Graphics Tablets

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I quite fancy the idea of using a graphics tablet for my photo editing. I have no idea about them though!

Can anyone tell me what benefits they offer and what features I should look for?

If I buy one its likely to be 2nd hand in the £50 range!
 
Ferj said:
I quite fancy the idea of using a graphics tablet for my photo editing. I have no idea about them though!

Can anyone tell me what benefits they offer and what features I should look for?

If I buy one its likely to be 2nd hand in the £50 range!
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Well what do you want to know. I religiously use a wain to edit all my pics!
 
I guess how they work, what features they need & require etc. I find using a mouse to make selections in Ps & lightroom elements a right pain so was looking for alternatives!
 
Can't comment much on makes / models, but I've always had a Wacom, even from the days when they used serial ports. These days it's USB.

Features are hardly needed - apart from R-click & L-click etc on the pen - a tablet is a tablet. You need a free USB port & a stable tablet driver for your OS.

We devotees claim that a tablet allows more comfortable precision than a mouse for things like drawing freehand or pixel-tapping ... I use nothing else whatever app I'm in & keep the pen in my hand even when typing etc, so it's always ready ...

In my view an A6 tablet would be an absolute minimum - A5 much better. It helps to have some surface area to rest the heel of your hand on whilst using the pen.

As I just said in another thread, the pens aren't anything like as durable as the tablets.
 
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The Monoprice 10x6.25 Inch is within budget (most of the time, if it's over £50 wait until it drops again). I have one after seeing it recommended (on here I think?) and it's very intuitive once you get a bit of practice.
 
Alastair said:
The Monoprice 10x6.25 Inch is within budget (most of the time, if it's over £50 wait until it drops again). I have one after seeing it recommended (on here I think?) and it's very intuitive once you get a bit of practice.
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Thanks it's good to have some choices!

Droj cheers for the tips on size, I have quite large hands so that's got me thinking too...
 
I use a Wacom Intuos 3 and it is brilliant. If you want a cheaper model to see whether or not it's for you then go for the Wacom Bamboo. You can pick one up for under £50 if you search around.

One tip to anyone considering a graphics tablet would be to buy a model, any model from Wacom. Their kit is the best on the market for photographers.

Andy
 
Thanks Andy. I was browsing their website last night and they now offer a basic intuos for £50. There's one for £80 which offers multi touch, but I can't decide if that's a useful feature! Looking at the video online it probably is....
 
We both use a wacom intuos 4 m. It's a good size and I've got all my most used tools and macros etc for PS and Bridge set on the buttons and touchwheel, I hardly need the keyboard at all when processing photos. That said I only use it for that I can't stand using it for basic Windows ops!
 
I use a Wacom Bamboo thingy. I use it mostly for masking as its so much easier. They take a bit of time to get used to though.

Also comes in handy too when you stupidly turn off the bluetooth that your wireless mouse and keyboard work though.... (I haven't done that, honest! :lol: )
 
I was planning a Lowepro fastpack 350 with my Amazon voucher but I think I will get one of these now after reading this topic. Looks good fun. Even though my mouse is perfectly fine these look like a cool little gadget:D
 
Mank said:
I use a Wacom Bamboo thingy. I use it mostly for masking as its so much easier. They take a bit of time to get used to though.

Also comes in handy too when you stupidly turn off the bluetooth that your wireless mouse and keyboard work though.... (I haven't done that, honest! :lol: )
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Do you know which version of the bamboo you have/how old? There seems to be loads of different ages and I'm finding it quite confusing!
 
Cheers fella, that's one i had been looking at. Think the touch aspect will make a big difference - but I could be entirely wrong! Am I?!?
 
Whatever Wacom tablet you end up buying I will give you 1 bit of advice.

Look after the pen! They are bloody expensive (around £80 for the Intuos 3) to replace!

Like many, I was a bit dubious as to whether I would ever use a tablet in tandem with Photoshop but I was so wrong! I wouldn't want to use Photoshop without my tablet, especially when doing anything with a mask. I thought I was pretty accurate with my mouse until I got the tablet pen in my hand. This took speed and most of all accuracy to a whole new level! Admittedly it felt very odd for the first few goes but stick with it and I am sure you won't look back. Another tip is to put your old mouse away and force yourself to use the pen. Trust me it works!

There are some excellent videos on YouTube that show some of the professional photographers using a variety of Wacom tablets and Photoshop/Lightroom. These are well worth watching.

Andy
 
Keebsuk said:
Whatever Wacom tablet you end up buying I will give you 1 bit of advice.

Look after the pen! They are bloody expensive (around £80 for the Intuos 3) to replace!

Like many, I was a bit dubious as to whether I would ever use a tablet in tandem with Photoshop but I was so wrong! I wouldn't want to use Photoshop without my tablet, especially when doing anything with a mask. I thought I was pretty accurate with my mouse until I got the tablet pen in my hand. This took speed and most of all accuracy to a whole new level! Admittedly it felt very odd for the first few goes but stick with it and I am sure you won't look back. Another tip is to put your old mouse away and force yourself to use the pen. Trust me it works!

There are some excellent videos on YouTube that show some of the professional photographers using a variety of Wacom tablets and Photoshop/Lightroom. These are well worth watching.

Andy
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Some good advice, I had heard that about the pens :eek:
 
Is this one any good Wacom CTF-430/S0-B for a novice to get started :)

I would like one but it has to work on windows XP
 
rob-nikon said:
interested how you get on as im thinking of one too although for use on a macp.the magic pad on a mac just doesnt seem to work as well as a graphics tablet would.
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Well, I will keep you posted! Think there's going to be a bit of a learning curve!
 
Ended up paying £15 for a bamboo one of Ebay. If I don't like it, I should be able to resell easily enough :)
 
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