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Sunday, March 31, 2013

Syracuse Final Four Berth Secured With 55-39 Win Over Marquette In Elite Eight (PHOTOS)

Wichita State players celebrate their 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Amedeo Della Valle

Ohio State guard Amedeo Della Valle cries in the locker room following his team's 70-66 loss to Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament regional final, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Evan Ravenel

Ohio State's Evan Ravenel, right, sits in the locker room after Ohio State's 70-66 loss to Wichita State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

LaQuinton Ross

Ohio State's LaQuinton Ross sits in the locker room after his team lost 70-66 to Wichita State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Evan Ravenel

Carl Hall

Wichita State's Carl Hall celebrates after his team defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall points as he walks off the court after Wichita State defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Carl Hall

Wichita State's Carl Hall (22) and teammates pose with the regional trophy after defeating Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Chadrack Lufile

Wichita State's Chadrack Lufile holds up a piece of the net after his team's 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall holds the regional trophy as he poses with his players after they defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall celebrates after Wichita State defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall holds up a pair of scissors after Wichita State defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall signals that his team is headed to the Final Four it defeated Ohio State 70-66 in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LaQuinton Ross, Sam Thompson

Ohio State players LaQuinton Ross, right, and Sam Thompson (12) leave the court after Ohio State's 70-66 to Wichita State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall, left, and Ohio State coach Thad Matta talk at the finish of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. Wichita State won 70-66. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Demetric Williams, Carl Hall, Fred Van Vleet

Wichita State's Carl Hall, right rear, Fred Van Vleet, left, and Demetric Williams celebrate their team's 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Fred Van Vleet

Wichita State guard Fred Van Vleet celebrates his team's 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Shannon Scott

Ohio State guard Shannon Scott walks off court after after Ohio State's 70-66 loss to Wichita State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Aaron Craft

Carl Hall

Wichita State's Carl Hall celebrates his team's 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Deshaun Thomas, Carl Hall, Fred Van Vleet

Wichita State's Carl Hall (22) and Fred Van Vleet celebrate their team's 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas (1) walks off at left. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

The Ohio State bench watches as their team loses 70-66 to Wichita State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Carl Hall

Wichita State forward Carl Hall celebrates his team's 70-66 win over Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Thad Matta

Ohio State coach Thad Matta reacts during the second half of the West Regional final against Wichita State in the NCAA mens college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Malcolm Armstead, Deshaun Thomas, Carl Hall

Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas (1) shoots next to gainst Wichita State forward Carl Hall (22) during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. Wichita State's Malcolm Armstead is at left. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Carl Hall, Deshaun Thomas

Wichita State forward Carl Hall (22) controls the ball against Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas (1) during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Deshaun Thomas, Carl Hall

Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas, left, defends against Wichita State forward Carl Hall during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Ohio State players sits on the bench during the second half of the West Regional final against Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Fred Van Vleet, Aaron Craft

Wichita State's Fred Van Vleet, left, and Ohio State guard Aaron Craft chase a loose ball during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LaQuinton Ross

Ohio State forward LaQuinton Ross pauses during the second half of the West Regional final against Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Wichita State players react from the bench during the second half against Ohio State in the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Cleanthony Early

Wichita State's Cleanthony Early, right, is examined after suffering an injury during the second half of the West Regional final against Ohio State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Wichita State players sits on the bench during the second half of the West Regional final against Ohio State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Fred Van Vleet, Aaron Craft

Ohio State guard Aaron Craft, top, and Wichita State guard Fred Van Vleet scramble for a loose ball during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Sam Thompson, Carl Hall

Ohio State forward Sam Thompson drives against Wichita State forward Carl Hall during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Deshaun Thomas, Carl Hall

Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas, left, and Wichita State forward Carl Hall get tangled up during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Wichita State players react to a field goal scored against Ohio State during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Aaron Craft, Malcolm Armstead

Wichita State guard Malcolm Armstead, right, works against Ohio State guard Aaron Craft (4) during the second half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Carl Hall, Deshaun Thomas

Wichita State forward Carl Hall, left, shoots against Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas (1) and another defender during the first half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Carl Hall, Amir Williams, Deshaun Thomas

Wichita State forward Carl Hall, left, has a shot rejected by Ohio State's Ohio State's Amir Williams (23) as Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas (1) helps defend during the first half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

