Wacom Pad Commentary Sought

I am thinking of switching from my venerable mouse to a Wacom graphics pad. The selection questionaire recommends and Intuos 3 9X12 tablet for my new (arrives today!) system. The price of admission is a little high at $795. Are any of us currently using Wacom or other graphics tablets for PP in Photoshop CS2, Aperture, or other PP application?

Thanks!

Kelly

Kelly - I have been using one of the cheaper ones, the 6x8 Graphire. It works well for me, but it has taken me a while to learn to usethe stylus. For my desk the 9x12 would be to large.

My wife uses the Intous 2 6x8 almost exclusively rather than a mouse, both on laptops and desktops (one with a 20" monitor and the other a 24"). She spends several hours a day retouching photos from our studio in CS2 and finds the tablet invaluable. Her adjustments to the controls make me a little nuts, so I haven't used it as much as her. And that's the point I guess. You can raelly "personalize" the controls on the tablet to suite your working style and typical subject matter.

I updated the Mac OS on both her desktop machines a while back, then noticed her using the mouse and getting grumpy. Turns out I should also have downloaded a new driver for the tablet. She didn't realize that was the problem, rather she thought her tablet had gone haywire. I guess I was understating the situation in saying she was "grumpy" about going back to the mouse.

Easy fix once I learned abou the problem. Thankfully!

I use the Intuos3 6x8. I previously used a Wacom Graphire 4x5 tablet. I couldn't go back to the mouse for working photographs.

I have the Intuos3 6X8. It fits in the bag with my Laptop. I use it for fine work, like masking and stuff, but use the trackpad on the laptop for the basic stuff, like curves. It takes a little adjusting the first time or two you use it, but once you adjust it, it feels really natural and you wonder how you ever got by "drawing" with a mouse or trackpad.

Lots of useful comments on tablets right now over at the PNW forum.

I have an older one & used to use it a bit for graphics drawings & photo restoration. It was great for that but took a bit to get used to. I'm looking forward to using it again on photography & my hubby would like to use it more for schematics drawings for his business. They are a handy little tool when you get the hang of it!

Count me in as a wacom user too. For the longest time I used the mouse while my wife's intouse 2 6x8 sat there unused by me. then one day I decided to give it a try. I would NEVER go back to editing a photo with a mouse again. I echo Hank's thoughts exactly. I just updated my mac's OS yesterday and had to update the tablet's driver. Have fun with it. It's a great tool that makes painting much better.

"The price of admission is a little high at $795."
The 9 x 12 is $399.95 at B&H. I have one that size, find it useful for some tasks, like dodging and burning very small areas. Ninety percent of the time, though, I still prefer to use the mouse.

I couldn't live without mine! It took a little "getting-used-to" but now I couldn't imagine tryin to edit without it. The fine control of the "pen" is similar to a real pen and allows very fine detail.on tiny areas. It's like trying to make a very exact, fine line with a pen (graphics tablet) vs. trying to do so with an old, big paintbrush (mourse). I think you'll be "hooked" too.
Sandy R

I have been using an Intuos3 9x12 for quite some time and once I got over the learning curve, I believe it is one of the best tools I have. A couple of things really stand out. The pressure sensitive pen allows you to do things you simply cannot do with a mouse. The other thing is the pen itself. You have more accuracy and comfort using a pen than a mouse.

My suggestion is to think seriously about getting a smaller size. I really thing the 9x12 is a bit large and could easily go to the next size down.

I have no direct experience with them, but among the folks I know who use them, the 6x8 size is ideal for working with photographs. To a person, they have said that the 4x5 size is too small.

I appreciate your comments about these pads, since I am considering buying one.

-PB

It also may depend on the size of your monitor, to a degree. My wife is happy with the 6x8 on her 15" laptop and her 20" Apple monitor, but feels it's a bit small for her larger ones in the studio.