Photoshop gurus - Adivce on tablets...

[440BX]

I'm really getting into Photoshop, and am considering a tablet for input. Are the ~$100 WACOM tablets worth the money? Or should I save up for something bigger and more expensive.

Sorry if this is a sticky some where else.

 

[Bad_Boy]

Wacoms are definitely worth it. I'm currently saving for one of the cintiq models.

 

[zero2dash]

Originally I bought a Graphire4 8x10 for my wife but I've gotten plenty of use out of it as well. I believe it was like $89 at mWave, they had it the cheapest. We've definitely gotten our money's worth.

They do have the Intuos line obviously but unless you're looking for something specifically offered in the Intuos models (like macros or something), I'd just get a Bamboo (which is what they renamed the Graphire line to). Even the Bamboo ones have plenty in the range of pressure and quite a few other good features.

 

[440BX]

Thanks for the responses! Glad to hear the bamboo line of tablets is well liked.

 

[Spiko]

the wacoms and cintiqs are totally different beasts. Drawing on one surface and looking at another is not natural at all. At least not for me, I could never do it and so I always hated tablets. Then I used a cintiq and holy shit balls is it cool. My school has the 2nd largest cintiq lab in the world so I go fairly spoiled and just can't work without them now. My girlfriend got herself the 12 or 15 I forget and it's cool but if you can save for a 24". there is just nothing else like it. Good investment for sure!

I still have my doodles from the first time I used one. I know they're not great but like I said I did this within minutes of sitting at a cintiq for the first time.

Here's a more current and finished piece

 

[AFanCorp]

A cheap Wacom is better than everything else on the market.

 

[zero2dash]

the wacoms and cintiqs are totally different beasts. Drawing on one surface and looking at another is not natural at all. At least not for me, I could never do it and so I always hated tablets.

First of all....friggin' awesome art man. [bows]
I agree, it's not exactly natural as drawing the old fashioned way but it does work a lot better than a mouse, that's why it works good for me because I can't doodle for shit with a mouse. The only exception to this is doing vector stuff in Illustrator where a mouse works better (at least for me). Anything raster though in Ps....I always go to the tablet.

A cheap Wacom is better than everything else on the market.

Definitely. I've thought about getting one of the cheap tablets at monoprice to use at work but then I figure I'd be better off saving a little more and getting the smaller Bamboo that's like $59 at NewEgg if I really wanted to get a tablet for work.

 

[hordak]

i bought the 10x6" monoprice tablet. it's really really bad. just terrible. between the lag, studdering and shoddy workmanship, you're better off buying a bamboo or even a used wacom.

 

[scaarbelly]

I got a Wacom pen and touch for $100 for my Mother in Law and she loves it. For drawing and PS.

 

[440BX]

Thanks for the info hordak, I was considering something like that but wasn't sure!

 

[Krenum]

I just have a Wacom Bamboo. Here is a link to some of the Artwork I was able to create with it using Photoshop and Corel.

http://csharpconcepts.daportfolio.com/

 

[hordak]

keep searching craigslist and ebay. I just bought a Intuos3 9x12 for $95 from some old lady on craigslist

 

[makavelli302]

some great photoshop work!

 

[4saken]

i bought the 10x6" monoprice tablet. it's really really bad. just terrible. between the lag, studdering and shoddy workmanship, you're better off buying a bamboo or even a used wacom.

I have had absolutely wonderful experiences with the Monoprice. Far better than my older more expensive intuos 2 was. Running it in windows 7 x64 using ArtRage pro, Sketchbook Pro and of course CS5.

Killer deal on these.

 

[Aki]

May not be relevant... but cintiq 12 has problems with crossfire (after 10.10) where the cintiq goes into out of sync mode whenever u plug it into the dvi port on the primary card. The only workaround to use the latest drivers is to get an adapter from VGA to DVI, but the screen will become fuzzy.

at least for my case, i reverted back to using 10.10 drivers

 

[IronMan77]

Wacom. Even the cheap ones are very nice.

 

[donta1979]

just depends on what you want man, personally i love the screen tablets. Find a used wacom, or buy a genreation behind the current. Love My wacom tablet.