The Ohio State cheer team performs during the first half of the West Regional final between Ohio State and Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Thad Matta

Ohio State head coach Thad Matta argues a call during the first half of the West Regional final against Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Thad Matta

Ohio State coach Thad Matta calls to his players during the first half of the West Regional final against Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Thad Matta

Ohio State coach Thad Matta reacts during the first half of the West Regional final against Wichita State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall talks to his players during the first half of the West Regional final against Ohio State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Gregg Marshall, Cleanthony Early

Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall talks to Cleanthony Early during the first half of the West Regional final against Ohio State in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Gregg Marshall

Carl Hall, Amir Williams, Deshaun Thomas

Wichita State forward Carl Hall (22) has a shot rejected by Ohio State center Amir Williams (23) as Ohio State forward Deshaun Thomas helps on defends during the first half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Carl Hall

Wichita State forward Carl Hall celebrates a field goal against Ohio State during the first half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Demetric Williams, Cleanthony Early

Wichita State guard Demetric Williams (5) celebrates a 3-pointer against Ohio State with teammate Cleanthony Early (11) during the first half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Amir Williams, Carl Hall, Aaron Craft, Shannon Scott

Wichita State forward Carl Hall, rear, and Ohio State guards Aaron Craft, center, and Shannon Scott, right, scramble for a loose ball during the first half of the West Regional final in the NCAA men's college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 30, 2013, in Los Angeles. Ohio State center Amir Williams is at left. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/30/syracuse-marquette-ncaa-elite-eight_n_2985970.html

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Pope leads Catholics into Easter at vigil service in St. Peter's

By Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis, leading the world's 1.2 billion Catholics into Easter for the first time, on Saturday urged those who have strayed from the faith to allow God back into their lives.

Francis, who was elected on March 13, presided at a solemn Easter vigil Mass in St. Peter' Basilica to usher the Catholic Church into the most important day of its liturgical calendar.

The immense basilica, the largest church in Christendom, was in the dark for the start of the service to signify the darkness in Jesus' tomb before what Christians believe was his resurrection from the dead three days after his crucifixion.

Some 10,000 faithful lit candles as Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, walked up the main aisle, and then the basilica's lights were turned on.

The 76-year-old Francis, wearing relatively plain white vestments - as opposed to the more elaborate robes preferred by his predecessor Benedict - delivered a simple homily recounting the Bible story of the women who went to Jesus' tomb but were surprised to find it empty.

He urged his listeners not to be "afraid of God's surprises," never to lose confidence during the trials and tribulations of daily life, and, if they have strayed, to let God back into their lives.

"Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms," he said, speaking in Italian.

"If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won't be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don't be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do," he said.

Another difference between Francis and his predecessor is that Francis reads his homilies standing behind a lectern like an ordinary priest instead of while seated on a throne.

He is still living in the same Vatican guesthouse where he stayed during the conclave that elected him the first non-European pope in 1,300 years instead of moving into the spacious and regal papal apartments in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.

Francis has also been inviting ordinary people to his morning Mass at the guesthouse, including Vatican street sweepers and gardeners and staff of the guest house.

During Saturday night's service he presided at another Easter vigil tradition by baptizing four new adult members of the Church. They were from Italy, Albania, Russia and the United States.

Holy Saturday was the third of four hectic days leading up to Easter Sunday, the most important day in the Christian liturgical calendar.

On Easter Sunday he will celebrate another Mass and then deliver his first "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to tens of thousands of people in the square below.

The balcony is the same spot where he first appeared to the world as pope on the night of March 13 after his election.

(Reporting By Philip Pullella; Editing by Jason Webb)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pope-leads-catholics-easter-vigil-st-peters-214300576.html

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Friday, March 29, 2013

Source says Barbara Walters to retire next year

NEW YORK (AP) ? Barbara Walters plans to retire next year, ending a television career that began more than a half century ago and made her a trailblazer in news and daytime TV.

Someone who works closely with Walters said the plan is for her to retire in May 2014 after a series of special programs saluting her career. The person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday.

Walters, 83, was hospitalized earlier this year after falling and cutting her head while leaving a party in Washington and remained out of work after developing the chickenpox. Largely retired from ABC News already, her main work is at "The View," the daytime hit she created in 1997.

