Which Wacom?

[radiator]

Hi folks,
I'm going to be buying a Wacom tablet & pen pretty soon, but i'm not sure which to go for. I use a fancy Ituos4 at work and I don't like it - the extra buttons/screens on the tablet are pointless and I disabled them straight away - I don't want to waste money on functions I don't need - I've also had to resort to taping a sheet of clear plastic over the surface to stop the nibs wearing down so quickly - hardly ideal. They're also very expensive (A5 is nearly £300!). Ideally I'd like an Intuos3 but they don't make them anymore, and I don't want a 2nd hand one....

I guess basically what I want to know is: Are the cheaper models (like the Bamboo) any good, bearing in mind I'm going to be using it for professional purposes? Anybody here got one?

[pauljholden]

Here's an unrelated fact: Adam Hughes, up until a few years ago, did all of the colouring on his covers using a 14" CRT monitor and a mouse.

-pj

[uncle fester]

Mine's about 8 years old and cost £85 and the actual 'working area' of the pad I guess is about A6. The whole thing is about 200mm square. I didn't know at the time that there were bigger ones (Bought it in Dixons). It's worked fine for me ever since, and I work up to A1 size for some clients. Comes with a mouse too. I dream about the new flashy ones from time to time but, to be honest, this one works well so I see no real need to update.

[HdE]

Co-signed. I have a bottom-of-the-line Wacom Bamboo, which I use for colouring.

I sometimes wonder if having a better tablet would improve my ability to draw with the pen on-screen, but given my working practices, I see no real need to take the plunge and buy a new one.

Darned handy things, though!

[radiator]

Anyone else got any advice?

[Kev Levell]

I've been more than happy with my Wacom. Intuos3 A4 - Awesome bit of kit.
I have never regretted spending the £314 out of my redundancy money, I don't think any of the work I have done in the past two years would have been possible without it...

Unless you're buying a second hand one from a total pillock, I really can't see what could have gone wrong with it... all the pens and mice are still available as spares pretty easily - I've had to replace a mouse (pretty poor build quality) but I got that really easily off ebay.

It's scary getting expensive secondhand equipment off ebay, I bought an A3 scanner earlier in the year (reconditioned) again, totally happy with it, I totally understand your reservations though!

If it was me, I think I'd be looking at the Intuos4... I'd love a Cintiq, but that ain't happenin' until I earn some real money!

I doubt any of that helped in the slightest. Good luck with what you decide...

[Mr Eight]

I did a stint in an office recently and all they had were Bamboos.
I didn't like them at all. Dinky. Felt like a cheap Christmas toy.

Mostly used for design work I think but if you're gonna be drawing for any length of time I wouldn't recommend.

(I had to bring in my battered, sellotaped, cigarette burnt, museum piece Intous2 A3 Wacom to get anything done - which went down well in their swanky office)

I think it's a false economy to get a Bamboo. When this one dies I'll be looking for a second hand Intous2 or 3. They do last.

And I agree: who wants Buttons, Bells and Whistles on a drawing pad? (answer, designers, with their bamboos)

[Emperor]

I asked Alex Ronald on his Wacom of choice:

http://alexronald68.blogspot.com/2010/01/vamires-suck.html?showComment=1263575569596#c5302942525784773438

[radiator]

Cheers guys, very helpful - looks like I'll be going with an Intuos, then - either try for a second hand 3, or try and get a discounted 4 through work.

[James]

I use a A5 Intuos 3 which I got after using a Trust (cheap!) tablet for a couple of years. I immediately noticed the difference and improvements the Intuos bought.

I may be looking at a big fat redundancy payout soon and I'm thinking of blowing a grand on a Cintiq. If I do I'll sell you my Intuos 3.

[staticgirl]

Maybe have a look to see if there are any refurbished models out there?  That's how I tend to get my tech in order to get the best quality possible on a budget.
I have an old wacom tablet about A6 sized - it's brilliant but I can't remember the model name. Certainly not a Bamboo...

[HdE]

Ack! this thread is officially bad for my budget!

I've been crunching numbers today - I won't be able to safely afford a better quality tablet until next year. Curses!

Still, I ought to graduate to using two monitors this year - and the ol' hard drive needs upgrading...

[John Caliber]

For three years I've originated all my artwork/graphics/lettering on the computer screen using a Wacom Intuos tablet. It has saved me so much time and pain. I was about ready to give up on illustration altogether because my drawing paper & ink could not withstand any more erasures. The Wacom stylus feels more comfortable than a pen or brush (like painting on velvet with velvet).

My art is now not only produced much faster, but I've been able to develop techniques impossible previously.

[John Caliber]

Appendice to my past reply:

The Wacom Cintiq may look incredibly impressive (for that price it should damn well be), but it can cause terrible strain on the forearms and wrist because they are angled upwards.

Unlike some standalone drawing boards, the Cintiq has to sit on a table which may often have a fixed height (and reliant upon office rather than draftmen's chairs). I did own a Samsung variant of the Cintiq and had to sell it after suffering these problems. It was so uncomfortable I had to use my right hand to push up off the table to relieve the stress on my left (drawing) hand.

With all the touch-sensitive monitors coming into being in the next few years, the prices of all these stylus-driven technologies will start to plummet (thank God for when my Intuos 3 breaks down!).

[Dunk!]

I'm lucky enough to use a Cintiq for work and have to say my back is as bad as it was when i had an Intuos and monitor. 

The Cintiq has it's advantages but the ones out at the mo do have a feel of first run tech. They can have sudden lag and the calibration can be all over the joint especially when you find yourself working to the edge of the screen.

I switch between that and my Intuos A5 at home quite easily the only thing i miss if the scale of the monitor space the Cintiq gives me. If i was to change back tommorow i can't see a reason for any drop in production.

As stated before the price of these will plummet when the new touch screen monitors become the norm and i can't wait for Cintiqs with dual touch technology as i feel that will be when they really come into their own.