Only had the 550 since monday so all I've had a chance to do is see how it fits in the hand. In no particular order my first impressions over my previous 350 are these,
It's as nice and secure to hold as the 350 with the on/off switch, shutter release and control dial falling just right for me, which is a slight improvement.
The navigation 4 way pad is much better and I no longer need to worry about locking up the autofocus by inadvertently pressing it with the palm of my thumb.
I think the menu system is much better with a clearer more logical display.
The viewfinder is still dreadful compared to the 700 but seems better than the 350 for some reason (I will buy the Pentax magnifyer one day!)
The optical viewfinder has a grid etched on it and is much clearer to compose on than the 350.
The shutter/mirror seem a little more violent than the 350?
Wonderful big clear LCD screen! A huge improvement over the 350.
Menu and function buttons are more logical, at least for me.
The MF check function seems as if it will be useful when I find out what it's for. ( I read the manual about 2 weeks after I buy something....I'm told it's a 'man' thing...).
I've tried the HDR function and it seems excellent as long as you don't photograph a fast moving bird....you end up with 2 blurred birds for your effort.
So far so good but I bought it for it's vaunted low light capacity and I've not had a chance to compare that yet. After 4 days I'm happy I spent my hard earned cash on it and thats a relief!
Phil.
