Which tablet should I buy?

Flaringo · Oct 2010

Hey guys, I'm wondering if I should get a tablet, but I'm not sure which one to get. I can't spend a lot of money on it. I'd say $140 max, I could expand the budget a bit if it makes a lot of difference.

I plan to use it for general doodling and sketching, concept drawing and texturing.

Any ideas?

Dis · Oct 2010

I've been using my Wacom Intuos 3 for many years now and haven't really kept up with what's out on the market atm but here are a couple of things I've found out the hard way.

Don't get anything below A5. While they're cheaper, they're too sensitive when drawing (mapping that small drawing area to your whole screen).
Don't go for a cheap knock-off brand, buy a Wacom.

When it comes to tablets, you pretty much get what you pay for. If you want a really good one that you'll use often, you want to spend a little extra. That being said, I've heard some good things about the Bamboo series, which I think is around your priceclass.

eld · Oct 2010

Size is really preference, most people I knew would go for the A6.

it depends on if you draw with your wrist or your arm.

Calabi · Oct 2010

Bamboos are brilliant, nuff said.

Del · Oct 2010

Calabi wrote: »

Bamboos are brilliant, nuff said.

Marine · Oct 2010

Nope, he's right
http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75014

Mark Dygert · Oct 2010

Yea even if you're not on a budget they've really stepped up their game in the last few releases of Bamboo's. I recommend it especially since you're on a budget and probably a first time user. Just getting used to a tablet is 95% of the challenge. IF you find its not for you, its better to spend $70-150 instead of a few hundred.

I picked up a postage stamp sized one just to try it out, if it didn't work I was going to give to my daughter (shes 3). I think it was $60 and it was great I could see myself using a larger version.

The thing I liked about it the most, was that all the button crap they like to stick on the left side, wasn't there on the bamboo. Being left handed I HATED falling into the touch strip/button area when I reached for tools on the intous3 and lower. I bought a intous4 just to finally get around that issue (it only took what 15 years for them to wake up?). Previously I had tried out one of the first releases of Bamboo, it was a total pile of garbage so I didn't even think to buy one instead of the intous4, had I tried out the newer releases I would of bought one.

Stinger88 · Oct 2010

eld wrote: »

Size is really preference, most people I knew would go for the A6.

it depends on if you draw with your wrist or your arm.

Agreed. I got an A6 graphire about 5 years ago at college. In my jobs since i've had a few larger tablets but I found I have to reduce the active area. It did take me a while to get used to using a tablet though. I used to cramp up a bit with excessive use (over 4 hours) and I had to have the tablet at a perfect angle. Now its like second nature and the position of the tablet doesnt effect me.

So I suppose tablet size will depend on how you draw and also which size tablet you start out with and get used to.

I'm currently shopping for the Intuos 4 small as I want to use the tilt function and its about time I upgraded.

I've seen it on Amazon for about £150. Anyone know where I might get it cheaper?

EDIT: forgot to say.

If you're looking for a cheap "none" Wacom. Stay away from Trust and Medion. They are very poor in my experience. Pensketch aren't too bad really. A good starter tablet. But, If you can afford a Wacom...get wacom. Theres no point messing about with other brands. They just dont come close. I've heard good stuff about the new bamboo. I would probably get one if I didnt want to the tilt function.

eld · Oct 2010

exactly, if you can't afford intous go for the new bamboo, it's all sorts of great.

Flaringo · Oct 2010

Thanks guys. Bamboo sounds good! I see there's 3 versions, Bamboo Pen, Bamboo Touch and Bamboo Pen & Touch. Apparently Touch has multi-touch, Pen doesn't and as the name suggests Pen & Touch would have multi-touch and whatever Pen brings to the table.

Is multi-touch important?

Rwolf · Oct 2010

No not really, unless your use to Apples gadgetry.
Although I find it useful on the new Tablet PC's Although the screen did get a lil mixed up between touch and pen at times.

Vertrucio · Oct 2010

I've been hearing good things about the wacom's competitors. Enough that for my next tablet I'd seriously consider going with them. Especially so since the competition's price is much, much lower for similar quality/experience.

For all the good people talk about WACOM, I should point out that Wacom has some poor support. The drivers often stop working, there's weird glitches, and you lack some fine control.

I think the genius tablet recently got good reviews from a few good sources.

