Does anyone use a tablet for photo editting?

catspaw

years and years on computers and yet my mouse skills are a bit ... shakey. Doing masks and the such is a pain and a half, so I've been intrigued by the newer Wacom Bamboo tablets.

Does anyone here use a tablet or alternative methods? They are rather cheap these days, but since this is really the ONLY thing I'd use it for ($60 isn't expensive in my book), I'm glad to pay if it's worked for others too.

opinions?? :bow thank you!!

Cuong

I use the older model Graphire4 tablet and I can attest to its much better effectiveness, accuracy and ease of use compared to a mouse. You won't look at your mouse the same way once you started using a tablet. Go for it, Leah.

Cuong

Travis

Tablets take a few hours to get used to but once you do, you will never believe that you used anything else to do the detail work in post. I can't imagine "painting" in a mask without one!

swintonphoto

I agree with what has been said. I have used one - they take some getting use to, but if you are good with your hands they are great.

catspaw

YAY! a totally justifiable toy purchase.

you guys ROCK. :ivar

Art Scott

get a good one....do not settle for any ol' tablet......there are good ones to be had off ebay...look at things like the amount of sensitivity and pressure and all that.....go here and read on this page start with the Intuos and then go to the comparison pages....... I use an older wireless graphire (came with a wireless pen & mouse........but I hate mouses and use only trackballs....not ill carpel tunnel effects with a track ball)......many find that a 4 x 6 (like mine is good enuff for them but I want to upgrade this year to a larger tablet).....but I will never again try to do any post work with a mouse or trackball ever again....ever I say!!!:D

colourbox

catspaw wrote:

...but since this is really the ONLY thing I'd use it for ($60 isn't expensive in my book)

There's no reason you should use the tablet just for retouching. Once you get used to it, you might do like many do and put the mouse away in a drawer, using the pen for general computer use. Wacom tablets FTW.

Art Scott wrote:

...I will never again try to do any post work with a mouse or trackball ever again....ever I say!!!:D

Or with a laptop trackpad (that's when you know you're desperate)...

jogle

Don't get the cheap tablets, they are frustratingly bad and will turn you off using a tablet. Stick to the Wacom Intous range. go for a second hand one if a new one costs too much, I have a small 4x6 of their first generation that fits well in my laptop bag for traveling and it's still going strong after 10 years. At work I use a 5x7 all the time to the point that the mouse hangs over the back of my desk. My hands are so much better for it.

darkdragon

jogle wrote:

Don't get the cheap tablets, they are frustratingly bad and will turn you off using a tablet. Stick to the Wacom Intous range. go for a second hand one if a new one costs too much, I have a small 4x6 of their first generation that fits well in my laptop bag for traveling and it's still going strong after 10 years. At work I use a 5x7 all the time to the point that the mouse hangs over the back of my desk. My hands are so much better for it.

I agree 100%. I use a 4x6 Wacom with my laptop too. I don't usually use it with my desktop, but I use my desktop for mostly video editing not photo editing. I love using the tablet for creative items and heavy photoshop, but I don't like using it for Lightroom/web/etc. - that is only because it takes up space and I'd rather have nothing attached to my laptop for those simple tasks.

Oh yeah, and I tried the cheap version (non-Wacom) when I didn't want/have the cash for the real thing. I returned it because it was so bad, waited until I could get the real thing.

catspaw

jogle wrote:

Don't get the cheap tablets, they are frustratingly bad and will turn you off using a tablet. Stick to the Wacom Intous range. go for a second hand one if a new one costs too much, I have a small 4x6 of their first generation that fits well in my laptop bag for traveling and it's still going strong after 10 years. At work I use a 5x7 all the time to the point that the mouse hangs over the back of my desk. My hands are so much better for it.

I'd only go with Wacom for tablets and their newer Bamboo line is getting GREAT reviews, so yes it's cheap but I'll happily fly with it. If it sucks, I'll return it or sell it on ebay and upgrade.

Toshido

I went ahead and picked up a tablet laptop. My ideal set-up, when I can get the wife off the desktop, is using the laptop as a tablet nad plugging it into my desktop moniter for better colour and larger screen. This way I can see the what i am actually doing on the laptop. Feels more natural to me. but I needed a laptop at the time anyways and i am attracted to techy toys.
But i love the setup.

happysmileylady

What is this tablet thingie of which you speak?:D

Toshido

here is a link to Wacom, probably the best tablet maker out there. At least the only one I really know about.

http://www.wacom.com/index2.php

Travis

happysmileylady wrote:

What is this tablet thingie of which you speak?:D

Well, according to some books some guy with a a really weird name like Moses or someth'in came down off a mountaintop carrying these things with a bunch of rules on them......

LivingLarge

Travis wrote:

Well, according to some books some guy with a a really weird name like Moses or someth'in came down off a mountaintop carrying these things with a bunch of rules on them......

Amen! ! !

dogwood

I use an older Wacom Graphite for the majority of my work.

Ironically, I have a newer Wacom Graphire (?) at the ol' day job and I actually prefer my older tablet! It's been indestructible so far-- despite tagging along on several cross-country trips and all that. Still works just as well as the day it was new.

Robinivich

I got a small Wacom Bamboo under the christmas tree last year, and I have to say, it changed the way I look at photoshop from unfortunate chore to tons of fun! Absolutely worth it.

catspaw

Robinivich wrote:

I got a small Wacom Bamboo under the christmas tree last year, and I have to say, it changed the way I look at photoshop from unfortunate chore to tons of fun! Absolutely worth it.

Awesome mine is going to arrive tomorrow, what with all the great feedback I got here! masks were a PITA and I hate to do them.

