Ok, sorry if this is a question that makes people groan like I do when I'm asked what camera someone should buy, but I figured a forum of graphic artists was a better place to ask than a techie place.

What would be a good choice to aim at in tablet land with a view to drawing and image manipulation?

I know everyone points straight at Wacom over the cheaper options, and that's fine; there's usually a dam' good reason for that sort of loyalty.

What I'm looking for really is input from people who use the things regularly as to what sizes and models are a good or bad idea, and why they think so. If I was buying on gut I'd prolly grab a Bamboo A6 to play with and decide if I could justify a bigger Intuos from there. Is this a good move?

I've heard people talking about the difference the (tablet! ^_^) size makes, but I'm not quite clear on why. Is it like with any other media where the larger the original the sharper the output, or is it just to do with comfortable pad to screen aspects? Or both?

I mainly use a Mac, but do work on Windows and Linux PCs too.

Thanks in advance!

get a cintiq

That's a good question. I've been wondering if the Genius MousePen tablet is any good. It's quite a bit cheaper than a comparably sized Wacom.

First off. Wacom. And only Wacom. One could spend days explaining why but the simple fact is their entire line, from "low end" to the high end, is marked by unsurpassed quality. They're the most widely used tablet, and therefore compatible with the widest range of software (though don't get your hopes up about linux). And best of all... ha... there's no battery to replace in their stylus (seems like a small detail, but, its important).

As far as size goes... yes, bigger is better. Why? Because your tablet surface mirrors the surface of your monitor (touch the corner of the tablet, your in the corner of your screen, touch the center, you're in the center, etc). That means the wider range of motion that a larger tablet offers = increased fidelity! Woo! Also as you move up the line the levels of pressure sensitivity go up, and you'll also find tilt responsiveness...

But, you know what? I worked on a very small tablet (graphire4 - not made anymore but comparable to the current smaller bamboo) for quite some time before I got my tabletPC (yep, wacom penabled), and I was totally happy with it. So while I say bigger is better, from a technical stand point its true, but I'm not at all saying a small one to start out with is a bad thing.

Basically, your plan to get a bamboo and then upgrade later is probably a good one!

Also, when you get it.. its not going to be as intuitive as you expect, so work with it a bunch and stick with it. Before you know it, it will become very natural. But at first, it WILL be awkward.

(i guess its worth noting, since not everyone knows, but my comic is 100% digital from beginning to end-- thanks, wacom!)

I have the lowest end Wacom, but my school has computers equipped with the larger ones. Both are fantastic.

If you can afford it, get the bigger one, but you won't be sorry for buying the cheap one either. It's my staple mouse pad as well (if only it was compatible with UT2k4).

Working with the small one is OK. There are discrepancies you have to get used to since it's scaled to your screen, but I got adjusted to that. It's only a minor inconvenience. When I have to draw tiny details, I just zoom in so the area being drawn matches the screen size. Works pretty well.

i actually started with some unknown brand tablet, and that served well for a few years.
and then I lost the stylus, so I got a intuos3, and then later a cintiq. and then i found the stylus again.

so.. yes, I'd say first start out with a bamboo, then a intuos.
and then keep in mind the ratio of the tablet to your monitor.

a bigger tablet doesn't necessarily mean better.
my high school used to have huge tablets that took up an entire table, but the monitor was one of those standard 19in, where it wasn't really that usable.

I've been using the Intuos2 6x8 for years, and once you get adjusted to it you can't go without it. Any of the smaller tablets always seem too small compared to the size of the monitor.

Good point. I hadn't thought about the tablet being larger than the monitor...

and by the way... having a good monitor helps. Tablet or no tablet.

Thanks!

That was pretty much whre I was going, but wanted to kick the idea against some ppl who used the things regularly.

I used to use a trackball instead of a mouse which was great once you got used to it, it felt a bit like fingerpainting. Navigation and FPS games were a pain until I got the hang of 'spin and stun'... not a million miles away from the finger movements I see people using on iPhones. I get the point about giving a new input time though.

I also get the point about monitors!

If anyone has anymore thoughts, glad to hear them!

Well. From my experience, I had a somewhat medium sized tablet. It was an offname brand one. And I only used it to color pages. It lagged a lot (don't think it was the computer, could've been though. it was a low-end computer). But I hated it. It was terrible. The stylus broke, and I called to try and replace it, and they wouldn't let me.

BUUUT that's not Wacom.
I'd love to get a Wacom as well. I've only heard good things about them.

