Anyone use tablet here?

#4

hey there

basically i can only repeat what the other folks told you.

i’m a beginner tablet user as well. i got me an intuos3 6x8 two months ago and i cant live without it anymore. before i only knew the mouse and really neeeever had any contact with a tablet. so the handling of it is quite confusing at the beginning. i literally had to force myself to use the pen instead of the mouse. 4 weeks later my work started to benefit from the more accurate work that a tablet makes possible. now i’m confident enough to try myself in digital paintings.

so my advice… if you’re working on manipulations, paintgs/drawgs or modelling - the tablet will help you. the tablet software also enables you to setup the buttons for each program you’re working with. so it’s very productive too.

hope that helps ypur decision.

#5

hi, folks.
Im also interested in buying a tablet. The only reasonable option i had 'till now was the graphire 4 classic xl for $250(!) at my country’s online shop (Slovakia => quite far from the US:)). But a new possibility has arisen for me now: I can have stuff flown in from the US by a friend (cheaper of course). Thus i could have the intuos3 6*8 for not more than $300-350(depending on the particular shop) OR the graphire for half the above price. What would u do in my place? Would it be worth the risk buying it abroad (not to mention the stress with the warranty… and if it would get damaged in the plane… omg)?

#6

I know a lot of people wouldn’t normally recommend this but I’m going to throw it out anyways.

If you want a tablet, best place to look for it is on Ebay. Yes, Ebay. Now a lot of people might think Ebay is full of fraudulent sellers and yes, you are right. There are the occasional scammers but there are honest sellers out there as well. I got the Intuos 3 6 x 8 a few months ago and it was for $250 US plus shipping. I could of bought it in stores but it would of costed me over $300 US. The other good thing about Ebay is that many sellers don’t charge tax. If you are not from the US like I am, you might get charged with some custom fees but that’s why you ask the seller to mark the value of the tablet down. :slight_smile: Also, be sure to ask them to ship it to you via USPS and not UPS because UPS tend to charge a very hefty fee. Good luck with your tablet hunting.

#7

I have a cheap NISIS G6 A4 tablet that has served me well. The pen takes a bit of getting used to as it is a little chunky. It works quite well with PSP9 and Corel Photo Paint too. I think the cheaper tablets are sold more as replacements for mice, whereas the more expensive ones are aimed at professional artists, or those who require a greater level of control.

#8

I basically use my graphire4 to do everything except play games and do UVwrapping in Wing3d. It is very intuitive and I dont get joint pains like I used to.

#9

people do some good work with mice only, but if you are the sort of person who likes to draw in real life, a tablet is essential. i carry one with me with my laptop even. if you cant draw, its wasted on you, save your money.

#10

I love my tablet, it is my best friend :smiley:

I have a tablet. I started painting with a mouse then found out about tablets knew I had to have one. I love mine it’s a Graphire 3 :slight_smile:

#11

Yup, i love my tablet also, good old graphire 2. I wish i have the money to get a 6x8 graphire 4 or intuos3. I have used graphire(at home) and intuos (at school) , i can tell u right away the different in price is justified by the precision and control of intuos.

#12

I was actually thinking about buying a wacom tablet as well. There are two types, Intuos and Graphire. Basically, Intuos is more sensitive. It can distinguish between the tip of pen, and Graphire can’t.

However, Graphire also comes at a much cheaper price. I know in some of the previous posts, people have mentioned $200 - $300, but on Amazon.com, I’ve found 4x5 Graphires selling for around $59.00. I’m buying that one first, and if its bad, no big waste of money. If its good, then I’ll jump to the $300 investment.

#13

I bought a Graphire Classic XL (8 by 12) a couple of months ago and it’s the best investment I ever made. The main reason why I bought it is because you can’t do fast sketches and scribbles with a mouse and painting with a mouse is tedious and very tiring.

Now I use it for nearly everything, it’s so much easier to use than a mouse, less tiring and best of all, no more muscle aches!

#14

I am fortunate enough to have a Wacom Cintiq 18sx … If you have the bucks, (they are pricey) it’s the way to go. You draw right on the screen. To be truthful for 3D I prefer a three button mouse. I use Wacom to retouch and draw mostly. :stuck_out_tongue:

#15

Started out with a Graphire and now use an Intuos. Major difference in the results. Graphire seem more like a toy than an actual production tool. Better to buy the right tool than waste money on something your not happy with.