Mark Dygert · Oct 2010

Vertrucio wrote: »

The drivers often stop working

Normally that happens when you launch photoshop and while its loading, switch focus to something else. Wait for it to fully load and that shouldn't happen. Now that I have SSD drives photoshop is up before I can switch to something else. But before that, it would always happen to me.

xXm0RpH3usXx · Oct 2010

i'm using a trust tb 7300 its DinA4, i kinda feel like i screw up lines on a small tablet more, but i'm not really professional either...
so make what you want out of this statement!

it costs around 120 Euros

i can only recommend it, has a few flaws here and there, but meh, better than spending hundreds of bucks and it works fine for me...

arrangemonk · Oct 2010

bamboo is like 60€ and the 2nd generation bamboos also have 1024 pressure levels

im using the bamboo pen, because the intuos3 i had had these buttons i accidentally pressed all the time which has driven me nuts

now im happy.

the only flaw i found with wacom products is, that if too much wlan action is going on in one room, it acts a bit strange

Flaringo · Oct 2010

I ended up buying the "bamboo pen". l like it so far, but it's gong to take some getting used to. Writing this in handwriting was a good exercise. I'm actually amazed it can recognize it. What resolution do you use it at, monk, and how is the sensitivity?

Two Listen · Oct 2010

Vig wrote: »

Normally that happens when you launch photoshop and while its loading, switch focus to something else. Wait for it to fully load and that shouldn't happen. Now that I have SSD drives photoshop is up before I can switch to something else. But before that, it would always happen to me.

Just wanted to say thanks for this bit of info! I've had this problem for years and for the life of me never knew what caused it. Normally I just closed photoshop and reopened it to fix, but now that you mention it that makes perfect sense. Should save me some small headaches in the future.

Cheers.

Yozora · Oct 2010

Two Listen wrote: »

Just wanted to say thanks for this bit of info!

Me too, thanks alot! Thats the one thing I hated about using my wacom.

DrunkShaman · Oct 2010

I was going to say that Intuos 4 medium would be a good investment if you are just starting up with the tablets, but after talking to Arrangemonk who baught the second gen bamboo, I'd say, try both and see which one will be good for you.

I bought this tablet so I can learn the digital arts until I get my hands on cintiq.

Purplepaint · Oct 2010

Not try to jack this thread but i don't see the point on making another thread, I am also about to buy a tablet soon (like this coming Thursday soon) and i have the cash for a bamboo (pen+touch) or quite possibly a small intuous 4, mind you I've used my buddies bamboo pen, i did enjoy although obviously not fully used to a tablet. Is a intous tons better or would the better buy for a college student be the bamboo?

Thanks PolyBros (and PolySis's?)

DrunkShaman · Oct 2010

I havent used the second gen bamboo so I dont know if they implemented the sensitivity, like the one you find with intuos 4.

But since it is recommended by the pros that are already in the 3d/2d art I would pick intuos 4 instead.

Reason being.I have Bamboo first Gen and I had a hard time working without pen-pressure sensitivity. Not sure about the second gen.

Better check out your local Future Shop and experiment with their display models of the tablets.

Two Listen · Oct 2010

The only thing I've heard negative about the Intuos 4 series tablets is that the pen nibs wear out much faster than they did on previous models, due to the textured sheet surface (the active part of the tablet is textured to feel more like paper, whereas in the Intuos 3 and prior it was smooth). Supposedly this causes the pen nibs to wear out faster with constant use.

I personally don't own an Inutos 4, but really I can't imagine it to be that much of a problem. Nibs are easy to come by, and you can even make your own nibs by sanding down a small strip of metal from a nail, clothes hanger, or toothpick - something of the sort, as there's actually no technology involved at all in the pen nib - it's all the tablet surface.

Hell, I've never even changed the nib on my Intuos 3, and still have spares for that.

kwakkie · Oct 2010

I have the new Bamboo Pen & Touch and I love it! The only thing I dont really like about it is the hard surface, whereas the Intuos has that smooth soft feel to it when you draw.

arrangemonk · Oct 2010

on a 22" fullhd monitor, works ok. only problem is the missing hand rest area
sensetivity is not noticably different from intuos3 and its adjustable

Purplepaint · Oct 2010

Hm this is going to be a tougher choice then i thought.

The bamboo is roughly about 130$ here while the Intuous4 is roughly about 230$.

I will probably end up with a bamboo pen and touch (because im a college student and moneys hard to come by of course) and I will let you guys know how i like it

Thanks for your help!

Which tablet should I buy?

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