United3dArtists Archive

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 17:38

Hey folks. I am looking at graphics tablets; any thoughts on this one?

Microcenter sells this for $99.
BHPhotoVideo sells it for $71.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/5 ... ablet.html"

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 14 Sep 2012, 18:15

It looks like a decent device but some owners appear to be having driver issues. The price is very good. I never used this one so my opinion doesn't mean much.
I own a Bamboo which is smaller. The size of the tablet really depends on what you want to do with it. For my needs I didn't want to take up a lot of space on my desk. There are other users here that I'm sure will share their thought.

Draise · Post by **Draise** » 14 Sep 2012, 18:20

They look like a good deal. 1024 levels of pressure is more than enough. I generally don't like using batteries in a pen, but for the price, what the hell!
I bought a Wacom tablet (that got stolen from me...) that I was very happy with, also had touch capabilities and a size of a comfotable A5-A4 piece of paper. It was about 200 dollars though.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 18:29

Hey Draise. Do the batteries in the pen cause weight and balance issues? I can get rechargeable batteries, too.
Or, skip the batteries and get a different tablet. And what about the movement resolution? At BH, they specify 1000 lines per inch, but at microcenter they specify 2000. Not sure if that really matters. Plus, maybe I could get microcenter to price match bhphotovideo.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 18:32

Thanks Bob!
I really want to use it for sculptris primarily. Also, sketching cartoons and such for animation. Would it be large enough for that type of work?

Draise · Post by **Draise** » 14 Sep 2012, 20:56

well the dpi is just the sensitivity of the tracking. Think of your mouse, where one of 3200 dpi would be a gamers mouse, but i'm quite happy with a mouse of 800 dpi. My last tablet was 2450 dpi and it was very nice and sensitive, getting finer detail than i could with a pencil! So a dpi of 1000 isn't a terrible thing.
The battery does make the pen heavier and odd compaired to a normal pen, but it's no biggie.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 21:09

Yeah; AA or AAA is ok. Now if it were a Car Battery, that's another story huh?

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:13

Mine is smaller then this one and I have no problems utilizing the tablet. People tend to get them too big.
Heck mine is only 6"x4" drawing area and I have more then enough room drawing in Sculptris.
At least check this one out. See if they have one hooked up. They take a little bit of time to get use to.
I use my tablet, mouse and keyboard at the same time. Some commands in Sculptris are easier with the other two
devices. Someone here years ago recommended Bamboo and I ended up getting one. I like mine for fine details.
It is a nice unit and very accurate.

This one at Staples is a newer larger version you may like.
http://www.staples.com/Wacom-CTL470-Bam ... vs_content"

Years ago I had a very large drawing tablet for the Amiga. It was big and bulky, so I never bothered using it. Consider that when you
make your purchase.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:15

Cool thank you for the info Steinie!

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:19

Yeah that is something to consider; the drawing space.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:21

This one I own.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:30

So I guess it just takes some getting used to, using the pen instead of the mouse.
Would be cool to use a Cintiq or something so you can see what you are working on, directly.
I suppose that's a 'touch screen' though heh.
Thank you for the link to the review Steinie.
So you're pretty comfortable with using that size tablet then? May be worth considering, since I am not designing
huge billboard logos and such.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:34

Yes the size is really no concern at all. I can do very large or very small drawings. I have a large screen and can move cursor to all parts with ease.
Check this link out for a cheaper price and free shipping.
http://www.amazon.com/Wacom-Bamboo-Spla ... 15-2604654"
Also read the reviews on that page. I think if I had to buy another tablet this would be the one.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:36

Ok thanks Steinie. For some reason I equate the tablet screen size with the size of my monitor. I will have to take a look at it; they have this model at microcenter which is close to the house.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:38

I guess one way to look at it is, to look at the space I have for the mouse: measure that. It's pretty small too; I estimate, 5 x 5 or 6 x 6.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:40

Jason read my updated text in my previous post. I think actual users who are Professional may convince you.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:44

Thank you Steinie.
Even though I have not used a tablet before, I like the 'battery-less' pen this one has to offer, as opposed to the othe one I am looking at.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:52

