OT:Wacom tablets...

[Ta2grrl]

Am looking for suggestions on a good Wacom Tablet...

I basically need it for graphic design work and such...

Anyone have any good/bad reviews of some of the older models?? I can't really afford the latest ones as I have little income right now...

Have found several on ebay of course but have no idea which are good and which are not...help!!!

Cheers,

Erin

[hellboyone]

Wacoms, for the most part, are all pretty excellent. I'm still using the one I got like 9 years ago. I could probably use an upgrade but it works fine for what I do. Anything from the past few years is fine on a budget!

[dogboy443]

Stick with the name brand...Wacom. I've used numerous sizes, all about 6-10 years old and they all work fine. It takes a little while to get used to the eye/hand coordination, but once you do, painting in P'Shop and Painter is the only way to go. I've have both the 4x5 inch and the 12x12 inch mocels and I like the 4x5 inch the best. It's easier on the hand and less drag on your shoulder. Try and fine one of the USB models either on eBay or at Wacom's site. They sell refurbs bit I just checked and here's a linkt o follow:
http://wacomdirect.wacom.com:80/wacomdirect/product.asp?dept%5Fid=33&sku=CTE440B
and try these on eBay...great damn prices:
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=wacom+4x5

Mark

[Hellcow]

I've been using them for a while now, and the Intuos 1s and Intuous 2s are still great. Even the graphire is acceptable for a lot of things.

[Sparky]

I have an old 4x5 Graphire2 (in Ruby Red...ah, remember those early iMac days when everything had to be a fruity color?) It works fine -- however, I'm a graphic designer, not an artist, so it's just used for tracing or sketching little things every now and then.

[hellboyone]

Actually, I'd like to endorse a bigger tablet. Some people like the smaller tablets, but I find that drawing at a more realistic size is easier on my hands. Any time I'm at a studio working on a smaller tablet, my hand begins to cramp from drawing small strokes.

I have a 12" x 12" tablet and for work I can't see using anything less than a 5" x 7". Most of the studios that I've worked at have the biggest tablet size. Having that room is quite liberating.

But that's just me..

[elhuevosupremo]

i just got the 4x5 Wacom in april and I love it....never used a bigger size though.....You can get it for about $80 at www.tigerdirect.com. it comes with a basic version of photoshop too.

[Maija]

I have an Intuos 2 6X8 that I got a couple of years ago. Before that I had a 6X8 Wacom that must have been one of the very first, because I had had it since 1996 and it was already a couple of years old when a friend gave it to me. That Wacom had nothing wrong with it except that it had an Apple Desktop Bus cable, which I made last a little longer through System 9 with a USB adapter, but Wacom was no longer making drivers for it for OSX so I had to finally upgrade to a new one.

This one has had almost no problems except a while back the plastic tracing sheet starting to lose its thin coating. At first I thought there was gunk on it, but then I realized it was actually craters, not crusties. I contacted Wacom and instantly got a reply and they didn't even ask for proof of purchase or a warranty card or anything; they just sent out a new sheet. It's been fine ever since.

I find this size fine for drawing-- I just zoom in. I find larger tablets require too much arm movement myself. And a tablet any smaller than 6X8 doesn't allow for enough precision. I think for most media editing applications, 6X8 is plenty. If you're going to be doing a lot of actual natural media style drawing, you might want a bigger tablet, but even the 6X8 isn't cheap. I wouldn't go any smaller.

Look for used ones: people either love their Wacom and never go back, or get one, can't get the hang of it, and get rid of it. Personally I'm hopeless with a mouse and both of mine are gathering dust at the back of my desk (the Intuos comes with a cordless three button mouse that you have to use *on* the tablet, but I've never, ever used it).

[the last ronin]

I've got an Intous 2 12x12, great piece of hardware. the big ones are more physically taxing but if you like to draw big it's the way to go.

[hellboyone]

Personally I'm hopeless with a mouse and both of mine are gathering dust at the back of my desk (the Intuos comes with a cordless three button mouse that you have to use *on* the tablet, but I've never, ever used it).

I don't know ANYONE who uses the mouse that comes with the tablet.

[SpydaWeb]

Wacom's rock! I use my 4x5 for photo editing. Love it, but I've gotta agree with Rick that it all depends on how large a format you're working with.

Also, as mentioned by Ruta, if you're getting older Wacoms, make sure they have the right cable connectors.

