Hello! I am new here. I just joined on 8/21/2013. This is my first forum post. I will introduce myself shortly. I am considering purchasing a graphics tablet specifically for photo editing. Do others here use graphic tablets just for photo editing? If you do use a graphics tablet do you find it "easier" then using a mouse? What are the pro's and con's of graphic tablets? How long have you been using one if you do? What graphics tablet would you recommend and why? Thanks in advance for your input. Tracy 
Graphic Tablets
Sun, 08/25/2013 - 09:18
#1
Graphic Tablets
The only brand that everyone recomend is Wacom. It´s so widspread that they are the best that "Wacon tablet" is often use as a synonym for pen tablets.
I bought an used Wacon Bamboo tablet in the beginning of the year, and definitely don´t regret it. I haven´t tried, however, using for photo edition in itself, just for extractions and for drawing. I know that I still don´t know how to use the full potential of my Wacon tablet, but I didn´t have to much time to practice, and also had some trouble to find nice tutorials to gude me through that way. If you aren´t sure if you will adapt to it, try to find a used one, in a small model.
I also use a Wacom Bamboo tablet. I've been using it off and on (more off really) for a while. I use it mostly for drawing in Illustrator. I think it must take some getting used and I'm just not focused enough to use it like I should.
Thank you both for your input. it's very helpful. I used a a graphic tablet several years ago but it has been so long now I do not remember what exactly I had been using it for. It seems to me however that it does take some getting used to. Like you have to practice your eye and hand coordination from your computer screen to your tablet along with pen sensitivity stuff. I also seem to remember that the the pen seemed bulky and somewhat difficult to hold. I am hoping graphic tablets have evolved some since my last purchase to make some of these issues a bit easier at least.
Well, my pen looks and feels like a real pen. But sometimes I feel it´s more precise if I hold it like I used to hold those nankin pens (sorry, I don´t know how to say this in English, it´s like a quill pen that you ink with nankin paint), e.g, almost 90 degrees from the tablet. But, as I´m used of it (from old times when I used to draw) it´s not difficult for me...
I have a Wacom Intuos 3 that my husband purchased for me off eBay about 7 years ago (it was new but about half the price of retail). It is old, but it is still supported and still awesome.
I am not aware of any other brands beside Wacom, lol. They really do set the standard for tablets, and they are even partnering up with cellphone and computer tablet makers to make the screens for devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note/Note Tab series, which I think is pretty cool. (Can you tell I love Wacom? lol.)
Some of the newer tablets allow you to switch the pens out with other Wacom pens, and Wacom does sell some stand-alone pens and pen upgrades. I, however, found my Intuos 3's pen (aka "stylus" lol) to be very intuitive and comfortable to use. Also, you'll want to make sure you install the drivers for the tablet so that the corners of the tablet match up with the corners of your screen (this prevents you from having to readjust like you would with a mouse). You also might want to consider a widescreen tablet if you use a widescreen screen (that just sounds redundant). (and, at least with the Intuos line, the tablet also comes with a mouse that can be used on the tablet surface.)
Also, you'll want to make sure that, if you're a Windows user on one of the more recent operating systems, you turn off the added crud that Windows loads when you install your tablet - like the gestures, and funny clicking options and whatever. They can REALLY mess with using Photoshop intuatively.
I absolutely LOVE my tablet for drawing and making precise corrections in photo editing, graphic design, and digital painting (I am a bit of a graphics jack-of-all-trades). But if I am going to be resizing, applying filters, messing with layers, and other repetetive tasks, I just use the mouse.
I recently lost virtually every electronic item in my house, including my fancy, brand new, thousand-dollar, much-adored Sager laptop (named Phoebe, oh yeah), BUT I STILL have my Wacom! I have reason to celebrate!! Yes, I love my tablet THAT much!!
I have a Wacom Intuos 2 or 3 bought last year. But I can't make the pen lines go where I want. A real pen is much easier to control for me and I'm guessing it takes lots of practice to use the Wacom pen.
It makes sense to spend the practice time because so many people say it is much nicer than a mouse, but I'm always in a hurry and my mouse goes where I want it to go. Maybe someday I'll find the time to practice. I sure wouldn't discourage anyone from trying one though. Just know that you will likely have to take some time to get used to it.
We have a Wacom Intuos 2 or 3 like Mollie and Peg. I have used it one time for 5 minutes. It was actually bought by me for my hubby (the true artist in our house) as a birthday/Christmas gift a couple years ago. He absolutely loves it!!! He is a painter drawer, etc by nature though... so that stuff is so easy for him, unlike me who is more a mathematical give me the "rules" type A personality... LoL
So... I would say it depends on your natural talents if you'd love it or not. But as far as the BRAND to get definitely 2nd, 3rd, 4th all the other opinions, Wacom is the way to go for best quality for price.
I borrowed a tiny Wacom Bamboo from my boss since, well, quite a while now (i'm in luck, he has no need for it right now). I use it for drawing and coloring, but not very much so for actual scrapping. I haven't tried it for extractions, somehow I never think of my pen for anything besides drawing... But for drawing, I love the Wacom, and will probably buy a bigger one myself sometime in the future when the moneytrain comes rolling in
Thank you everyone for your detailed wonderful responses. I am really nervous about a tablet but still anxious to try (again). Still need to see if I can find my previous Wacom tablet since I moved. Also I will look the Intuos model up on e-bay to see what I can find. I will keep you all posted