Posted: Fri Feb 11, 2011 4:07 pm Post subject: Trying a new tablet
My curiosity got the better of me and I purchased one of the cheapest pen tablets I could find. Normally, I never skimp when it comes to making a purchase that I would consider an investment, but after reading so many good reviews, I was simply curious. Graphicsoft actually rates it number seven on their list of top tablets only underneath the 6 previous Wacom models. Enter Monoprice. A full sized tablet that actually works for 50 bucks shipped to my door? I admit...I laughed at first. A lot.
I got one of the larger models....a 10x6.5 inch active area pad that is easily as large as my laptop. I also laid down the extra cash for the function buttons up the side of the unit. I knew I didn't really need one this large, but the reviews were great and the price was definitely right.
The specs are quite impressive and would be a lot to live up to for any professional quality tablet. 1040 pressure levels, 4000 LPI resolution and 200 RPS. It has 8 user programmable function buttons down the left side (called Express keys) that are pre-programmed with basic functions like copy, cut, paste, zoom, save, etc. Across the top of the pad on the drawing surface are 16 virtual buttons called "Hot Cells". These are also programmable but come preset with more basic functions that will open web browser, email, word, excel, ppt, and more.
Some reviewers find the the pen cheap, but I wasn't expecting much for the price. I found the pen to be just fine. It has a nice grip, two programmable buttons and houses a AAA battery. The battery sits right in the middle of the pen body, so it isn't awkward to handle. Some of the more expensive tablets have nicer pens, but for the price and performance, I give this one a good grade.
The software is minimal. Again, I'm sure that has to do with the price. The driver is simple to install and was up and running in minutes.
I found that the size of the tablet was really much larger than I needed. When editing in the lower right of an image, it was a long ways to move my hand to get the pen tip back on the menu bar. No worries...the pens software allows you to scale the size of the drawing area to whatever you want. Its a simple click and drag to re-size the drawing window to something a little smaller and now the tablet seems more responsive, and I can access all areas of the screen with a flick of the wrist, instead of having to move my whole arm. I do like having a large tablet though...it leaves me a lot of resolution in reserve should I need to really zoom in and use a steady hand.
I was adding eye makeup and coloring lines within the iris of a woman's eye with ease. The buttons work flawlessly and open the applications they claim to. I can reprogram the buttons to give me quick access to menu items, versus looking for them. Overall, I am very pleased with the functionality within Photoshop. The sensitivity is scalable, but was easy to control right out of the box, although I found it took quite a bit of pressure to reach 100 percent opacity. I will most likely scale this down a bit. I found no issues or quirkiness when drawing at any angle.
I let the kids draw with it using MS Paint. The little ones thought it was really cool and were creating drawings with the same quality that they could on paper. Of course 4 and 6 year old's wouldn't be able to tell me how well the thing performed, but the fact that they seemed to be able to control it with ease was enough. I may pick up a smaller one just for them. FYI...the smaller units can be had for just $20.
Its built well. Feels solid, has a nice finish and the drawing area has a fairly smooth, matte finish that, I find, lends itself well to drawing. It is very thin and has a stamped metal back with screw construction. I don't think I would be uncomfortable throwing this thing in my laptop bag.
The pen may not be the greatest when it comes to feel and construction, but it performs fantastically. I found no issues with the pen and rather like it. This is one of those things that will be different from person to person.
Yes, its made in China. Wacom's are made in Japan. I don't think the quality of the product has suffered. I suppose the real test would be to get one that didn't work and try to deal with customer support to get a replacement. This, I have not done so I can't say that Monoprice's support is good or bad. I would say that, for the price, how can you really go wrong? _________________ http://www.jmerrittphotorestoration.com/
Cheers for the review. Good to know there's a cheap alternative out there.
I have seen a pen that doesn't have a tablet its just like a wireless pen that has a laser at the end like a mouse and it reads surfaces.
offtopic..
I don't own a tablet, and ofter wonder how much does the typical user work with the tablet in PS.
Like is it a case of using it like a mouse when ur working or is it back and forth process.
Looks good anyway would be interested to know ur thoughts in a few months time once its worn in.
Getting used to using a tablet, if you've never used one before. can be tricky. I am one of those people. At first, I tried to use it for everything, just to get used to the feel. I'll admit, I found it a tad cumbersome to use it for menial tasks such as navigating windows or menus. It wasn't hard, it just wasn't as easy as using a mouse. With a mouse, your probably used to moving your wrist a slight amount to get the pointer to move across the screen. With a tablet this size, I have to move my entire arm, as the tablet is almost as big as my laptop screen. Adjusting the size of the active area helps increase the feel of it a bit. I can change the active area to 4x6 or whatever I want, then I can work the whole screen without moving my arm.
With Photoshop, the resolution is where its at. Most mice have resolutions of 800 dpi or less, with some of the more expensive models extending beyond 1000 and even 2000 dpi. Still, it isn't easy to follow a curve with a mouse, no matter how precise it is. When zoomed in, it gets even trickier. The pen is unparalleled here. My particular tablet has 4000 lpi resolution and I found that I could work at near any level of zoom as easy as drawing on my screen with a pencil. I just had so much control. Now, if I decrease the active area size of the tablet to 3x5, that resolution goes down, but at least the setting is easily accessible from the task bar so I can switch back and forth if I need to make changes.
As you said, time will tell. I'll try to write more as I learn how to use it. My kids love it though...maybe I'll have them write a review! _________________ http://www.jmerrittphotorestoration.com/
Joined: 05 Mar 2003
Posts: 3987
Location: Cheltenham, UK
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 5:04 pm Post subject:
I have a tablet and I'm ashamed to say it gathers dust at the bottom of one of my drawers, I occasionally bust it out for a spot of dodge and burn, but mostly resort to using the mouse. Shameful really. _________________ If life serves you lemons, make lemonade!
I'm sure the tablet isn't for everyone. Doing restoration work, I spend a lot of time zoomed in and editing details "around" other parts of an image. The tablet saves me immense amounts of time here. I also like being able to adjust opacity with the pen pressure. I can see where, with practice, my work will have more realism with less effort and time. That was my goal, after all. _________________ http://www.jmerrittphotorestoration.com/
my mouse is put away and all I use is the tablet. Even for general computer use.
If you're using Photoshop and have been using a mouse then you have no idea how much time and productivity you have been wasting.
For anyone who uses photoshop, a pen tablet is a 100% necessity. A mouse allows you to access maybe 50% of photoshop's drawing and painting capabilities.
photoshop is much, much more than just filters and commands. These automated actions are easy to use with a mouse, but to really achieve professional results a tablet is a necessity, not just optional.
Have a look at art sites out there, like deviantart. There's some killer digital artwork there, all done with just a tablet and using almost *no* filters or file menu commands. All started from a blank "canvas" and just drawn/painted digitally.
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