Wacom Intuos3 9 x 12-Inch USB Tablet--Metallic Gray
by Wacom
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Our Price: $599.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $319.99 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Wacom Intuos3 9 x 12-Inch USB Tablet--Metallic Gray
Customer Review: Best Tablet ever - big space and unique sensitivity
Summary: 5 Stars
Best ever, I can tell...
My choice for a 9X12 format was a decision taken based on my traditional arts background, since I make oil paintings and traditional line-art drawing for concept arts, I use very much wide strokes with a combination of "wrist and arm wide motion".
So this tablet is well suited for this task and not too much exaggerated on size and not too small for the wide movements.
A 6x8 Wacom Tablet Wacom ACAD INTUOS3 6X8 USB TABLET ( PTZ630AC ) would be more restricted to me, but for those who like small area usage for drawing and painting this 9x12 has a digital adjust so you can work with it as a 6x8, but remember to have space on your desk, it's not a 'mouse pad' definitively, get a 19" monitor screen - flat it down on the table, that's almost the same space you gonna need.
By the way... for those thinking on something different from WACOM tablets... don't think! WACOM is the only you can trust 100%, no doubts, I've tried many...
If you don't know which wacom suits best for you, I suggest you go to www.wacom.com, they have a questionnaire there to help you out, but it is simple: if you are a pro... get this Intuos3 or better Intuos available, that's the hardcore professional choice, if you don't need much pressure sensitivity, and make 'lighter' work, go to the Graphire Wacom Graphire Bluetooth 6x8 Tablet or the new Bamboo Bamboo Fun (Medium) Black Tablet with Pen, Mouse & Graphics Software , and if you are a pro and want something to work with milimetrical accuracy like architecture or technical design get a Cintiq Wacom Cintiq 20WSX 20.1" Interactive Pen Display(this one is the top expensive one). Cintiq is unique and draw right onto the screen with the same sensitivity you have with the Intuos, if you can afford it, go for it!
Many applications will work perfect with this Wacom, like 3D software, I use XSI, Max, Maya, Zbrush(this one only with a WACOM please!), Modo and many other applications for composing and editing like Combustion and Premiere, it changes the way you work for a better productivity, believe-me.
Pen tilt is great with "Painter" software Corel Painter X Win/Mac , what you'd (maybe) take a day to finish... with Wacom you make it in seconds literally, with a wrist sweep and tilting the pen you can create amazing effects in one second.
Also the tablet will reduce the stress on your hand and arm caused by the mouse, it will improve your life quality by not harming you like a mouse does when you get to many hours on a computer. Besides it has programmable buttons on it and a smart scroll, so you may use your mouse only for games after that.
Another important point - the USB cable is huge enough so you can work comfortably away from your monitor screen with the tablet on your lap if wish so.
To finish: I love my 9x12 Wacom, if you buy it you will love it too, and give it the accessories so this babe will get happier *lol*
A travel bag INTUOS3 9X12 Travel Bag , replacement tips (nibs) kit INTUOS3 Grip Pen Accessory Kit , and for sure if you can or need... buy other pen like the 6D art pen Wacom Cintiq 6D Art Pen - digitizer pen ( ZP-600 ) and the airbrush Wacom Intuos3 Airbrush - digital pen ( ZP400E ) so you will make extraordinary artworks.
Need a nice instruction on Wacom and Painter software ? Go for the Painter WOW Book, I think this is the best. The Painter X Wow! Book
Hope this helps on your choice. Best regards!
Eduardo S. Janiszewski
CG Artist and Animator
Customer Review: Excellent Product -- Using for software sketching and diagraming
Summary: 5 Stars
I got this product not really knowing for sure if it was going to work for me. I suspect most users use it in a paint style tool for illustration and art work.
On the other hand, I was going through reams of 11X17 paper, creating freehand drawings and notes regarding designs for software I write.
These drawings and notes on paper were a pain because I'd lose track of them, it was difficult to erase big sections and "move them around" so they made more sense on the page, and to easily delete partial content that was no longer accurate.
So I fished around for some software that looked like it would do what I want. I found NotateIt software, which is a deluxe whiteboard solution.. and I bought the 9 X 12 Wacom board, hoping like heck it would be useful.
Well it has been just marvelous. It is a wonderfully engineered product and has worked flawlessly. I'm no longer generating reams of 11 x 17 paper with things crossed out and arrows pointing around old stuff to new stuff. Instead, I use the Wacom to make notes on the fly, do sketches on the fly, move parts of sketches around, and delete inaccurate notes very quickly.
The feel of the tablet is great, the pen glides easily across the surface, and the front edge of the tablet is curved downward meaning you can rest your wrist on it and not be on a sharp edge.
There are only two areas I struggle a bit with (and that word is probably too strong)
1. Desk space - I use both the keyboard and the tablet, alternating between them, but on one surface there's not enough room for both without moving them back and forth or leaving one in front of the monitor and the other at a less than comfortable angle off to the side. I like the 9 X 12 size and don't think I would be happy with a smaller tablet, so that's not the solution. Perhaps a desk where I can put the tablet on the desk in front of me and have the keyboard in a drawer below?
2. Handwriting - the tablet is pretty high resolution and detects every tiny nuance and wiggle in your handwriting and makes your handwriting look like you were 120 years old and had serious problems with the shakes. I don't know if they could do something in software to programmatically "lessen" the resolution to make it less "sensitive" when using certain apps (in which you might be doing free style handwriting). It is possible that a different pen tip might help, but I tried the ones included and can't say they helped much with this particular issue.
