Do I need a tablet?

I’ve been using Photoshop for a couple of years now, and have always used a mouse. Everything I seem to read says "a tablet is essential". That sounds rather subjective really, so I was wondering if one would benefit me.
I don’t do anything arty, as such. No drawing or anything like that. I do mostly photography work, which for the most part involves cropping, straightening, colour correcting, etc. Would a tablet help there? I’ve always assumed not.

I also do some editing work, mostly retouching and restoration. For the most part I feel like I get on with the mouse. Occasionally there’s a tricky selection or path which makes me think I could really use a tablet, but generally I seem to manage. Yet in her book, Katrin Eismann describes a tablet as "an absolute must".

Someone tell me, what am I missing out on?

My local computer store has Wacom 4×5" Graphire3 tablet in stock, which seems rather small to me. Is a tablet which is smaller than a standard photo useful or a gimmick? They also have a 6×8" version, but it’s twice the cost of the small one. Does it make that much difference as to justify the expense? Is it worth going the whole hog and getting the Intuos2 version (which no one seems to sell locally)?

the retouching both do the job. Size does matter 😉 if you do graphic work in pen mode, but for retouching it is allright to work in mouse mode. This is way faster, more precise and does not stress the hand as much as a mouse.

the retouching both do the job. Size does matter 😉 if you do graphic work in pen mode, but for retouching it is allright to work in mouse mode. This is way faster, more precise and does not stress the hand as much as a mouse.

Er, daft question time: what is "mouse mode" and what is "pen mode"?

I’ve been using Photoshop for a couple of years now, and have always used a mouse. Everything I seem to read says "a tablet is essential". That sounds rather subjective really, so I was wondering if one would benefit me.
I don’t do anything arty, as such. No drawing or anything like that. I do mostly photography work, which for the most part involves cropping, straightening, colour correcting, etc. Would a tablet help there? I’ve always assumed not.

I also do some editing work, mostly retouching and restoration. For the most part I feel like I get on with the mouse. Occasionally there’s a tricky selection or path which makes me think I could really use a tablet, but generally I seem to manage. Yet in her book, Katrin Eismann describes a tablet as "an absolute must".

Someone tell me, what am I missing out on?

My local computer store has Wacom 4×5" Graphire3 tablet in stock, which seems rather small to me. Is a tablet which is smaller than a standard photo useful or a gimmick? They also have a 6×8" version, but it’s twice the cost of the small one. Does it make that much difference as to justify the expense? Is it worth going the whole hog and getting the Intuos2 version (which no one seems to sell locally)?

I’ve been using Photoshop for a couple of years now, and have always used a mouse. Everything I seem to read says "a tablet is essential". That sounds rather subjective really, so I was wondering if one would benefit me.
I don’t do anything arty, as such. No drawing or anything like that. I do mostly photography work, which for the most part involves cropping, straightening, colour correcting, etc. Would a tablet help there? I’ve always assumed not.

I also do some editing work, mostly retouching and restoration. For the most part I feel like I get on with the mouse. Occasionally there’s a tricky selection or path which makes me think I could really use a tablet, but generally I seem to manage. Yet in her book, Katrin Eismann describes a tablet as "an absolute must".

Someone tell me, what am I missing out on?

My local computer store has Wacom 4×5" Graphire3 tablet in stock, which seems rather small to me. Is a tablet which is smaller than a standard photo useful or a gimmick? They also have a 6×8" version, but it’s twice the cost of the small one. Does it make that much difference as to justify the expense? Is it worth going the whole hog and getting the Intuos2 version (which no one seems to sell locally)?

My local computer store has Wacom 4×5" Graphire3 tablet in stock, which seems rather small to me. Is a tablet which is smaller than a standard photo useful or a gimmick? They also have a 6×8" version, but it’s twice the cost of the small one. Does it make that much difference as to justify the expense? Is it worth going the whole hog and getting the Intuos2 version (which no one seems to sell locally)?

Sorry, but really, size doesn’t matter 😉

Actually it does in a way – the bigger the tablet the more arm movements you have to make to get something done.

I’ve been using Photoshop for a couple of years now, and have always used a mouse. Everything I seem to read says "a tablet is essential". That sounds rather subjective really, so I was wondering if one would benefit me.

I don’t do anything arty, as such. No drawing or anything like that. I do mostly photography work, which for the most part involves cropping, straightening, colour correcting, etc. Would a tablet help there? I’ve always assumed not.

I also do some editing work, mostly retouching and restoration. For the most part I feel like I get on with the mouse. Occasionally there’s a tricky selection or path which makes me think I could really use a tablet, but generally I seem to manage. Yet in her book, Katrin Eismann describes a tablet as "an absolute must".
Someone tell me, what am I missing out on?

My local computer store has Wacom 4×5" Graphire3 tablet in stock, which seems rather small to me. Is a tablet which is smaller than a standard photo useful or a gimmick? They also have a 6×8" version, but it’s twice the cost of the small one. Does it make that much difference as to justify the expense? Is it worth going the whole hog and getting the Intuos2 version (which no one seems to sell locally)?

Derek Fountain wrote:

I’ve been using Photoshop for a couple of years now, and have always used a mouse. Everything I seem to read says "a tablet is essential". That sounds rather subjective really, so I was wondering if one would benefit me.

I don’t do anything arty, as such. No drawing or anything like that. I do mostly photography work, which for the most part involves cropping, straightening, colour correcting, etc. Would a tablet help there? I’ve always assumed not.

I also do some editing work, mostly retouching and restoration. For the most part I feel like I get on with the mouse. Occasionally there’s a tricky selection or path which makes me think I could really use a tablet, but generally I seem to manage. Yet in her book, Katrin Eismann describes a tablet as "an absolute must".

Someone tell me, what am I missing out on?

My local computer store has Wacom 4×5" Graphire3 tablet in stock, which seems rather small to me. Is a tablet which is smaller than a standard photo useful or a gimmick? They also have a 6×8" version, but it’s twice the cost of the small one. Does it make that much difference as to justify the expense? Is it worth going the whole hog and getting the Intuos2 version (which no one seems to sell locally)?

I purchased the Intuos2 (A4 size, I think that’s close to US letter size) and don’t regret it. I do however think for most use in PS a smaller version will suffice. Only when I draw directly or trace existing paper photo’s or images for an outline the bigger size is handy. I think they have become a bit cheaper lately by the way, I paid over 600$ for my Intuos2 a couple of years ago.

But a tablet rocks when it comes to retouching, pen tool work, quickmask work, handwriting and painterly effects. There is no substitute for a pressure- and or tiltangle-changing stroke of the tablet pen. But not everyone uses or needs that.

In article <4103fab1$0$568$>,

the table works much better for me than a mouse.