Wacom Intuos3 4x5

[Fureinku]

I picked mine up today and im having a really hard time using it/getting used to it

How long did it take you and did it ever become "natural" ?

Im debating keeping it, i may just be used to my high DPI mouse

[René Damkot]

I have a 4x5 Graphire, and wouldn't want to use Photoshop without it...
I use my mouse for some other programs.

[koaster]

I have the Intuos3 6x8, basically it's personal preference whether or not you will use a tablet. I have a fine arts (sketching, painting, etc.) background so pen movement is second nature for me. It took me about 3-5 days to get used to it.

However, I didn't drop my mouse completely, I use my tablet for certain applications, i.e. Photoshop, some prefer using a mouse but there is less strain on the hand if you are doing any tracing or masking type task. Otherwise I use my mouse for everyday things.

My 2 cents.

Koaster

[BaliHai]

I use the pen almost exclusively and especially like it for Photoshop. I started using it about 7? years ago for illustrations and now I find it very hard to use a mouse. On the other side my husband has recently started using the pen (I'd stashed the mouse away somewhere) and after a few months he now prefers the pen as well so there is a learning curve to it.

[Todd Jacobsen]

I picked mine up today and im having a really hard time using it/getting used to it

How long did it take you and did it ever become "natural" ?

Im debating keeping it, i may just be used to my high DPI mouse

Hide your mouse. Use pen exclusively for 30 days. THEN go back to mouse and see if you have same questions. Same would go for roller ball.

I have the 9x12. I use the pen/pad exclusively with photoshop, but found it's helpful with web development. I do use a rollerball for daily stuff (email etc).

The pad doesn't replace the keyboard so I've had to learn to go from one to the other. It's not the pen/mouse thang, it's the pad vs keyboard game. I have the mouse that came with the pad, but I've never used it.

Anything is better than a mouse. Try a rollerball, you'll never go back to a mouse. The pen has much greater fine detail selection (with pressure sensitivity to boot).

[Fureinku]

I have a gaming backround, my mice are pretty high quality with high precision and DPI adjustability on-the-fly

Also, i have a dual monitor set-up at 1400x9xx Resolution, the 4x5 was very hard to use to navigate both screens, for me anyway

I took the tablet back, ill invest in a larger tablet when I finish my digital imagin courses, any other advice that i can keep with me would be great though, as i plan to get one in the furture!

[SoaringUSAEagle]

I have the 9x12 and absolutely love it! And when my friends come over its a deterrent... hahaha they cant work it worth crap so they leave my computer alone.

It took me about a week to get used to it but now... its just so natural.

[Cathpah]

it was quite difficult for me as well. I returned it the next day. I have no doubt that it is a great tool, but right now I need to be working on my photoshop abilities rather than my mouse/pen abilities

[SoaringUSAEagle]

Thats too bad... I really like mine. It does help with editing photos... big time!

[blonde]

like someone said, i do think that it depends on the person using it and how skilled you are. i bought one a few months ago to use in PS for photo editing and i just couldn't get used to it. i gave it to my wife (she is an artist) and within 20 mins, she was doing amazing paintings with it in Coral. now, she uses it all the time for everything and i am back to my old trusty optical mouse :)

[cjd]

I took to the pen tablet immediately when I have had access to a system with one. They're just intuitive for me. But then, a standard touch-pad and I don't get along well at all - I hate 'em with a passion.

The trick is getting it set up well. I suspect dual monitors at high resolution will be problematic with a 4x5 tablet - too much screen area to cover on a very small tablet. Though I don't own one currently (which is also why I haven't done anything in the way of retouching photos - course, I've only been into digital photography for a few months so far, most of m years were film) so maybe I'm not fully understanding what is involved in setting it up.

Then again, my major was drawing, with minors in a few things (photo, metals, anthropology...)

C

[Todd Jacobsen]

I have a gaming backround, my mice are pretty high quality with high precision and DPI adjustability on-the-fly

Also, i have a dual monitor set-up at 1400x9xx Resolution, the 4x5 was very hard to use to navigate both screens, for me anyway

I took the tablet back, ill invest in a larger tablet when I finish my digital imagin courses, any other advice that i can keep with me would be great though, as i plan to get one in the furture!

I have a dual monitor setup as well (1600x1200) but generally only do photo editing on one monitor at a time.

I wouldn't go smaller than 9x12. If I did, it would be for my laptop only.