#16

it´s worth the money. definately.

having a break from my intuos now though and do mouse only. my hand a serious beating from 8-10h/day for 3 months using the pen :confused:

#17

A tablet will add things not possible with the mouse:

  • pressure controls the size of brush or the opacity, or both (depends on software)

  • angles can be detected by some tablets, to orient the brush image, or distort it (depends on software)

  • less strain on your wrist, more natural feel after a short learning curve. (the swivel buttons on the side - consider an Intuos or other tablets with helper buttons on the tablet frame).

  • easier to trace a template

Some software has dryout effect in their brushes, feels like transfering paint from the brush to the canvas as you go, and if you have a pen-like stylus in the hand it will feel all the more similar to real painting with real brushes.

One drawback: there’s no thumb-wheel (or middle button). But some tablet models have slider pads, which may be programmable to simulate thumbwheel action in some software.

Some software doesn’t work the same with a pen. Carrara for example has problems with the viewing controls. The scene spins out of control like crazy when trying to dolly around the scene with the tablet pen.

So don’t loose that mouse quite yet. But yes, other than that I’d say you’ll want a tablet some day. Like today.

I resell them at a discount through Tigerdirect - shameless plug: http://www.thebest3d.com/tablets

I also have other brands listed on www.thebest3d.com/dogwaffle/links near the top

I have used Acecad Caecad Flair, Aiptek, Pablo (very cheapo) and Graphire 3 from Wacom and Intuos 3 from Wacom - I love the Wacoms. They’re hands-down the MErcedes-Benz of tablet makers, IMHO.

But as such, they’re also the pricier ones.

I have a thread on the hardware section of this forum to learn more about the Adesso tablets - anyone know them? They look very similar to another one I’ve seen, perhaps Nisis? Dunno for sure, might be an OEM variant product.

#18

i using IT3 in Zbrush too~

#19

I’m still thinking about buying a tablet, though I’m in a bid of a bind financially…

I’m just thinking what is the best and less economically-demanding solution?

I was thinking about WACOM Graphire4 Classic A6, it costs $119 here (and even this is pretty expensive for me – we’ve got quite meager salaries 'round here).

Basically, the key question is: can I really work fine with a tablet this small (A6)? I’m not doing gesturing, I’m more aiming at the full process though: from sketch to the full-color/shading, or, at least, just shading/coloring a pencil sketch. Or should I add another 120 bucks and get an A5 one?

#20

Do you have an Aldi’s grocery store nearby? They are the largest grocery chain in Germany with many locations in the US. Their prices are very low. They distribute products from all over Europe, including Germany’s largest computer company, Medion. At least once a year they sell a huge USB graphics tablet, the Medion MD-41217, for $40. The drawing surface is larger than 8.5 x 11. It comes with a wireless, battery-driven mouse and pen, extra tips and a set of three CD’s with Ulead PhotoImpact 5 SE, Corel Art Dabbler and a driver disc with a few Windows apps (Pensoft, FreeNotes, OfficeInk and Cadix Signature) for integrating the pen-tablet interface with Windows Office, etc.
It has a maximum resolution of 3048 lpi / 120 lpmm, a pressure sensitivity of 512 steps and 24 user-definable ‘buttons’ along the top. I’ve got a puny Graphire3 also, but I haven’t used it since this great purchase! As far as I’m concerned, this beats my Trackman trackball alone by a factor of 1000, and beats my Graphire3 to death!

#21

i make sweet love to my tablet everyday

meaning i draw with it everyday yeh thats what i meant…

hehe seriously a tablet is essential for digital art these days.

#22

above quuote that its an essential tool now is not at all true, i would say a scanner and maybe a digi camera are more essential, especially if u want to create more traditional art, u can only do so much at a desk, u have to go out in the world to gain true inspiration and technique.PPL seem to think buying a tablet will make them an instant better artist, this just isnt true and money gets wasted, there are more important tools out there imo.

#23

its becoming an essential,i see them eveywhere in studios and behind the scene documenteries.

but ofcourse i’m just talking about animation.