First Editing Requirements for a Pen Tablet--Suggestions?

[wparsonsgisnet]

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I just went thru a long session of replacing backgrounds for some shots in front of a terrible "white" background.

 

It looks like this would be easier with a pen and tablet, like a Wacom.  I haven't used one of these and would be grateful for suggestions.  I am a C1 user, currently using an M(240).

 

Many thanks,  Bill

[Exodies]

Moving a stylus in a fixed frame is very different from moving a mouse in a free frame. One problem is landing the pen on the right spot. It's not tracked while up. A mouse is always tracked. However, I believe it can be learned (like accurately throwing darts or hitting billiard balls can be learned).

A better route to success might be to discover all the possible selection methods the software offers.

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[ru2far2c]

You can set up a wacom to replace your mouse. I would suggest the intuos over the bamboo for it has better sensitivity in the stylus tip. Wacom tablet can be programmed to work with all programs to make your work flow easier much more than your mouse. Working with pressured sensitive pen is very different than working with a mouse. I hardly touch my mouse these days. May I suggestion if you get a tablet that you put your mouse in a drawer and just use the tablet evryday for everything for a while. This way you learn the tablet inside and out.

 

C1 was not always tablet friendly or least that was my experience until the recent upgrades which have made it easier to work with a tablet and pen. Layers in C1 are not as friendly to work with say as in PS or Photo Raw yet I think using a tablet will help you out.

 

Print out the shortcuts to the programs you use the most like C1, PS, LR, NIK filters or any other app. Then highlight the shortcut keys you use the most and program them in to the tablet and pen. This will help speed up your workflow. Once you get use to the pen pressue and shortcuts it will become easier to do the tasks at hand.

 

There is a learning curve that is for sure and tablets are not for everybody. Most people I know that do any retouching use tablets for the simple reason that a stylus is easier to use than a mouse. If you have real estate on your desk top I'd look at the medium size. Personally use the small intous pro 5 and it works fine for my needs. 

[jaapv]

A compromise is using a track pad.  I use it in combination with a mouse. But I must confess that I am on the lookout for a special offer on a Wacom Cintiq Pro tablet.

[Richardgb]

I've been using a medium size Wacom Intuos Pro tablet for a couple of years (the active surface is a little small than A4, and the whole tablet slightly bigger, so it fits comfortably on a not too big desk). When I bought it, I thought it would replace the mouse but quickly found they're two different beasts as they work in different ways.

 

The Wacom has a fixed relationship between the pen and the surface: the pen in the top-left on the surface puts the marker top-left on the screen. The mouse, though, can be moved independently of its pointer by lifting it far enough away from whatever surface is uses to judge distance. Before anyone says it, yes, the Wacom can be set up to work like a mouse, but after doing so you'll find you have to make relatively large hand movements to move the pointer and you can only move the pointer while the pen is on (or very close to) the surface of the tablet.

 

So, in my experience, a pen plus tablet complement rather than replaces a mouse. For general work, and especially on any work not involving retouching, a mouse suffices and is quicker. The pen and tablet come into their own when getting down to really fiddly selecting work on images which is practically impossible with a mouse - by enlarging the image on the screen, it's possible to select and edit individual pixels.

 

On the few occasions I've had to use support from Wacom, they've always responded quickly. All in all highly recommended.

[digger1914]

I use a small Intuos Pro, and it is excellent.  I have never considered replacing a mouse with it, but for things like painting masks and such it is invaluable.  It also becomes second nature for sliders etc after a while, but it takes a bit of getting used to. I use it on Capture One and PS.

[Bobitybob]

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I use a simple capacitive stylus with my Magic Trackpad, takes a bit of getting used to but works ok when you are used to it.  If you have an iPad take a look at this http://astropad.com.  There is a mini version that also works with either iPhone or iPad and is free if you want to try it first.

[sanyasi]

I have tried the Waccom tablets twice over the years.  I have significant difficulties drawing anything, and I found the process more cumbersome than it was worth.  This was a problem when I was a kid learning script.  To be clear, that's my experience.  Many people swear by them.  From my experience, I assume people who have good hand-eye coordination will be much happier with these devices than people like me.  I can't color within the lines.  Fortunately, I am not big on replacing skies and CGI type editing, so it isn't a big problem for me.

[erl]

I have used/use a Wacom for years. I could not exist without it for many operations, especially fine detailed work on images. I still employ a mouse, but even when I am using the mouse, the tablet stylus is still in my hand. The speed and accuracy of the tablet work is fantastic. Some things you just would not attempt with a mouse.

[philipus]

Hello Bill

 

I used a Bamboo for many years and found it considerably better for photo editing than using a mouse. I liked that I could select a part of the Bamboo to match the screen so that I didn't need to move the stylus so much. 

 

But the one thing I hated and which subsequent software updates did not solve was that the cursor would "stick" for just a brief moment as soon as I put the stylus to the Bamboo. It made it extremely annoying to press buttons and use sliders. 

 

Also I came to dislike having to put away the stylus in order to type and then pick it up again to navigate the interface. I often had the stylus between my index and middle finger while typing but that was uncomfortable. 

 

I now use an Apple Magic Trackpad as my only input device on my Mac Pro. I use the first version which can still be found new for reasonable money. I looked at the new version but found it much too large.

 

The editing experience is just sublime and feels completely seamless. I like very much that I can use the various multi-touch gestures to, for instance, spot or clone in Photoshop, drag and select etc. It feels completely natural. 

 

I'm not sure if you're using a Mac but if so I highly recommend this solution.

 

br

Philip

 

I just went thru a long session of replacing backgrounds for some shots in front of a terrible "white" background.

 

It looks like this would be easier with a pen and tablet, like a Wacom.  I haven't used one of these and would be grateful for suggestions.  I am a C1 user, currently using an M(240).

 

Many thanks,  Bill

Edited June 16, 2017 by philipus