Wacom Intuos Creative Pen & Touch tablet

[candyman]

About 2 weeks ago I bought the Canon 6D. With it, I got a full license of Adobe Lightroom 5 & Premiere Elements 12. On top of that I got for free the Wacom Intuos Creative Pen & Touch tablet.
Nice package deal.


Now, I just wonder what to do with the tablet. I never used a pen and tablet for post-processing my photos. It is really something different.


Do you use a pen and tablet for post-processing your photos? Can you share your experience in what is good and what is less good? Maybe there are huge advantages and I just need to get into it :-\


Thanks

 

[Jim Saunders]

I use mine in LR5 for brushstrokes. You can use it to replace your mouse entirely and use gestures to do lots of things but I haven't found reason to learn that yet.

Jim

 

[candyman]

I use mine in LR5 for brushstrokes. You can use it to replace your mouse entirely and use gestures to do lots of things but I haven't found reason to learn that yet.

Jim

Thanks Jim for your reply.

Does it mean that you use mouse and pen/tablet (thus you only switch to pen/tablet when working with the brushstrokes) or....do you use exclusively pen/tablet?
To use both seems logical but is that convenient?

 

[Jim Saunders]

Thanks Jim for your reply.

Does it mean that you use mouse and pen/tablet (thus you only switch to pen/tablet when working with the brushstrokes) or....do you use exclusively pen/tablet?
To use both seems logical but is that convenient?

You can have them both connected at the same time and use your mouse as per normal, and then use the tablet for strokes; the cursor will simply move to wherever the stylus lands. So other than a little bit of cursor wrangling it is seamless to move from one to the other. That's how I employ it, although greater time pressure might make learning all the zoomy features worth it.

Jim

 

[neuroanatomist]

A rep from Wacom is giving a webinar on Thursday, March 27, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT.

Join Wes Maggio, Sr. Evangelist for Creative Products with Wacom for this fun and informative webinar as he demonstrates why a tablet is a critical element in a photographer’s workflow. An avid shooter and all around tablet guru, Wes will show you how a pen tablet can help bring out the true potential in your images. Whether you make the most subtle changes to your photos, or combine multiple images to create a stylized look, a pen tablet can give you a level of control that no other method can. Selectively apply adjustments, filters and effects with precision and control. Remove unwanted elements and retouch like a pro!

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/448145334

 

[PicaPica]

i use a wacom for photoshop.

the touch feature is pretty useless for me, but once you get the hang on you don´t want to go back using a mouse.

thought it can take a few hours until you notice how much better a pen is.
it takes some time to get used to it.

 

[candyman]

A rep from Wacom is giving a webinar on Thursday, March 27, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT.

Join Wes Maggio, Sr. Evangelist for Creative Products with Wacom for this fun and informative webinar as he demonstrates why a tablet is a critical element in a photographer’s workflow. An avid shooter and all around tablet guru, Wes will show you how a pen tablet can help bring out the true potential in your images. Whether you make the most subtle changes to your photos, or combine multiple images to create a stylized look, a pen tablet can give you a level of control that no other method can. Selectively apply adjustments, filters and effects with precision and control. Remove unwanted elements and retouch like a pro!

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/448145334

Oh, thanks!!
That is a great tip. I just signed up for this webinar

 

[candyman]

i use a wacom for photoshop.

the touch feature is pretty useless for me, but once you get the hang on you don´t want to go back using a mouse.

thought it can take a few hours until you notice how much better a pen is.
it takes some time to get used to it.

I guess that is how it is...like with photography, driving a car....experience makes you able to control it better and better. I wil start with the webinar

 

[sagittariansrock]

A rep from Wacom is giving a webinar on Thursday, March 27, 2014 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM PDT.

Join Wes Maggio, Sr. Evangelist for Creative Products with Wacom for this fun and informative webinar as he demonstrates why a tablet is a critical element in a photographer’s workflow. An avid shooter and all around tablet guru, Wes will show you how a pen tablet can help bring out the true potential in your images. Whether you make the most subtle changes to your photos, or combine multiple images to create a stylized look, a pen tablet can give you a level of control that no other method can. Selectively apply adjustments, filters and effects with precision and control. Remove unwanted elements and retouch like a pro!

https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/448145334

Thanks a lot for the link!

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I use the Wacom pen in my left hand and my mouse in my right hand for photoshop. I do not find the pen to be very useful as a mouse replacement, but its great for drawing and brushing precisely.