Another thing to consider is if you want the buttons on the tablet. (4 of them) which isn't on the model I showed you.
I don't like them but you might.
For me it is easier to use the keyboard and mouse for some of the functions.
You might want to ask Marcel how he uses his.

froo · Post by **froo** » 14 Sep 2012, 23:56

Ok. Will do.
I just started looking at them today, so I need to do more research. That looks like a good deal, on Amazon, for it.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 15 Sep 2012, 00:12

Good luck with your choices Jason. I'll be here for any questions you might have.
Get the pad that feels right for you. That is the bottom line. The prices today for a good pad is
cheap! My first pad cost between 200 and 300 dollars. (for Amiga) $60-70 bucks is a steal.
Of course I bought a graphics card that cost almost $1000 once...and could barely do VGA.

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 00:17

Doh! Well I looked at the original one, on Amazon; there are reviews from 2008 (hmmmmm). Sounds like that one has been around awhile. That's not really a 'bad' thing but it means the technology is older. The Bamboo seems more appealing and of course, it's from Wacom; the company has longevity on its side.

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 00:20

And thanks Bob I do appreciate all the help and feedback from you and the other folks!

jamesmc · Post by **jamesmc** » 15 Sep 2012, 05:34

I found the perfect graphics tablet for you Froo.

Compact, light and easy to operate.

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 15 Sep 2012, 13:02

YES!!! The "Gold Standard" of Tablets, James.

Jason, think about this one. My mouse moves only 1.5" x 1.25" to make my cursor cover a screen size of 19" x 12"
That is approx. what you are doing with a mouse and Sculptris. Getting a really large tablet will now effect your wrist and
tire your arm. So although a small tablet seems silly at first you'll find the wrist and arm movements with accuracy is perfect.

I had to convince myself of these things too when I purchased a smaller drawing pad. The button controls may be a bigger issue to some.
Having buttons on the tablet to control everything or not should be a question.

It appears like James prefers very small drawing pads to carry around in his pocket...

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 15:09

Thanks Bob. I am very much leaning towards this Bamboo. Not sure about the buttons; I really just want a pen; I don't know if I am concerned about buttons. It just seems using a pen to draw is more natural than a mouse.

James, yeah that is perfect! Haha love it!

I guess it just takes some getting used to; the space my mouse moves around in is pretty small too; I am not making huge sweeps with it. Plus, the resolution is not very high; I doubt it is as high as that provided with the pen. And, the pad needs to fit where the mouse is. This may also make it easier to use the laptop for sculptris purposes.

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 15 Sep 2012, 15:34

Bamboo owner here.
It's fine.
The tablet maps itself to your screen so size is irrelevant.
The buttons are programmable to a whole set of different functions, including keystrokes.
It also becomes a touchpad for use with your fingers if you want.

The fact that it came bundled with an upgrade to Photoshop Elements was the icing on the cake.

I bought extra nibs, but haven't needed to change out the original yet. Apparently I'm not a heavy user.

Ordered mine online @ Costco, for what that's worth.

Hurry up and order it before something else breaks on the car!

jamesmc · Post by **jamesmc** » 15 Sep 2012, 15:42

Steinie wrote:YES!!! The "Gold Standard" of Tablets, James.

Jason, think about this one. My mouse moves only 1.5" x 1.25" to make my cursor cover a screen size of 19" x 12"
That is approx. what you are doing with a mouse and Sculptris. Getting a really large tablet will now effect your wrist and
tire your arm. So although a small tablet seems silly at first you'll find the wrist and arm movements with accuracy is perfect.

I had to convince myself of these things too when I purchased a smaller drawing pad. The button controls may be a bigger issue to some.
Having buttons on the tablet to control everything or not should be a question.

It appears like James prefers very small drawing pads to carry around in his pocket...

It also doubles as a comb.

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 18:40

spacekdet wrote:size is irrelevant.

Heh I should try that one.... hahahahahaha

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 18:43

In all seriousness spacekdet, do you use the Bamboo Connect? That one does not come with an upgrade to Adobe Elements I don't think; I believe a different version does though.