[Tad]

I don't know ANYONE who uses the mouse that comes with the tablet.

Yes you do. I use it both at home and at work. Started using it for the extra button and roller and just got used to it. Although Lisa got the new Mac mouse with her iMac that would tempt me away from it.

No matter my intentions, my work area quickly becomes buried in scripts, drawings and post it notes so maybe it's the fact that I don't have the extra room that is the plus of using the normal mouse.

Anyway, there are secrets that even your closest friends are keeping from you. Mine is the most innocent. Bwhahahahahah.

[Maija]

I use the top end of the button on the pen for right-click menu and scroll using the "page up" and "page down" buttons.

(Correction: I said three button mouse, but it's a two button mouse with a scroll-wheel. Shows you how often I even look at it.)

I'd prefer it if the mouse was sold separately and the price of the tablet was knocked down.

[shonokin]

I use a Wacom Intuos 2 6x9 at work and have a Wacom Graphire something something at home which is 4x5. The 4x5 is fine but the 6x9 allows for a little more drawing detail and freedom.
Our full time digital painter uses a massive Wacom that's like 14x20 or something.

What's really neat but I can't afford are the tablet laptops, which are like regular laptops but the screen (which can be stylus driven) can rotate 180 degrees and lay flat on the keyboard so it's like a real drawing pad. With photoshop or painter, or whatever your poison is, and a stylus, you just draw 1 to 1 straight on the screen. Several of our animators and environmental artists have those.
Here's one example. (http://www.gateway.com/programs/convertible/index.shtml?rdr=status109)

My Graphire came with a mouse but I don't use it at all. On a 4x5 it's just too small of an area to use a mouse.

[hellboyone]

That notebook thing is pretty cool. The Cintiq isn't as portable but it's also great. I test drove it and was drooling. It even has the option of a pen that acts like an airbrush.

http://wacom.com/lcdtablets/index.cfm

I know some, if not all, of the Pixar story guys use Cintiqs for their 'boards.

[hellboyone]

Yes you do. I use it both at home and at work. Started using it for the extra button and roller and just got used to it.

Show-off!

Anyway, there are secrets that even your closest friends are keeping from you. Mine is the most innocent. Bwhahahahahah.

I know all about your stash of robot-related porn. But I won't tell (anyone else about it). :D

[Maija]

Drrrrooooooooooooollll.

A steal at $2500!! :p

EDIT: A Cintiq, not Tad's stash of robot-related porn. That's worth a lot more.

[treden]

I also have the Intuos 6 x 9 model and can't imagine my set up with out it. It is great for photo editing, Corel Paint, and coloring line art. I have had mine for close to 10 years and not had any issues with it. A great buy if you can find one.

Treden

[6are54]

Wacom Tablets!! What's that - some kind of vitamin supplement..?

[Ta2grrl]

Drrrrooooooooooooollll.

A steal at $2500!! :p

EDIT: A Cintiq, not Tad's stash of robot-related porn. That's worth a lot more.

Nice catch Ruta ;)

But seriously...my real issue was if I bought one off ebay that connection for my pc would not suit the program...

I suppose I really should get something good since it seems I will be using it quite a bit...!!

I'm excited now...hehe...

Thanks guys...!!

XXX

[Maija]

I would think that as long as it's USB (assuming you have a PC less than 5 years old that has USB ports) and it's a USB version compatible with your PC (there's USB 1.0 and USB 2.0; a 1.0 device will work in a newer 2.0 port, but a 2.0 device will not work in a 1.0 port) you should be good.

But DON'T get an older tablet with a USB adapter. It's likely that it's no longer supported by Wacom for your operating system.

If you're worried about software compatibility, I've never had conflicts, although I sometimes had trouble getting my old Wacom to remember its sensitivity settings in Painter, but my new Wacom seems okay.

[hellboyone]

I would think that as long as it's USB (assuming you have a PC less than 5 years old that has USB ports) and it's a USB version compatible with your PC (there's USB 1.0 and USB 2.0; a 1.0 device will work in a newer 2.0 port, but a 2.0 device will not work in a 1.0 port) you should be good.


I have USB devices designed for 2.0 that work fine on 1.0 ports...they're just wicked slow on those ports. I recently added a 2.0 card on my PC and that's been great.

Anyway...carry on..