Her television career began in 1961 when she was hired as a writer for the "Today" show. She graduated quickly to on-air work and became the show's co-host before leaving in 1976 to become co-anchor of ABC's evening news with Harry Reasoner ? the first woman in such a role for a television network.

The pairing ended quickly and Walters settled into a role as ABC News' cajoler-in-chief, competing ferociously to land newsmaking interviews with heads of state and stars of the day. She regularly did interview specials, including an annual show with the most fascinating people of the year, and was co-host of "20/20" for two decades, much of the time with Hugh Downs.

She described "The View" as the "dessert" of her career, a regular gathering of women chatting about the hot topics of the day and interviewing visiting presidents and actors eager to reach a daytime audience. Walters appeared semi-regularly as one of the hosts.

"The View" faces a transition continuing without Walters and also the last remaining original host, Joy Behar, who recently announced she was stepping down.

Walters underwent heart surgery in 2010, turning the experience into a prime-time special, "A Matter of Life and Death," featuring interviews with fellow heart patients Bill Clinton and David Letterman.

ABC news and entertainment representatives would not comment Thursday and Walters' publicist, Cindi Berger, did not immediately return requests for comment.

It wasn't clear when Walters would announce her plans. Late spring is the time TV networks generally reveal their plans for the upcoming year so advertisers can lock in commercial time.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-source-barbara-walters-retire-next-201952868.html

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Falcons agree to 2-year deal with Osi Umenyiora

ATLANTA (AP) ? The Atlanta Falcons found a replacement for John Abraham on Wednesday by reaching an agreement with free-agent defensive end Osi Umenyiora on a two-year, $8.5 million contract.

The Falcons released the 34-year-old Abraham, the team leader with 10 sacks in 2012, on March 1, the same day they also released running back Michael Turner and cornerback Dunta Robinson.

The team replaced Turner by signing Steven Jackson to a three-year, $12 million deal March 14. Now Umenyiora joins Jackson as Atlanta's second major free-agent addition.

The Falcons scheduled a news conference with Umenyiora for Thursday.

The 31-year-old Umenyiora gives the Falcons a slightly younger replacement at defensive end, but his production has declined in recent years. He had only six sacks for the Giants in 2012, when he started only four of 16 games. He had 55 tackles, five for losses, and one forced fumble.

He had a career-high 14? sacks in 2005, when he was a first-team All-Pro selection. He has reached double figures in sacks only one of the last four years ? 11? in 2010.

Umenyiora, 6-foot 3 and 255 pounds, was a second-round pick from Troy State by New York in 2003. He has 75 sacks, 31 forced fumbles and 13 fumble recoveries in his career and helped the Giants win two Super Bowl championships.

He set an NFL record with 10 forced fumbles in 2010 and a Giants record with six sacks in a 2007 win over Philadelphia.

The presence of defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck made Umenyiora a part-time starter last season, but he'll be expected to replace Abraham as the Falcons' top pass-rusher. Defensive end Kroy Biermann was second on the Falcons with only 4 sacks last season.

Umenyiora's agent, Tom Condon, couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

Umenyiora made a brief reference to his new NFL home on his Twitter feed when he tweeted "(hash)RISE UP" ? the Falcons' slogan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/falcons-agree-2-deal-osi-umenyiora-015236611--nfl.html

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Nokia?s map app boss quits following worldwide collapse in the charts

The latest version of iOS is reportedly creating problems for a number of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. Apple (AAPL) released iOS version 6.1.3 earlier this month to fix a recent vulnerability that allowed unauthorized users to bypass a device?s lock screen ??an issue that is ongoing. To make matters worse, some users are now reporting that the?latest update is causing the battery to drain faster than before while also hurting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. According to CNET, normal fixes such as restoring the device to its factory settings seem to be unsuccessful in resolving the problem. Battery life issues are not uncommon after iOS updates, as users previously reported similar problems with iOS version 6.1 in February.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nokia-map-app-boss-quits-following-worldwide-collapse-214728624.html

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In the wee hours, Putin orders impromptu Russian war games

The Black Sea naval operation, called for in an order delivered to the defense minister at 4 a.m., is seen by experts as a demonstration of Russia's growing capacity for quick responses.

