Canon EOS
550D
 vs
Pentax
K-x

Updated (February, 2011): Compare the Canon EOS 600D vs Pentax K-x

Pentax K-x

71
Winner

Pentax K-x
"Noise is well controlled by the Pentax K-x, starting to appear at ISO 1600 and becoming more easily detectable at the faster settings of ISO 3200 and 6400."
photographyblog.com | talking about the K-x's iso-noise
"The new Pentax K-x occupies the sweet spot between the entry-level K-m and prosumer K-7 cameras."
photographyblog.com | talking about the K-x's overall-performance

Reasons to buy the Pentax K-x

Color depth
 Great color depth
22.8 bits
Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
12.5 EV
Image stabilization
 Image stabilization
Sensor shift
Sensor size
 Large sensor
APS-C 23.6x15.8mm
HDR
 In-camera HDR
Combines multiple exposures
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
97 ms shutter lag
Canon EOS 550D

59
Runner-up

Canon EOS 550D

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 550D

Movie format
 Full HD
1080p @ 30fps
Screen size
 Large screen
3.0"
Screen resolution
 High resolution screen
1,040k dots
True resolution
 High true resolution
17.9 MP
External mic jack
 External mic jack
Record higher quality audio with a microphone
Size
 Really small
Prosumer size 129x98x62 mm

differences

Advantages of the Canon 550D
Screen resolution Much higher resolution screen 1,040k dots vs 230k dots
Help
 More than 4.5x higher resolution screen
Screen size Much larger screen 3.0" vs 2.7"
Help
 More than 10% larger screen
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate
External mic jack Has an external mic jack Yes vs No
Help
 Record high quality audio with an external microphone
True resolution Much higher true resolution 17.9 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture around 50% more detail in your photos
Lens availability Significantly more lenses available 162 lenses vs 90 lenses
Help
 80% more lenses available
Startup delay Less startup delay 400 ms vs 600 ms
Help
 More than 30% less delay when turning on
Thickness Thinner 2.4" vs 2.7"
Help
 Around 10% thinner
Weight Lighter 530 g vs 580 g
Help
 Around 10% lighter
Canon EOS 550D Learn more about
the Canon 550D

Advantages of the Pentax K-x
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.5 EV vs 11.5 EV
Help
 1 f-stop more dynamic range
Image stabilization Image stabilization Sensor shift vs None
Help
 Helps eliminate blur caused by small camera movements
Overall image quality Better image quality 72.0 vs 66.0
Help
 Around 10% better image quality
Shutter lag Much less shutter lag 97 ms vs 252 ms
Help
 2.6x less delay when taking photos
Cross type focus points Many more cross-type focus points 9 vs 1
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
HDR Has in-camera HDR Yes vs No
Help
 Combines multiple exposures to capture high dynamic range
Color depth Better color depth 22.8 bits vs 22.1 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.7 more bits of color
Sensor size Larger sensor APS-C 23.6x15.8mm vs APS-C 22.3x14.9mm
Help
 More than 10% larger sensor
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO 811 ISO vs 784 ISO
Help
 The K-x has a slight edge (0 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Continuous shooting Shoots faster 4.7 fps vs 3.7 fps
Help
 Around 30% faster continuous shooting
Viewfinder size Larger viewfinder 0.56x vs 0.54x
Help
 Around 10% larger viewfinder
Focus points More focus points 11 vs 9
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Viewfinder coverage Better viewfinder coverage 96% vs 95%
Help
 Almost the same
Fastest shutter speed Significantly faster max shutter speed 1/6000s vs 1/4000s
Help
 More than 30% faster max shutter speed
Pentax K-x Learn more about
the Pentax K-x
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent entry-level DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 550D Canon EOS 550D
59 vs 71
Explain scores
Pentax K-x Pentax K-x
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Pentax K-x.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonEOS 550D
 Canon EOS 550D vs Pentax K-x
PentaxK-x
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
8
26
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
7
31
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
6
30
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
6
30
Vote Vote
Autofocus performance Video focusing
Speed and accuracy
7
27
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
6
29
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
7
32
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent entry-level DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Supports 24p 24p support Help
For that film look
Size Fairly small Help
550D:129x98x62 mm
K-x:123x92x68 mm
Thickness Thin Help
550D:2.4"
K-x:2.7"
Storage slots Fewer storage slots Help
1
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Battery life Few shots per battery charge Help
550D:440 shots
K-x:420 shots
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support
Light sensitivity Poor maximum light sensitivity Help
6,400 ISO

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Canon EOS 600D

Canon EOS 600D

Entry-level DSLR

$860 - $1,035 body only

$922 - $1,099 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the EOS 600D vs the EOS 550D
Compare the EOS 600D vs the K-x
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 550D
Compare the D5100 vs the K-x
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $984 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Movie continuous focus Can focus continuously while recording movies
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D3100 vs the EOS 550D
Compare the D3100 vs the K-x
Canon EOS 1100D

Canon EOS 1100D

Entry-level DSLR

$484 - $648 body only

$570 - $659 with 18-55mm lens
Battery life Has a significantly longer battery life
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the EOS 1100D vs the EOS 550D
Compare the EOS 1100D vs the K-x
Canon EOS 500D

Canon EOS 500D

Entry-level DSLR

$599 with 18-55mm lens
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Shutter lag Has slightly more shutter lag
Compare the EOS 500D vs the EOS 550D
Compare the EOS 500D vs the K-x
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$899 - $1,304 body only

$1,138 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Thickness Is thicker
Weight Is much heavier
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS 550D
Compare the EOS 60D vs the K-x
Nikon D90

Nikon D90

Entry-level DSLR

$869 - $897 body only

$1,099 - $1,200 with 18-105mm lens
Low light performance Is slightly less noisy at high ISO
Viewfinder size Significantly larger viewfinder
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D90 vs the EOS 550D
Compare the D90 vs the K-x

Canon EOS 550D Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon EOS 550D.

Pentax K-x Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Pentax K-5

Pentax K-5

Entry-level DSLR

$1,008 - $1,500 body only

$1,293 - $1,650 with 18-55mm lens
Low light performance Significantly lower noise at high ISO
Overall image quality Significantly better image quality
Supports 24p No 24p support
Size Larger
Compare the K-5 vs the K-x

appearance

Canon EOS 550D Pentax K-x
Canon EOS 550D Pentax K-x
Canon EOS 550D Pentax K-x

Find similar cameras

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discussion Which do you think is better?

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