Wachel

I just bought my Bamboo Fun (medium) tonight. I have never used a tablet before tonight.

Ummm...WOW!!! :jawdrop

I love it so far. I am still getting used to it. I can't see myself getting rid of my mouse but I also can't see myself using photoshop with out my tablet!

The cool thing is that I am left handed when I write but I use the mouse with my right hand so seeing me work in PS must be a funny sight! Obviously, I am going to have to re-figure my work flow a bit.

BradfordBenn

You should see the BradCAD drawings I do at work. I use the Tablet and Adobe Illustrator quite a bit to do quick electronic sketches that can then be refined and edited. The tablet is a great creative tool. It starts to get the computer out of the way and just start doing.

ivar

catspaw wrote:

Awesome mine is going to arrive tomorrow, what with all the great feedback I got here! masks were a PITA and I hate to do them.

And? what is it like?

catspaw

ivar wrote:

And? what is it like?

WOW.

okok last time I had a tablet was sometime in the 90s, but still! This thing is SWEET and so very very sensitive, it's actually a useful tool. I can see how it can entirely replace the mouse if you wish. The quick launch buttons at the top along with the scroll 'wheel' make it even better, as all I wanted was just something to help outline those bloody masks a bit better than my fail attempts with the mouse. With this, I feel like I'm dancing around the screen.

Tres sweet

Kyle D

catspaw wrote:

WOW.

okok last time I had a tablet was sometime in the 90s, but still! This thing is SWEET and so very very sensitive, it's actually a useful tool. I can see how it can entirely replace the mouse if you wish. The quick launch buttons at the top along with the scroll 'wheel' make it even better, as all I wanted was just something to help outline those bloody masks a bit better than my fail attempts with the mouse. With this, I feel like I'm dancing around the screen.

Tres sweet

Did you get the normal Bamboo or the Bamboo Fun (Small/Medium)?

Also, after having spent more time with it, how is it now?

catspaw

Kyle D wrote:

Did you get the normal Bamboo or the Bamboo Fun (Small/Medium)?

Also, after having spent more time with it, how is it now?

I picked up the Bamboo Fun since I wasn't going to use it too too much.

impressions now? still much the same! it's an awesome tool and very sleek and sensitive to the pen and touch. I've not used it a lot (I'm too used to the mouse to give it up entirely) but have found it is quite natural to use, not awkward at all.

Kyle D

catspaw wrote:

I picked up the Bamboo Fun since I wasn't going to use it too too much.

impressions now? still much the same! it's an awesome tool and very sleek and sensitive to the pen and touch. I've not used it a lot (I'm too used to the mouse to give it up entirely) but have found it is quite natural to use, not awkward at all.

Did you get the small or medium? How's the size? Is it too small?

catspaw

Kyle D wrote:

Did you get the small or medium? How's the size? Is it too small?

Small since I'm usually only doing smaller areas as it is and my screen is only a 21 inch. Else I'd have gotten the medium.

poker

I was a t Best Buy last night and was able to get an Intuos 6x11 for under $200.

The clearance price was $228, then I used a 10% off coupon good for that weekend, and used a $10 off coupon for reward zone members.

But even without the coupons, $228 for the 6x11 is pretty good. Check out your local Best Buy. It said 'clearance' so that it probably while supplies last.

I haven't opened it yet.

ssimmonsphoto

poker wrote:

I was a t Best Buy last night and was able to get an Intuos 6x11 for under $200.

The clearance price was $228, then I used a 10% off coupon good for that weekend, and used a $10 off coupon for reward zone members.

But even without the coupons, $228 for the 6x11 is pretty good. Check out your local Best Buy. It said 'clearance' so that it probably while supplies last.

I haven't opened it yet.

Heck, for that priced I'd pay you to pick one up for me! Good buy!

EDIT: Just figured out that my local store has them. Perhaps a trip out tomorrow is in order before the UPS man shows up with my B&H and Adorama goodies. :-D

EDIT x2: Keep in mind that the price at Best Buy on clearance items varies by store. By driving 1.5 hours north, I'll be able to save $50 and get it for $228.99. I'm on vacation anyways, so I figured what the heck. My car gets almost 30 miles per gallon, so it's just the time.

JustPlainMe

Lots of input, I have a Bamboo Fun, and I don't have my mouse hooked up to the computer any more. I don't use the tablet with my laptop because it's too awkward to find a spot to put it. I do digital scrapbooking so I spend a lot of time in Photoshop, and I also have a side job in proofreading/copyediting. I have used the tablet exclusively for both, and love it. No more pain in my right wrist!

The only complaint I have is---I am left-handed, and I moused with my right hand. I pen with my left, and so it took a long time to get used to, even though I write left-handed. For some people it doesn't matter, but if you pen with a different hand than you moused with, it will take quite a bit of getting used to. I am still much slower with the tablet than I was with the mouse, but my work is much more precise.

I have the 5X7, it's plenty large for me, but I think if you're doing extensive work, you might want the larger tablet. I only use mine about 2 hours a day.

Sarah

poker

ssimmonsphoto wrote:

EDIT x2: Keep in mind that the price at Best Buy on clearance items varies by store. By driving 1.5 hours north, I'll be able to save $50 and get it for $228.99. I'm on vacation anyways, so I figured what the heck. My car gets almost 30 miles per gallon, so it's just the time.

I hope you were successful.

ssimmonsphoto

poker wrote:

I hope you were successful.

I was. Drove up before they opened and got it first thing. It's so huge! I saw the 4x6 on clearance, too, and almost got that one instead. But then I told myself that I needed to go big or go home empty handed. Especially since my husband ok'ed the bigger one.

Thanks again for the heads up about it!