By Fred Weir,?Correspondent / March 28, 2013

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the BRICS 2013 Summit in Durban, South Africa, on Wednesday. Mr. Putin?s spokesman says the Russian president on Thursday ordered a surprise, immediate military exercise in the Black Sea.

Alexei Druzhinin/Presidential Press Service/RIA Novosti/AP

Enlarge

President Vladimir Putin has surprised Russian military leaders by issuing a snap order to initiate immediate Black Sea war games ? which experts say is a sign that the country's armed forces are becoming capable of defending the country on, literally, a moment's notice.

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The command was delivered in a sealed envelope to Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at 4 a.m. Thursday morning, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

A note posted on Mr. Putin's official website said the exercises will be held in the Black Sea, and involve "up to 7,000 military personnel, over 30 warships based in Sevastopol and Novorossiisk, aviation, rapid deployment airborne troops, marines and the special forces of the General Staff.... The exercises' main objective is to assess combat readiness and coordination among the various branches of the Armed Forces."

Russian security experts appear to overwhelmingly approve the move, which they say is a sign that Russia's reformed and rapidly rearming military forces are shaking off their post-Soviet torpor.

They insist that, under international conventions, Russia is not obliged to inform NATO, or any neighboring countries, about war games that involve 7,000 personnel or less.

"Sure it was a sudden order. Good. That's the way things were done in the Soviet Union," says Viktor Baranets, a former defense ministry spokesman who now writes a regular security column for the Moscow daily Komsomolskaya Pravda.

"This is a perfectly normal practice. We aren't violating any agreements," he adds.

However, no one seems to know whether Russia should have informed Ukraine, on whose sovereign territory major elements of Russia's Black Sea Fleet are based at the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

"It is odd that no one seems to know if Russia is obliged to inform Ukraine about any sudden movements of forces that are based on Ukrainian soil," says Alexander Golts, deputy editor of Yezhednevny Zhurnal, an online newspaper.

"If you undertake exercises on your own territory, no one cares. But in the Black Sea region we have Georgia, with whom Russia fought a war in 2008, and these exercises will be staged partly from Ukrainian territory. It's a far more complicated thing," Mr. Golts adds.

Phone calls to the office of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and the headquarters of Ukraine's navy in Kiev on Thursday produced no answers. A secretary at the navy's press office told the Monitor to "write a letter asking your question, and we'll get back to you."

Kiril Frolov, a Ukraine expert at the official Institute of the Commonwealth of Independent States in Moscow, says that all issues concerning Russia's freedom to act out of Sevastopol are covered by the 2010 Kharkov Agreement, under which Mr. Yanukovych agreed to extend Moscow's lease on the Crimean naval base for 25 years in exchange for discounts on the price of the natural gas that Russia sells to Ukraine.

"Russia doesn't have to warn Ukraine about exercises in the Black Sea," says Mr. Frolov. "The Black Sea is a zone of Russian interests, and the Kharkov Agreement envisages exactly this sort of situation."

Just last month Mr. Putin warned his military chiefs that external threats to Russia are on the rise, and the armed forces will have to undergo a "drastic upgrade" to meet the new challenges.

Earlier this year, Russia announced its biggest ever war games since the Soviet era to take place in the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea.

Many analysts saw those, and a previous set of exercises in the Mediterranean, as a possible cover for a potential mass evacuation of tens of thousands of Russian citizens, and their dependents, from civil war-torn Syria.

But most experts say today's snap war games are just part of the newly capable and combat-ready Russian military, and everyone should just get used to it.

"We have been having almost nonstop exercises in the Black Sea lately, certainly on a bigger scale than in the past. But that's how it should be," says Sergei Mikheyev, director of the independent Center for Political Assessment in Moscow.

"There is absolutely nothing unusual about this."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/tqeitf0GwEc/In-the-wee-hours-Putin-orders-impromptu-Russian-war-games

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Canon EOS M

As the last major camera manufacturer to take a stab at designing a compact interchangeable lens camera, Canon had plenty of time to see what others had done right and wrong and to avoid pitfalls in design. Unfortunately, the EOS M ($799.99 direct with 22mm lens) suffers from some of the same performance issues that plagued the first generation of mirrorless cameras. Despite delivering excellent images, autofocus is slow, there's no built-in flash, and you get a very limited lens selection. It's priced like our current Editors' Choice, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5, but doesn't deliver nearly the performance.

