Author Topic: Opinion on Wacom Intuos3 6x8 - Mouse, digitizer, stylus (Read 7729 times)

ichiro17 · « **on:** May 02, 2007, 08:16 »

Hi everyone,

I maintain an account with a distributor that sells electronic goods on the side and can get the Wacom Intuos3 6x8 - Mouse, digitizer, stylus - 8 x 6 in graphic tablet. I'm just wondering if anyone has any information on this type of tablet and how effective it would be for photography given your experiences.

In Canada, Futureshop retails them for $500 but I can snag them for almost 40% off, so I figure if its useful I'd go for it. I just can't find anywhere that gives a video demo in action.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Joseph

sharply_done · « **Reply #1 on:** May 02, 2007, 08:56 »

I received a Wacom Graphire tablet as a present. I wanted an Intuos, but my gf asked asked a few designers at work about tablets. They all use the cheaper Graphire tablet, so that's what I got.

Using a tablet is quite different than using a mouse, and I haven't yet made the shift to using it. The most annoying thing about it is the "jumpiness" of the mouse.

What I'd eventually like to get is their Cintiq 21" LCD monitor/tablet - using a pen directly on the screen would be so effortless!

ichiro17 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 02, 2007, 09:07 »

Cintiq 21" would be amazing, just being able to use make any adjustments like that would be fantastic. I can get those too, but way too expensive at the moment.

From what I understand, the Intuos is aimed more towards professional users (so the site says) and photographers compared with graphic designers for the graphires. I'm trying to get away from the 'jumpiness' because that makes it much more difficult to be accurate, especially with a jumpy mouse that i have

sharply_done · « **Reply #3 on:** May 02, 2007, 09:25 »

That's why I wanted the Intuos.

The mouse on the tablet does a jumpy little pixel dance all by iteslf - you don't even have to be touching it!

ichiro17 · « **Reply #4 on:** May 02, 2007, 09:28 »

Thats crazy....definitely not gonna get the Graphire then.

Can I ask how it actually works in terms of use? How do you know where the pen (or mouse) is on the the tablet relative to the screen?
(Sorry, I've never actually used this but my current set-up tends to hurt my wrist after a while and I'd love to be able to make things easier on it)

Pixart · « **Reply #5 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:25 »

I have no experience with the one you are looking at but I use a Wacom tablet and can no longer imagine not having one. LOVE it. It is like riding a bike I guess though, you just have to get the feel of it and then it is very natural. You keep your ordinary mouse set up at the same time so you don't lose that function - especially when you are doing spreadsheeting, etc. The tablet is a mirror of your screen. You become accustomed to the fact that it is smaller, and you see where your curser is of course. I can't imagine removing backgrounds without it. It is superb when you do delicate work like removing blemishes, drawing.

I haven't noticed a jumpiness problem.

Did you look at Wacom's website? Here is a page with tips (in flash I think) for different programs
http://www.wacom.com/tips/index.cfm

Also, I might be looking at the wrong model, but are you sure it lists for $500 CDN? I think it's only $329 U.S. Check London Drugs for their price before you go to your supplier, got mine there for less than the U.S. list price.

ichiro17 · « **Reply #6 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:33 »

Its 399 at Henrys and 499 at Futureshop, however, I can get it for 320 CDN from my supplier which I think is fantastic. If I have a good month I'll probably buy it, but we'll see.

Just wondering if it can be used for other functions outside photoshop because I don't particularly like the mouse anymore

Pixart · « **Reply #7 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:46 »

It is a glutton for desk space. I have mine on my desktop. I keep my ordinary mouse beside my keyboard. It's not the most ergonomic deal, but I don't have space beside my keyboard. (Come to think of it, I don't recall wrist aches when I use the tablet, but I do with the ordinary mouse... Hmmm). Maybe you have the space and can use just the tablet.

It works just like a mouse but with no cord or batteries required. Right click, left click, scroll wheel. The tablet itself is connected to your computer. The mouse only works on the tablet surface, but you get used to it pretty quick.

ichiro17 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:56 »

Awesome

I do indeed have lots of desk space. Now that I finished my undergrad degree, I don't plan on having any books around until my MBA in about 27 months, which means lots of space and lots of time for photos and stuff like that apart from my day job.

