What Size Wacom Tablet?

anonymouscuban · May 11, 2015

So I'm finally going to ditch the mouse and go Wacom. I know, you're probably thinking I'm crazy for using a mouse for this long. I bought the cheapest Bamboo tablet years ago, tried it for an hour and hated it. I'm committed to going tablet this time since I know it's the best way for editing.

So I'm going with the Intous Pro but what size? Leaning towards the medium.

BTW, I will do nothing but photo editing on it.

divamum · May 11, 2015

Most retouchers I"ve spoken to prefer the small for photo work - the medium and large tend to be TOO much area, and they say they re-map it to use a smaller part of it. FWIW.

Btw, I have a Bamboo and stopped using it too. I really like using it, but the drivers keep crashing and drive me NUTS!!!

TonyCooper · May 11, 2015

There has been a recent thread on Wacom choice in "Accessories".

My overall impression from reading several forums on photographic post-
processing using a Wacom is that the small pad is perfectly adequate for
use with Photoshop and LR edits. Normally, for precision work, the area
being adjusted with the pen is zoomed in. That's my feeling, too, and
I've used the Bamboo and the current small Inuos for several years.

The larger pads become essential to those who draw freehand using
a pad or trace.

Dunno about you, but my working area is confined as it is, and a
larger footprint would be a bit detrimental and not offset by a
larger working area.

Thelensspot · May 11, 2015

TonyCooper wrote: »

There has been a recent thread on Wacom choice in "Accessories".

My overall impression from reading several forums on photographic post-
processing using a Wacom is that the small pad is perfectly adequate for
use with Photoshop and LR edits. Normally, for precision work, the area
being adjusted with the pen is zoomed in. That's my feeling, too, and
I've used the Bamboo and the current small Inuos for several years.

The larger pads become essential to those who draw freehand using
a pad or trace.

Dunno about you, but my working area is confined as it is, and a
larger footprint would be a bit detrimental and not offset by a
larger working area.

I just purchased the small pad with very helpful input from Tony and find it entirely adequate! I only do photography editing with mine.

MomaZunk · May 11, 2015

Small will be fine for a single monitor, but for dual monitors, consider the medium.
I have a medium that is mapped to 2 24 inch screens. When mapped to a single screen for editing, it is just too much real estate for me. But I like having both screens available on the medium. For 2 monitors, the small would be too small for me when mapped to both monitors.

Thelensspot · May 12, 2015

MomaZunk wrote: »

Small will be fine for a single monitor, but for dual monitors, consider the medium.
I have a medium that is mapped to 2 24 inch screens. When mapped to a single screen for editing, it is just too much real estate for me. But I like having both screens available on the medium. For 2 monitors, the small would be too small for me when mapped to both monitors.

Dee, I went to your blog. "Bubbles"

>WOW

clap

Downtown Houston

>(again)---->

clap

Tell me more about why two monitors...

anonymouscuban · May 12, 2015

Thanks guys. I work on a single 27" monitor so I'm getting the small. Although, I've been kicking around the idea of getting a second 27" monitor but the more I think about, the less it makes sense.

I had 2 22" monitors before but I rarely find myself needing more desktop real estate. The geek in me loves the idea of staring at two beautiful 27" cinema display.

TonyCooper · May 12, 2015

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Thanks guys. I work on a single 27" monitor so I'm getting the small. Although, I've been kicking around the idea of getting a second 27" monitor but the more I think about, the less it makes sense.

I had 2 22" monitors before but I rarely find myself needing more desktop real estate. The geek in me loves the idea of staring at two beautiful 27" cinema display.

I couldn't live without my second monitor. However, my second monitor is a 17" refurbished Dell
that I purchased for $60 at a local store. I don't do any Photoshop or Lightroom editing on this
monitor. One of the things I find it useful for is following a tutorial. I put the tutorial up on
the second monitor and follow the steps on an image opened in the primary monitor.

Once you have a second monitor, you find there are many advantages to having two things
in view at the same time. The second monitor need not be of the same quality as the
primary monitor. At least in my case, I rarely have something up on the second monitor
where color or size is an important factor.

MomaZunk · May 12, 2015

Thank you Wayne for the complements.

I cannot live without 2 monitors for culling and adjusting images of a series. I keep my left monitor in LR in survey mode mostly.
When I first do my culling, I am in grid on my main (right) monitor. I keep the second monitor in survey. With just one image selected it is full screen on the left. If I am selecting between several images, I select them, and they show on the left monitor together, and I can usually narrow them down from there.
When I am in compare on my right monitor, I can quickly see which images are still left to be reviewed.

When I am in photoshop, I use the second monitor to pull images into PS from file manager, compare with LR, or just keep up with FB or email.

anonymouscuban · May 17, 2015

Thanks again guys...

So just wanted to give you guys some closure on this thread.

I ended up choosing the small Intuos Pro tablet. I should receive it on Tuesday from BH Photo. Can't wait to play around with it.

AND Dee...

