TOKYO, August 16, 2010—The European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA), composed of 50 special interest magazines from 19 countries focusing on photography, A/V products, home theatres, and mobile devices, has recognized three Canon products with prestigious "Best Product" awards. The Canon EOS 550D (Canon Rebel T2i in the Americas and EOS Kiss X4 in Japan) was named European Camera 2010-2011, the Canon EOS 7D earned European Advanced SLR Camera 2010-2011 honors, and the Canon LEGRIA HF M31 (VIXIA HF M31 and iVIS HF M31) was crowned European Family Camcorder 2010-2011.

EISA awards are presented to products released in Europe within the past 12 months and deemed representative of their product category by a judging panel composed of editors of EISA-affiliated magazines specializing in that product division.

Canon's EOS Rebel T2i digital SLR, known in Europe as the EOS 550D. Photo provided by Canon.

Canon EOS 550D: European Camera 2010-2011
Incorporating a "wide range of features contained in a well-designed and easy to use body," the EISA jury called the Canon EOS 550D an "excellent entry-level camera." With the same 18.0-megapixel resolution as the advanced-amateur model EOS 7D, the EOS 550D was praised for its image quality and cost performance, and described as a "well-specified camera packed with features."

Canon's EOS 7D digital SLR. Photo provided by Canon.

Canon EOS 7D: European Advanced SLR Camera 2010-2011
Featuring 19 cross-type AutoFocus points, extremely high ISO settings, and a burst mode capable of up to eight frames per second, the EISA jury called the Canon EOS 7D the "natural choice when it comes to photographing action and sport." Combining Canon's powerful DIGIC 4 image processor and an 18.0-megapixel CMOS sensor (APS-C size), the EOS 7D was commended for its high-quality still pictures and Full HD 1080p movie-capture capability.

Canon's VIXIA HF M31 camcorder, known in Europe as the LEGRIA HF-M31. Photo provided by Canon.

Canon LEGRIA HF-M31: European Family Camcorder 2010-2011
According to the EISA jury, the perfect family camcorder should be easy to operate by users of all ages, and the judges determined that the compact Canon LEGRIA HF M31 "manages this perfectly," through its "superb touch-screen and low button count." The fully featured HD camcorder offers high-speed Instant AF (Auto Focus) and incorporates Powered IS, optical image stabilization that provides an "unexpected high level of performance."

In addition to the EISA awards, the EOS 550D and EOS 7D have also been honored by the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA),* receiving "Best DSLR Advanced in 2010" and "Best DSLR Expert in 2010" awards, respectively.

• The Technical Image Press Association, comprising photography and imaging magazines across Europe, awards products based on an annual vote