 

[EricFiskCGD]

I used to say that if you're a graphic designer or digital artist that doesn't use a Wacom Tablet then you're not a real graphic designer or digital artist. I've changed my tune over the past couple of months because some people either swear by them or swear at them.

But I still believe that if you don't have one or at least tried one than you're missing out.

Using a pen or pencil is natural, you've been doing it even before pre-school. Your hand is not designed to use a mouse, it's counter intuitive to hundreds of years of evolution. Using a mouse is like putting a pen or paintbrush into a bar of soap and using it like a handle.

My advice is get rid of your mouse and just use the tablet and pen for two months exclusively. After those two months I bet you won't go back.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I used to say that if you're a graphic designer or digital artist that doesn't use a Wacom Tablet then you're not a real graphic designer or digital artist. I've changed my tune over the past couple of months because some people either swear by them or swear at them.

But I still believe that if you don't have one or at least tried one than you're missing out.

Using a pen or pencil is natural, you've been doing it even before pre-school. Your hand is not designed to use a mouse, it's counter intuitive to hundreds of years of evolution. Using a mouse is like putting a pen or paintbrush into a bar of soap and using it like a handle.

I tried that already, a mouse just works. That's why they sell billions of them. The pen is good for some things, but not all. I now am trying a Logitech touch pad. Technically, it works fine, but my fine motor skills in my fingers just do not give me precise control. I'd say that 2 years would be required for me to relearn what 25+ years of using a mouse has done.

My advice is get rid of your mouse and just use the tablet and pen for two months exclusively. After those two months I bet you won't go back.

 

[climber]

Are you using those tablets also for everything else beside retouching? Like web surfing and browsing on the copmputer.

 

[fatmanmedi]

i've owned Wacom graphic tablets over the years at the moment i own the Cintiq 24HD touch, I would never go back to using a mouse to edit images as it feels like going back to the ice age in terms of ease of use.

I use it in PS and Illustrator mainly but in other apps as and when i need, it's ok for web browsing but a mouse is better for that. The other problem is that it's hard to travel with as it's huge and heavy it has a large counterweight to keep it stable on the desk, so it's no use if you need to edit in the field.

To use a version of a famous phase, once you go graphic tablet, you never go back.

fats

 

[EricFiskCGD]

Are you using those tablets also for everything else beside retouching? Like web surfing and browsing on the copmputer.

When I say I use it for everything - I really mean it. I'm using it right now to browse the web and manage open tabs.

 

[Hillsilly]

I'm a recent convert to Wacom tablets. I have no idea why I didn't buy one earlier. The pressure sensitivity of the tablet and stylus when used with tools such as brushes and the eraser, allow me to do much more precise adjustments. The quality of my post production results have improved dramatically. (But then, I like doing a lot of PP. If you're a straight out of camera shooter, this might be less important).

FWIW, I purchased the tablet after watching a couple of YouTube videos in which a photographer, Terry White, showed how he used it for portrait adjustments. It was one of those - "Wow!...you can do that? And so easily?" moments (As anyone who has ever struggled to do really fine, small adjustments with just a mouse, can appreciate). Since then, I've come across a number of other videos to help refine techniques. Not being a professional photographer, I'm out of the loop when it comes to the equipment that many people use. But I'm surprised that you don't see more people recommending tablets.

 

[climber]

And which model and size do you use?

 

[Hillsilly]

I've got the same as the OP - the Intuos pen & touch. Mine is the small one (CTH-480). For me, even the small one is too big and I've decreased the area being used.

 

[mrsfotografie]

I recently got a Wacom Intuos Pro Small with my 5D MkIII as part of a Canon promotion. It's got nice touch and swipe features but I went back to my trusty Wacom Bamboo tablet because it has a smaller footprint (and the same sensitive area). I use my tablet as a mouse too and the Intuos Pro just takes up too much desktop space and won't comfortably sit next to my keyboard. Bummer

 

[gbchriste]

Couldn't survive without mine. Absolutely indispensable for fine retouching and complex-shaped selections. When you have clone out about 100 individual stray hairs from a portrait subject there is no substitute for doing with a graphics pen as opposed to a mouse.

My previous one was the Bamboo Fun, which was also a Wacom product. I loved it because it came with an included mouse that also operated on the tablet so it was easy to switch from pen to mouse as needed. That tablet died but the model was discontinued. The newer Wacom tablets don't come with the mouse anymore and I really miss it. The gestures for making mouse-like movements on the tablet with your fingers just don't cut it.