Design and Features
The EOS M is available in two kits. The standard kit (reviewed here) ships with the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens, which is the equivalent of a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera. The second kit, priced at $849.99, ships with the EF-M 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM, which delivers the same 29-88mm field of view captured by standard Canon D-SLR kit zooms.

The EOS M's body is impressively small when you consider that it packs the same 18-megapixel image sensor as the Canon EOS Rebel T4i. It measures just 2.6 by 4.3 by 1.3 inches (HWD), but is a bit heavy for its size at 10.5 ounces. If you pair it with the 22mm prime lens you can slide the camera into your pocket, but you won't be able to do that if you opt for the zoom. The Sony Alpha NEX-6 is a bit bigger at 2.75 by 4.75 by 1.7 inches, but it ships with a collapsible power zoom lens that doesn't add any more depth to the camera than Canon's 22mm prime. Panasonic has a similar collapsible lens, the Lumix G X Vario PZ 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 ASPH., for Micro Four Thirds cameras.

Despite delivering images that are on par with SLRs for quality, and being part of the EOS family, the M is more like a PowerShot point-and-shoot in terms of physical control. The traditional mode dial has been replaced with a toggle switch surrounding the shutter release. It only has three settings?Scene Intelligent Auto, Still Photo, and Movie. The first setting puts all of the control into the hands of the EOS M, while the second gives you access to traditional Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and Scene modes. These must be selected via the touch-screen interface. Even though there's a dedicated Record button on the rear, you'll need to be in Movie mode to record video.

Rear controls are sparse. There's a control wheel with integrated four-way control and a center button. From here you'll be able to set Auto Exposure Lock, adjust the Drive Mode, change Exposure Compensation, and delete a photo. The center button activates the Q menu, which you'll have to use to adjust any other settings via the touch screen. This menu was first seen on the Canon T4i, and works well here. It gives you touch access to change the autofocus settings, file capture format, white balance, JPG output settings, and the metering mode.

The 1,040k-dot 3-inch rear display is very sharp. The touch input is also quite good; you can swipe to scroll through photos during playback, and pinch to zoom in on a shot during review. You can also tap an area of the screen to move the flexible autofocus square, and if you enable it, a tap on the screen can focus and fire the camera's shutter.

There's no built-in EVF like on the Sony NEX-6 or Panasonic G5; nor is there a way to add one. Many other compact interchangeable lens cameras, including the small Olympus PEN Mini E-PM2 feature an expansion port that can accommodate an add-on EVF. The EOS M does have a standard hot shoe, which is a good thing, as the camera doesn?t have a flash. If you want to add one, the most size-appropriate option from Canon is the compact Speedlite 90EX. It's good for its size, but adds $150 to the cost of the camera. I got the best results with it in Scene Intelligent Auto mode. Photos shot in this mode were well balanced and didn't have the overblown look that you can get from similar small flashes, even when shooting at close range. Shooting in Program and Aperture Priority mode produced images with a harsh look, and ones that were completely blown out white when firing close to the subject. None of the Olympus PEN cameras include a built-in flash, but they all ship with a unit that slides into the accessory port.

Only two lenses are available now, but Canon does market an adapter that allows you to use its EF-S and EF D-SLR lenses. The Mount Adapter EF-EOS M delivers full aperture and focus control when you use it to marry Canon SLR lenses to the EOS M's small body. If you're using adapted lenses that don't have an STM motor you'll end up with slow, choppy focusing. I tested the EF 28mm f/1.8 USM lens using the adapter and it took about 1.9 seconds to focus and fire a shot. Video focus performance was choppy and noisy. The same lens only required 0.2-second to focus and fire when paired with the Canon EOS 6D.

There are also third party adapters on the market that allow you to use practically any vintage SLR or rangefinder lens with the camera?you'll just have to adjust aperture and focus manually. If you are a Canon SLR shooter and the idea of using your current lenses on a smaller body is appealing, you do have another option. Lens adapter manufacturer Metabones offers up a similar adapter that lets you use EF and EF-S lenses on Sony NEX cameras, but at $400, it's twice the price of the native Canon adapter and it doesn't support autofocus for every available lens.

(Next page: Performance and Conclusions)

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