In addition, I'm planning to spike my submission of pictures and I'm also planning a trip to Banff or Yellowstone National Park (new thread coming for that) specifically for pictures so I will be buying a portable harddrive and will definitely need to have good tools for editing those photos.

I just hope that in the long run all this spending pays off because I've gone a bit mad lately. I am however writing off anything that has to do with photography from my personal income tax because I'm considering microstock as a business. Its good because I'm gonna buy this stuff anyways, so in essence I will save 25-30% in the end in taxes I won't be paying

ichiro17 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 02, 2007, 10:57 »

PS - Should I get with the 8x6 or the 6x11? My screen is a normal one, not widescreen.

Pixart · « **Reply #10 on:** May 02, 2007, 11:25 »

Maybe someone else can jump in here, but I imagine that the larger it is (if you have the room for it) the more "natural" it will be to use.

leaf · « **Reply #11 on:** May 02, 2007, 16:47 »

I have the 6x8 intuous and am very happy with it. It comes with both a mouse and a pen stylus and I use both. The mouse for web and other mousey things, and the pen for editing photos. I couldn't imagine editing photos with the mouse anymore... it would be like trying to pull a sliver with pliers instead of with tweezers. I haven't noticed any jupyness. The intuous is also very customizable You can use just part of the area, all the area, make it work on part of your screen all your scree, customize the buttons...

About the size you should get.. it very much depends on what type or how fast of a mouse you like. I like a fast mouse that requires me to move just my write to get accross the entire screen. I have a 20" monitor and find the 6x8 more than large enough. I am actually have the tablet set to use only 3/4 of the sensitive area to navigate the entire screen.

When decided on the size of tablet to get this is what i did.
1. get an a4 size piece of paper and a pen and put it where you would put the tablet to work on.
2. put the pen down on the top left area of the paper
3. STOP LOOKING AT THE PAPER NOW, and just watch the screen
4. pretend your cursor is moving and move the pen around the paper.
5. move your eyes on the screen and the pen on the paper to the bottom right corner, then top right, then bottom left then top right then bottom right then top left and around and around about 10 times.. while not looking at the paper..... then LOOK at the paper.

You will probably notice that you drew a 'fairly' accurate rectagle and kept within certain boundries all the time. Measure this to figure out how 'big' it would be naturally have the tablet.

hope that made sense.

w7lwi · « **Reply #12 on:** May 02, 2007, 21:00 »

Wacom Intuos 6 x 8 tablet with pen tools US$278.30 + $7.00 shipping (in US) at MWave. Cheapest I found on the web.

mattb · « **Reply #13 on:** May 04, 2007, 09:58 »

I have the Graphire 6x8 and love it. As others have said, I could never go back to using a regular mouse for photo editing. I do keep a regular mouse next to the tablet for non photo stuff. For some reason I could never get used to using the mouse on the tablet.

IRCrockett · « **Reply #14 on:** May 04, 2007, 13:55 »

I have the original Graphire in 4x5. It must be 10 years old now. Using a pen for fine editing is so much better than a mouse there really is no comparison. I've tried the larger tablets and for photo editing I don't like them. If you come from a painting background then the long sweeping strokes that move your entire arm may feel more natural to you but for everyone else shorter strokes with limited arm movement (if any) is much more natural.

I've never used their mouse, it's just a cheap basic two button mouse that can't be used off the tablet and I prefer 5-8 button mice without mouse pads. If all you ever used a mouse for was web surfing or Word documents then it would probably be fine for you.

The only thing that's really better in the Intuos line is the pen but it's not $200 better the other added features are kinda fluff features. I'd save the money and buy the Graphire.

GeoPappas · « **Reply #15 on:** August 13, 2007, 08:10 »

The Wacom Graphire4 tablet is on sale at Circuit City for $50 (after rebate).

I was thinking of picking one up.

Does anyone have any opinions on this product? Good, bad, indifferent?

yingyang0 · « **Reply #16 on:** August 13, 2007, 09:54 »

The cheap one isn't worth the money. It doesn't have enough pressure points. I have it, and never use it.

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Author Topic: Opinion on Wacom Intuos3 6x8 - Mouse, digitizer, stylus (Read 7729 times)

ichiro17

sharply_done

ichiro17

sharply_done

ichiro17

Pixart

ichiro17

Pixart

ichiro17

ichiro17

Pixart

leaf

w7lwi

mattb

IRCrockett

GeoPappas

yingyang0

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