I, myself would probably get an intuos, although I might go for a bamboo since I only have a laptop, and lugging around a huge hardcore tablet might not be the best idea (intuos aren't THAT big, but you know)

I definitely recommend you start out with the bamboo, like most others said, and then gradually upgrade. That way, you can get used to it with the bamboo, and when you upgrade you'll be like "YESSSS".

But pretty much, what I'm trying to say is, don't bother with the other brands. Get Wacom.

drawng with a normal tablet is hella weird...i got a tablet pc and i love actually looking at my drawing surface.

This is true. Its very awkward for a while. When I switched from my Graphire4 to my Tablet PC, it was refreshing, but I also was frustrated cause now there was a hand in between me and my drawing! ha! Got over it though.

Ugh, I can't stand trackballs. I can appreciate anyone who gets good at them, but MAN it's a finger workout for me.

(I know I sound like a total loser with that statement)

I don't know what I would do without my graphics tablet. Go for Wacom or whatever, either a small one to start out with, or if you're pretty into this sort of stuff, get a bigger one. The one I got was a Wacom bamboo tablet that came with Photoshop and a pro visual arts program, and a program with sfx.

I would certainly recommend making an investment in whatever tablet. According to myself and others here, perhaps a Wacom will do. No batteries to replace! At all!

Well I have a Wacom Graphire 4 (er, I think) and it's the smallest size-- I think 4x6?
And it's great. I don't think I'd want a bigger one. (sour grapes perhaps?) This way I don't have to move my hand too much. Also, I've got this perfect system going where I can lay in bed under my covers with my laptop AND my tablet... *sigh* it's the comfiest.
Anyway, weird tangent.
my tablet was like $65 or something... way cheap. A lot cheaper than a tablet PC!!!! (omg I'm amazed those things even exist...!)

And I remember the tablet being a little hard to get used to, but it's very intuitive, since it works like a pen, so you catch on fast.

My first tablet was a Wacom Intuos 12x12. It worked beautifully! Except the large size was very awkward to mange.
Any "weirdness" is just personal adjustment- You get over it.

What that tablet taught me was that size is fricken bloody awkward!!!!
Bigger is not better.

I used small size Wacom Graphire 3s when I was teaching digital animation. They had an active area as big as a photo or postcard. That was really too small to work on I found, your actions were exaggerated too much on the screen

So that taught me that too small isn't that great either.

I have the a 6x8 Wacom Graphire 4 that I use as my portable tablet. That's a GREAT size for working on and moving about to get comfy. It's a damn good tablet too. I highly recommend that size.

My main tablet is my Wacom Cintiqu 21 UX or whatever it's called... It's the biggest one I've had yet. The size and weight make it a pain to manage. Because of that you can't use it like a normal tablet, instead you have to use it like you would an easel... with its night stad and all... It works pretty good, but you don't need to spend that cash to get a good drawing experience.

I don't regret spending the cash simply because it was something I wanted anyway and I could afford it, but if you just want to do great digital drawings then I'd advise you to buy something at a comfortable size and within your budget. Don't think that more expensive equipment = always better!!!!! That's never true for anything, not when you actually think about your own needs and requirements.


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I've never tried non-Wacom stuff so I can't say how good they really are in relation to the competition.

Well... my TabletPC is a 12" and it cost me less than the 12" Cintiq... plus it has a computer attached to it, so its totally portable. For instance, I started my latest page at the kitchen table hannging out with my wife, continued on the sofa watching Empire Strikes Back with the kids (which is pretty much me with my head down muttering things like "Who's scruffy looking?" in synch with the tv), and finished it in my studio (garage) at my drafting table... woo!!!

The loss is less pressure sensitivity levels, tilt, stuff like that...

heh i draw my pages EVERYWHERE.

Same here! Only mine is a size bigger, I think. This is the only tablet I've ever had and the only problem I've ever had with it was that once in a while the tablet driver bugs out on me, and that might just be more computer. Usually i just have to unplug it and plug it back in. I remember reading somewhere that smaller tablets are better than bigger ones, but I'm not speaking from experience.

Wacoms really aren't that much money, mine was barely over hundred bucks. I think it's worth it, since it's been working like a charm since I got it a couple of years ago. Plus, if you buy it off the website it comes with some really good software.

I remember when I first got it, I didn't feel very steady with it and my line art came out really squiggly. I was afraid that it was a waste of money, or that I was just a bad artist (lol low self esteem lol) but really it just took me some practice to get the hang of it. It really helps if you take advantage of the pen pressure feature.