I'm now using the tablet almost exclusively and my mouse is hardly getting and use at all. Once I got used to moving my whole arm to move the cursor across the screen (which took probably a week) I really love the tablet over the mouse - it's actually more intuitive to move your hand from left to right when you want to move the cursor from left to right, instead of lifting up and moving the mouse several times to get the cursor over there.
Highly rated!
Customer Review: This is a great tablet!
Summary: 5 Stars
I'm not an artist by trade (I'm a jack of all trades) but I've wanted a Wacom tablet for the better part of 15 years. I recently set up a Mac workstation for film editing as well as other creatives (I've got Adobe CS3 installed there as well) and I was reminded and re-inspired to get one after watching Mike Krahulik of Penny Arcade fame (Penny Arcade Volume 5 (Penny Arcade)) drawing on UStream.TV (search for "Penny Arcade").
What can I say? It works beautifully. To me this is a pretty good size for most needs (drawing and most detail work). Including the border areas, it takes up a good deal of desk space (I've situated it between me and the keyboard--since I don't write much on the Mac--to keep things all compact). The pen feels great, like a real pen, so it feels much more natural than using the mouse when drawing, inking, etc. Erasing is so much easier with the eraser functionality (takes some getting used to since I rarely use pencils nowadays) though the two buttons on the pen often times get in the way if I'm not paying attention (switching around between eraser and tip or the mouse and the pen, for instance).
The pressure sensitivity and pointer functionality (you hold the pen an inch or two off the surface of the tablet) work nicely as well.
The only thing I'm not used to is the fact that the tablet represents a copy of the desktop/screen (as it should, no qualms about that). It's just not as intuitive as using a mouse so there's a lot to unlearn. Maybe if they finally incorporate a display into the tablet, everything will be perfect!! (C'mon Wacom...I know you can do it...)
What more can I say? It's a great product, set up was easy. It works as advertised. The mouse works well. The customization control panel gives you every option you can think of to customize each button (the tablet itself has four buttons plus a slider control on each side for a total of eight buttons and two sliders) for all functionality and for specific apps. Out of the box, PhotoShop supports the pen and pressure sensitivity which is great (no rummaging through settings to get it turned on).
If you're on a budget, you might consider a size down (6x9, I believe) to start with and then graduate to this one. I'd considered the larger 12x19 but I figured this was a better one to get since I could always upgrade to the larger one in the future if I get more serious about drawing/inking (and because I figured I wouldn't have enough desk space to fit it right now!).
Customer Review: You'll appreciate it more if you Draw, Step up your game
Summary: 5 Stars
Firstly, you will only appreciate this tool if you draw. If you don't it may be a waste of money and you may enjoy it as much. For those who do draw, it opens up a world of potential and opportunities for you. Its versatile to say the least. Its worth every last cent, if you're a bit skeptical about putting out the cash; just be sure to take care of it and use it to its full potential. The bigger is better, even though some say start with the small because there's a learning curve. The thing is if you are a diciplined artist, this will work for you, as the bigger size gives you more room and freedom to color and draw. Its flat, lightweight and you can fit it in your lap. Its better suited toward ordinary sized monitors in contrast to widescreen monitors but you can still use it cause the tablet will adjust itself too your screen. The features also are worth note in contrast too the Graphire series, because you can do more and you have more flexibility with options and it expands your drawing/coloring experience. Also it will help a great deal if you understand the basics of Photoshop and Illustrator. There are also other great applications you can use with it like Toon Boom, Sketch Book Pro and Open Canvas.
I got my tablet yesterday and all I can say is that it was worth the money. I have no hang-ups about the money spent on it. It was a truly worthy investment and phenomenal tool. All I can say is wow, it is very impressive and there are so many things that you can do with this this. A lot of people have told me to go with the smaller one because of the learning curve and I've gotten a lot of so-so recommendations about getting one. People said I should get the Graphire, but I got a 9x12 Intuos 3 and thus far its been great! I think people who draw will appreciate this a lot more than people who don't. This opens up a whole new world to those involved in illustration. I highly recommend this to anyone serious about stepping up their game in terms of doing digital art, illustration, graphic design, comics and such the like.
Customer Review: A Big Part of the Answer for Computer Art
Summary: 5 Stars
We have several talented artists in our family, at least two of which have seriously taken to computer art. One of the elements that has made this feasible and rewarding is the Wacom Graphic Pad. My wife has used one for several years, and each time the family comes over, there is a waiting line to use the pad to draw on the computer. My wife has used it to create many different kinds of art with great success.
Another element with which the Wacom must work is the proper graphics software. We have effectively used Painter software with the Wacom Pad. We had been using Painter V for several years, but it would not install with Windows XP, so we upgraded to Painter IX.5 which has worked very well indeed.
Our grandson is majoring in art at our local university. We gave him a Wacom pad, and Painter IX.5 for his birthday. He took to it like a duck takes to water. Within 24 hours he had produced some very proficient computer art, and was having the time of his life. Whereas we use Windows XP here, our grandson uses an Apple laptop. Both the Wacom pad and Painter will work effectively with either one.
Wacom is very good about updating their drivers. When we transferred our Wacom pad to Windows XP, Wacom had an updated driver available for download.
One thing we have observed, at least with Windows, is the Wacom driver occasionally needs to be re-installed. It seems as if there may be a conflict with another program as the Wacom driver tries to load, and we have to re-install it. What I've done is place a copy of the driver in a folder on the desktop, and can quickly access it and re-install it. It is necessary to restart Windows, but this has always fixed the problem with little time lost. In all fairness, this happens only rarely.
This Wacom pad is eminently suitable for the professional or the amateur. This newer version comes with a special mouse which works with the pad. For laptop owners, this offers some additional options.