Yeah I hope and hope and hope the car doesn't go Crappo. We are paying off a student loan over this and next week; 5 months worth all at once. Take That student loan! But OW Oh So Painful!

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 18:49

And I'm just curious; which way do you guys orient your tablet? So that the long side goes left to right? Or so the long side goes up and down?

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 19:07

Well it looks like the difference between the CTL471 and the CTH470 is the software bundle l- the CTH470 contains Adobe Elements,
while the CTL471 does not.

Also, If you own the CTH470 - does it also offer 2540 lpi resolution? If so, then for $23 more I would prefer to get Adobe Elements.

Finis · Post by **Finis** » 15 Sep 2012, 19:23

I don't have and haven't used a tablet but here's thinking about it. I'd draw some things on paper and see what size is best for you. Then get a tablet that is around that size. Super resolution tablets might exceed the "resolution" of your movements so you'd be paying for ability you can't use. Similarly, your fingers might be accurate to 1 in 10,000 units on 12 inch wide surface but not on a 2 inch wide surface.

Maybe you can try some out in person somewhere.

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 19:44

Cool thanks Finis.

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 19:45

I think I may be settling on the Wacom Bamboo Capture due to the offer of the Adobe Elements package.

spacekdet · Post by **spacekdet** » 15 Sep 2012, 20:00

froo wrote:Also, If you own the CTH470 - does it also offer 2540 lpi resolution? If so, then for $23 more I would prefer to get Adobe Elements.

Yes, the CTH470 is 2540 lpi.

I use it long side down/ landscape mode; or slightly angled just like you'd use a sheet of paper.
You can set it up for left or right handedness.

PS Elements is decent. It's an editor and 'organizer', but I don't use the 'organizer' part.
I tried it, but it seemed like a space hog (basically scans & replicates every image on your HD into a database)
Use of the organizer isn't mandatory if you already have your own 'system'.

There's also a 'dock' program that gets installed; requires Adobe Air and Flash upgrades.
Ever since I did it my own website's Flash based galleries don't work the way they should. Still haven't figured out why.
The dock program accesses the tablet settings and includes a slew of miniprograms and a couple games to try out.
You can also configure it with buttons to launch any program.

I can use both the tablet and the mouse at the same time. Well, not at the same time, (not ambidextrous) but they both work w/ the tablet plugged in.
You can use the pen just like the mouse to control the computer- it's not limited to just drawing inside a program.
There is a wireless option/accessory that I'm considering- the included USB cord is about as long as your arm. My CPU is luckily on top of the desk and has front USB sockets. Not sure how it would work if the CPU was buried under the desk or had a long way to route the cable.

Just looked up my records; paid 89.99 plus shipping @ costco. (Less than half of what they are listed for on the wacom site.)

froo · Post by **froo** » 15 Sep 2012, 20:58

Ah meh. Just went to the Wacom site and it is down for maintenance. Of Course!
It looked like the same version was there for $99; at Costco it was $89. Maybe I am looking
at different models on each site? Hm

Thanks spacekdet

RAYMAN · Post by **RAYMAN** » 15 Sep 2012, 21:07

Hi froo !
The wacom tablets are worth the money spent !
If your not doing it for the job the bamboo is good enough for most applications....
If you would be doing it for the job I´d recomend one with a built in screen though because the feeling to work
with that is better then sex....

but its very expensive !
maybe one day these things will come down in price....
Peter

Steinie · Post by **Steinie** » 16 Sep 2012, 00:45

Jason,
Check you email.

These are my settings for Bamboo to work with Sculptris.

froo · Post by **froo** » 16 Sep 2012, 21:02

Thank you for the settings pic Steinie. I will probably be using something similar.

v3rd3 · Post by **v3rd3** » 17 Sep 2012, 01:35

I had an old 14"x11" Adesso that I lost the driver disk for and bot a bamboo instead cuz I really needed the tablet for a project. I liked the Adesso but found the odd glitch in drawing when I moved to faster machines. If I could find the driver I would still use it for working on larger drawings.

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