is Tablet usefull?

[Gedas]

Hello,

I was watching few "making of videos", and I got this impression that a lot of people in the industry uses Tablets.. Now I understand that if you're matte painter or something similar to that, the tablet makes your life much easier, but what about Compositing or CG.. Is it worth to invest into the Tablet if you work in these areas? What are the advantages of having a Tablet instead of mouse..?

[benFerst]

i find it to be really fun to use a tablet, although really it doesnt truthfully make much of a difference.

thing is, after a week with the tablet, youll throw out your mouse and use your pen for everything.

[cesana]

Hi, a tablet is indispensable for a matte painter, there are no doubts about it.
But it´s also very very useful for the ones who uses it just like a mouse (like in my case). First, is a lot more precise. In one case you´re moving a thin things like a pen, in the other you´re pointing with a big thing like a hamburger.
Second, you can help your wrist to live longer, avoiding RSI.

After a few days, you won´t go back.
I can´t imagine rotoscoping without it

Greets!

[Oxide]

I'm a compositor and I feel like my hand's been chopped off without a tablet. I work almost twice as fast with it compared to working with a mouse.

[Dotcommer]

Also, don't cheap out on a tablet.. get a good kind... cintiq's are some of my favorites.

[mboden]

Also, don't cheap out on a tablet.. get a good kind... cintiq's are some of my favorites.

True at least get an Intutos 3 or higher. After years of using the mouse, I feel like move slower with out a pen in my hand since I started using a tablet 4 years ago.

[beaker]

I'm a compositor and I feel like my hand's been chopped off without a tablet. I work almost twice as fast with it compared to working with a mouse.

Exactly. Every time I use a mouse to comp with I feel slightly retarded. Like I forgot how to use the applications I've been using for years.

[bio]

I prefer the tablet over a mouse any day. Especially when it comes to painting clean frames. Besides, it barely takes anytime to get the hang of it.

[Hugh]

Definitely tablet.

The main advantage, I find, is that I have an absolute mapping between desk and monitor. So muscle memory means that I can usually hit the right spot without even knowing where the pointer was in the first place. Not something you can do with a mouse. It's a small thing, but such a pain when I don't have it.

[Gedas]

Also, don't cheap out on a tablet.. get a good kind... cintiq's are some of my favorites.

well, since I'm a student right now I could afford something up to 200$..

Any recommendations on what models I should be looking in order to get the best Price/Quality ratio..?

[nidhogge242]

Just get the cheapest of the Intuos Wacoms. It'll still be better than any other manufacturer. Lord knows why no one else can make them properly, but that's the way it is.

[vandal138]

Your wrists will be thanking you for using a tablet over a mouse.

[Matt P]

You can get a cheap tablet which is also good, I highly recommend the Wacom Bamboo as a budget tablet choice. I picked one up as something I could carry around with my laptop and it's been great.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wacom-MTE-45...617137-1038045

-Matt

[ruralidyll]

i agree; i can barely use a mouse at all these days, even for web browsing.
it almost feels like navigating with a hoof.

[Millionflame]

I guess I'm the odd one out of the bunch. I can't stand using a tablet for anything other than painting.

The mouse is way more accurate for precision stuff because it doesn't wiggle around like the pen in your hand, and thus I like it more for rotoscoping.

Oh, and that screen mapping where the tablet surface equals the screen drives me nuts. I always switch it back to mouse mode because I can't stand the pointer jumping around on me every time I move my hand.

I use a Wacom Graphire 4 and it works fine. I've never been able to tell the difference between a Graphire and an Intuos, so a cheapy works fine for most circumstances.