[haring]

Pen Tablet - Do you use it for photo editing in Lightroom, Photoshop, etc...? Did it improve your post processing work flow?

[miro]

I have one but I don't use it.

I've tried several times - no success.

I use to work with mouse. It is something like - if you learn to write with right hand it is difficult to write with left even if you are lefthanded.

[anyscreenamewilldo]

do you mean a wacom? . . . impossible without it - imo - as much as i love my little mouse, it has no feeling for me



- edit - (don't like to add new posts when this is just an additional thought so an edit will have to do, sorry) -

i have to say that i'm surprised at the responses here (above and below), a pen surely is just like a paint brush with pressure sensitivity, drawing abilities and so much more, a mouse is not like this at all - i have no trouble following the screen cursor even with my tablet at an angle to the screen - but maybe i've been looking at screens too long, and maybe i should just accept the camera's output more and do less post - i can't imagine not using a pen and tablet with a paint program which is essentially what these processes are

[mst]

Same as miro here. Actually, I'm considering selling it since it only collects dust (literally).



I guess in the beginning you need to force yourself to use it to get the hang of it. Whenever I tried, I soon lost patience, though.



-- Markus

[bryan conner]

I use a Wacom for retouching of portraits. After using it for close to 10 years now, it is very difficult for me to use any of the brush type tools with the mouse. This type work would be much more time consuming for me if I used a mouse. So, I find using a tablet a big advantage. But, if I used the mouse more, I would probably soon approach the same efficiency in regards to speed.



My tablet is a 4x5 inch. It was large enough way back when I was using a 17 inch CRT monitor, but now with a larger LCD, it is a little too small.

[popo]

I'm another who got a tablet and just didn't get along with it. I can do everything faster and easier with a mouse. Personally I found the disconnect between the pen and screen to feel wrong. Maybe if I had a display that works like pen and paper where the display surface is where you draw on (tablet style), that could be very different.



As a side note, I was never good at writing/drawing with my hands anyway... also I can't stand non-linear mouse responses. If I move a mouse a fixed distance regardless of speed, it should always move the pointer the same distance. I think that helps a lot with precision control, more so than the typical OS default where the movement distance is also related to speed as well as distance.

[Guest]

I'm using wacom (intuous4 at the moment) with photoshop, no way to get around the tablet if you're working with cut-outs, probably 2-3 times faster than with a mouse. Especially outlining in quickmask - precision is simply incomparable.



Another thing that helps massively (especially if you're using lots of layers at the same time) - keyboard with macro support. Some 5-6 most common sequences and workflow really accelerates <img src='http://forum.photozone.de/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt='B)' />

[Sylvain]

I'm using a tablet and will never go back.



-I'm much faster and accurate to contour, to "warp" from a place to another on screen. Remember you don't "displace" a pointer, you only point.



-My finger, palm & wrist pains have completely disappeared. But your mile age may vary and I might get new ones. Not the best point.



Just a word of advice to relate to Markus & Popo, you need to break in. To be honest, it's one full week to get to it. If you resist it, you'll probably quit.



Another word regarding tablet size (e.g. Bryan). The larger is not necessarily to most practical as you have to move the pen on longer distances and somehow lift your wrist more. Can make "line" drawing more difficult. There a sweet spot to find between area accuracy/density and your screen size.



Greetings,

S.

[bryan conner]

[quote name='Sylvain' timestamp='1301606725' post='7259']

Another word regarding tablet size (e.g. Bryan). The larger is not necessarily to most practical as you have to move the pen on longer distances and somehow lift your wrist more. Can make "line" drawing more difficult. There a sweet spot to find between area accuracy/density and your screen size.

[/quote]



I understand what you are saying. I can imagine that having too large of a tablet would be just as problematic as having too small of one. With my 4x5 tablet, I have to often zoom in closer than I would like to be in order to avoid having my on screen movements too exaggerated.



Good tips for everyone in your post. Thanks

[popo]

[quote name='Sylvain' timestamp='1301606725' post='7259']

Just a word of advice to relate to Markus & Popo, you need to break in. To be honest, it's one full week to get to it. If you resist it, you'll probably quit.[/quote]

As mentioned before, I think at best I can get as good as a mouse with a regular tablet. I'm just not a natural pen person and the disassociation from tablet to screen really doesn't help. I can't see myself exceeding a mouse with one. Something like a Cintiq arrangement might help, but that's a lot of cash for a half decent sized one.