printing large formats, there are more pixel and better, because there will be (if need larger) lower losses by extrapolation. 300 DPI resolution or PPP which means Point Per Inch, it is possible to print photos in a format of 44 cm by 30 cm WITHOUT LOSS. 300 DPI match the standard of printing, so it is a more than acceptable quality, knowing that basic, the minimum requirement is 240 DPI instead. At this resolution, the photo measuring 54 cm by 36.5 cm. The print point is barely visible, it already is not as 300 DPI. The Nikon I was using had 10 million pixel sensor. It already corresponds to an A4 sheet at 300 DPI, which is not so bad. But not enough for me ^^
The APS-C Canon 18Mpx sensor has a dynamic range (number of detected gray values) deep for this price range. Cameras that do better are hardly likely (7D, 5D, 60D, Nikon D7000 and other high end).
As DTP graphic designer and specializes in publishing and printing, this criterion is leading to me.

ERGONOMICS: all necessary keys are under the fingers. Neither too much nor too little, ISO are both an all key as white balance, burst mode, autofocus fixed or moving object, collimators' and so on. Canon models, features a fully customizable Quick Menu: was not any sharp adjustments on hand, some are in the menus. Nevertheless, they can remain indispensable to suit your habits. Stakeholders often pictures of night and day with bright lights, I set the quick menu "noise reduction in high ISO" and "High Priority light." So I can switch very quickly on these parameters without having to scroll through long menu. In short, very quick and easy.
Moreover, this camera is very compact, and despite my large paws, he would like very well in hand. However, the portrait position is very uncomfortable (as many others). I'm considering buying a next grip to relieve my shoulder during long sessions.

OBJECTIVES: Canon has two lines of objectives: the EF dedicated to Full frame and APS-H (larger sensors found on high-end models 5D mk2 pro, 1D and 1DS mk4 mk3) and EF-S to dedicate ranges from the 1000 D 7D. The 550D takes 2. Its APS-C sensor will grow inevitably the distances, but this is irrelevant. So we will stick to its objective 550D L BIG range and out of great shots. In addition, specialized brands achieved great goals for Canon. This also means that early, EF lenses as I have on my 550D will be reusable on a Full Frame when I box to change it. Without trying to break Nikon is the big problem, there are too different ranges among the goals with unpleasant consequences in case of non compatibility: not detected target in the worst case but rather autofocus that do not work or ineffective stabilization. No worries like that at Canon. It's EF-S on 1000D EF and EF-S on 550D, 60D and 7D, 5D mk2 on EF, 1D and 1DS mk4 mk3. Easy.
Besides, my next purchase will be a 70-200 F4 L IS USM, which I réutiliserai on the successor to the 5D mk2 (or another more upscale ^^) I buy myself in 3-4 years.

VIDEO: he made the Full HD 1080p picture in 24 seconds. This is the same as the 7D. Still, it's a camera, not a camera. So some will find unacceptable the sound quality or the overall ergonomics (focus and manual zoom). That said, I taped a mate by showing him how to make a day's work by doing a manual focus, rather than having to make around After Effects clipping to get blurry in the background and foreground. Videographers looking for quality will be filled to play so simply with camera lenses that have the same qualities as the camera lenses, without the price. Still, the amateur who wants to film her little girl will certainly embarrassed the armholes as this requires tact. I think the video via cameras will delight in a semi-pro pro see niche. Anecdotally, an episode of the Dr. House series was shot with the Canon EOS 5D mk2, proof that it is possible in a professional setting with the results of qualities (the episode which I no longer remember me title an aesthetic model). Moreover, it is impossible to turn plans longer than 4 minutes.
The Achilles heel of the beast remains sound, and a tune quite difficult point to implement without training, while its quality is being able to enjoy a very consistent optical park (60 goals range Canon).

7D or 550D? : The 550D is a "small" 7D, with huge qualities, but less complete than its big brother. The budget and your actual needs will determine the best choice. The 60D also has a few arguments and is placed between the 2 models. His real plus is the swivel screen. The 7D still has the best speed (11 shots / second) with a compact flash card, or SDHC here falls short. SDHC Class 4 minimum (I made short films with, it goes). Class 6 recommended.

PRICE: very competitive for the options it brings.

RAW FORMAT: the Canon CR2 is managed by many good programs like Lightroom, Aperture (my favorite and the one with which I work), DXO, Bibble 5, Capture ONE etc.

CONSTRUCTION: very correct. We feel that the device is not a high-end, but still, it's solid. No games, and small defects: SDHC card door a bit average and some find fault with the battery cover. Not me. The case does not carry much weight (530g), and it is a quality.

CONCLUSION
A box alone does not mean much. It provides a quality basis, but will not make good pictures if you do not stick him good goal, do not treat your photos with the right software (no, Photoshop does not develop the RAW and the latter because of the destructive editing, even if this is a correction layer) and if you do not learn to use it. Automatic mode is super bad (besides, there is virtually no adjustments in this menu mode), rather learn to use the speed priority mode (Tv) and aperture-priority (Av). These will become vites information mines. That makes 500 photos my camera is in full manual mode (M): no automatic adjustment, I manage everything.

And that's great.

PS: Here you will find my pictures with the 550D: [...]