Thanks for planting the seed that I need another 27" monitor.

Just when I was happy from saving some cash in getting small tablet, now I'm seriously considering another Apple display.

Sam · May 17, 2015

Alex!!

I haven't seen you around. Good to know your upright and above room temp.

All I can say is I couldn't live without my tablet.

Don't get upset if it feels funny at first. Just try it for awhile then rather than push it and try to adapt all in on session stop when / if it gets frustrating and go back to your mouse.

In short order, day week or so you will have adapted., and will never go back to the mouse for photo editing.

Sam

anonymouscuban · May 17, 2015

Sam wrote: »

Alex!!

I haven't seen you around. Good to know your upright and above room temp.

All I can say is I couldn't live without my tablet.

Don't get upset if it feels funny at first. Just try it for awhile then rather than push it and try to adapt all in on session stop when / if it gets frustrating and go back to your mouse.

In short order, day week or so you will have adapted., and will never go back to the mouse for photo editing.

Sam

Hey Sam... still alive. Lurk a lot these days just because I've been pretty busy. Good news is that it's not all work. Been traveling more than ever. Will have to remember to post more.

And yes... I plan on sticking with the tablet this time. The last one I got on sale for $75 so it was easy to ditch it after a few hours. I have some headshots from a session I did last week and I plan on using the tablet to do the retouching. Hopefully I won't get too frustrated.

NikonsandVstroms · May 19, 2015

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Thanks again guys...

So just wanted to give you guys some closure on this thread. I ended up choosing the small Intuos Pro tablet. I should receive it on Tuesday from BH Photo. Can't wait to play around with it.

AND Dee...

Thanks for planting the seed that I need another 27" monitor. Just when I was happy from saving some cash in getting small tablet, now I'm seriously considering another Apple display.

And don't feel that you need to stop at 2

I've got 3 monitors now and 2 are usually in use with various photo or design programs with the 3rd holding notes, folders, IM's. Those little things don't sound like much but not having to click to open them/cover my other monitors has been a big help. Also just to echo with the choir good choice on the small size, I've used a 4x5 Graphire 4 for about a decade now. The new ones are a lot nicer but this does the job and just keep chugging along no matter how badly it has been abused....which is really badly

since I had it through college so hopefully yours may last that long. And if you could put a review of it up once you've used it for awhile that would be greatly appreciated.

anonymouscuban · May 19, 2015

NikonsandVstroms wrote: »

And don't feel that you need to stop at 2

I've got 3 monitors now and 2 are usually in use with various photo or design programs with the 3rd holding notes, folders, IM's. Those little things don't sound like much but not having to click to open them/cover my other monitors has been a big help. Also just to echo with the choir good choice on the small size, I've used a 4x5 Graphire 4 for about a decade now. The new ones are a lot nicer but this does the job and just keep chugging along no matter how badly it has been abused....which is really badly since I had it through college so hopefully yours may last that long. And if you could put a review of it up once you've used it for awhile that would be greatly appreciated.

I actually have (3) 22" monitors at my day job. I work on a web application development team so I need the 3 desktops. I'm coding on one, writing or reading a technical spec on the 2nd and have email, IM and misc on the 3rd. I really don't know how we survived the days of having one 13" monitor.

Will do the review. I will throw one up after a couple of weeks.

anonymouscuban · May 23, 2015

So couple days now using the tablet. Again, I got the Intuos Pro Small. So far.... LOVE IT.

The small is definitely more than big enough for my 27". I suspect it would be fine even if I had two 27" displays. Actually, I was frustrated at first, until I realized I had to map the working space on the tablet. I made the functional area of the tablet maybe half its size. Now takes much smaller movements of the pen to get around my screen. What a waste it would have been spending more on the medium or worse, the large like I was first inclined to do.

One thing I'm loving... and I can't even understand how I've gotten by for this many years without... is the freaking control you get from the pen and the pressure sensitivity. First off, the pen is just so much more intuitive work with than a clunky mouse. Now, I got pretty damn good with one but still. Especially when retouching skin or doing intricate masks. The the flow control you get from the pressure sensitivity is AMAZEBALLS! I can feather brush strokes in and out with so much more precision and dynamically. You can't do that with a mouse. You have to keep adjusting the opacity/flow manually with the sliders. UGH! Really makes such a huge difference when working with things like skin and dodging/burning highlights and shadows.

I still need to figure out how I want to setup my shortcuts. I don't know if I prefer using keyboard shortcuts or if I want to use the buttons/radial dial on the tablet to access the stuff I use most in PS. I keep going back and forth between the two. I guess time will tell. Navigating menus and stuff with the pen feels strange and find myself going to the mouse but I think that will change with time as well.

So far so good guys. Thank you so much for the help choosing the size. Here are a couple of my images I edited as practice with the tablet.

1

jen_glamour-1 by Alex Sotelo, on Flickr

2

jen_glamour-2 by Alex Sotelo, on Flickr

What Size Wacom Tablet?

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