Customer Reviews

Wacom Intuos3 4x5 Pen Tablet, PTZ430

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'll start by saying that I am a programmer/web designer/graphic artist/student. I have been designing graphics and web applications for years... with a MOUSE. Frustrated with the innacuracy of a mouse (even optical ones have a tendancy to jump around), I finally decided to give the tablet a try when someone reccomended the Wacom products to me.

I will NEVER go back! Let me explain why:

1) Being a USB device I can install the drivers on any machine I use and just plug it in and use it when I need it (which allows me to use it on the machines at school). Also, being a USB device it does not interfere with use of a PS2 mouse, so I can go between the tablet pen and mouse and my usual mouse without issue.

2) Much more accurate when drawing, pointing, ... anything! I had thought about getting a larger tablet, or a less expensive one, but I feel that this is the perfect match. With over 5000 lpi, it's extremely accurate despite the size.

3) Tons of programmable buttons and settings. There are two different "mapping modes": mouse and pen. Pen makes every area on the tablet correspond to an area on the screen so that you use the whole tablet. Mouse is as we are used to using for standard mice. You can set the pen and mouse to different settings, and even different settings for different applications. There's also a whole bunch of other options to program the buttons, sensitivity, etc. I can't think of anything else they could've added. They also made the menus very intuitive and easy to understand. I was able to figure them out and set everything I needed without even resorting to the tutorials they included on the CD.

4) Decent software bundle. While I admit I haven't used it much (I have Photoshop CS and other software I prefer.), for the price of the tablet I think that the bundle is a VERY nice deal.

5) Perfect size! While a larger surface area obviously offers more lines resulting in greater accuracy, I don't feel it's necessary for graphics applications. I could see the use of a larger one for CAD applications, though this could still work if you set the settings properly.
This size makes the tablet very portable. It's total size (including inactive areas) is barely larger than the size of a standard mouse pad, so it'll fit into your workspace perfectly. If you still aren't sure how large of tablet you want, cosider how much space you are using right now.

While a standard mouse pad is certainly larger than 4"x5", odds are you aren't using the entire thing. Of course how much you use is mostly determined by your current mouse sensitivity and you can easily figure it out.
Put your cursor at the very top right corner of you screen. Now take note of where the mouse is located (mark it if you wish), and move the cursor to the very bottom left corner of your screen and notice the area displaced by the mouse. Take note of how large (or small, rather) of an area you really need!
Now take a standard 8 1/2" X 11" sheet of paper that's near your desk (you know you have a few...), and fold it into fourths. The active area of this tablet is roughly that size. Compare it to the area you are actually using with your current mouse.
Notice something?!

Unless you're using CAD programs or have any other legitimate reason that requires a larger pad, I'd certainly reccomend at least trying the 4"x5" size. Odds are you'll find it's just right and be glad you saved your money.

With the outstanding resolution of over 5000lpi you get with this tablet there's no longer any real reason to get anything bigger.

I owned the Intous2 Platinum 6x8 tablet first and didn't use it much because I have a small work area but it is great. Now I own this Intous3 4x5 tablet and it actually got better. The touch strip and keys are much better and the different pen nibs are great. I thought it may be too small but its not. I draw and paint with it & it works out well. If I had the space, I'd get the bigger ones but since I really don't have any complaints. Bigger would be nice but its definitely not needed.

Let's start with the bad. I was stupid enough not to realize the buttons were placed on the left side of the tablet. I am a left-handed person, and everytime I tried to use the tablet, my wrist would touch the zoom strip and mess up my display (not to mention you just can't use the custom buttons). I wrote to Wacom's tech support to ask them if they made a left-handed version of their tablet, and they don't. They just advised me to flip the tablet 180 degrees, and change the settings to match "flipped horizontal". It works, but there's no more support for your wrist (since flipping the tablet brings the harsh, sharp edge that used to be at the top right under your wrist), and it's not comfortable at all when you need to work in the lower portion of the screen. I decided to return the tablet and get the 6"x8" version, that has buttons on both sides.

Now the good: this is a must-have for work with masks in Photoshop. The pen pressure is just something you CAN'T reproduce with a mouse. I love the way you can control the size of your brush with the pressure you apply, or the opacity or even both. Drawing with the tablet has the exact same feeling as drawing on paper. It's prefectly precise and accurate. I can't wait to receive the bigger version.

I would definitely recommend this product over the 6x8 version if you're right handed, but if you're left-handed like me, you might want to stay away from this version!

I am on my computer everyday and am constantly using Photoshop and Illustrator to create graphics and edit images. Installing this tablet on my Mac mini Tiger was a breeze! About one minute and I was ready to go! I immediately opened Photoshop and went at it. It takes about five minutes to get used to the pen, since it's not quite like a mouse. It helps to pratice by signing your name and doodling for a few minutes to get used to it. I can't imagine I have gone so long without buying one of these! It even detects pressure!

Also, Apples have built in Inkwell that translates your handwriting to text, all you have to do is plug in your tablet and go to System Preferences and turn on Inkwell. This feature was particularly cool, since my wrists hurt sometimes from typing ... you can use your pen anywhere that you would normally enter text!

If you're debating on whether to get a bigger tablet, this one is not small at all - it's a perfect size and doesn't take up too much space.

The pen is comfortable to hold although (if you hold your pen weird like me) you sometimes accidently press the buttons. But you get used to it, since it's kind of like a mechanical pencil.

I haven't even set up any special commands or anything in Photoshop and Illustrator - I've been too busy doodling away and it works just fine.

The USB cable is LONG! So, if you wanna sit back, you will have plenty of line. It would be nice to have a wireless tablet, since the USB cable kind of contributes to the clutter on my desktop, but it's no big deal.

This tablet is definitely great if you are into art, photography, or if you just want to be really cool and write text instead of type it! ;)

Initially I was leaning toward the next step up in size but after reading the reviews, I felt that the smaller one was right for me. ...and it was! I'm not sure why I would need a bigger size. This thing is just perfect for what I do. It really didn't take much getting used to. At first, I was holding my hand away from the pad because I thought it was similar to a laptop touchpad (where fingers or anything else cause the cursor to move)...but you can rest your hand on it or whatever feels natural - just like with paper - and only the pen effects the cursor movement.

I highly recommend this product!

As a young artist, I've mostly worked with traditional media. I recently decided to start painting digitally, and I had to decide which tablet to buy. The Intuos3 4x5 was the perfect choice.

Pressure sensitivity and resolution statistics are wonderful ways to gauge a tablet's quality, but you really can't know what's right until you've tried several. I tried an Intuos3 6x8 at a local Apple Store, and it felt perfect, but the size seemed unnecessarily large. This is fine for painting, don't get me wrong. But when you go to use menus and toolboxes at the sides of the screen, you'll find yourself moving your hand a lot.

I bought the 4x5 to save money, and I'm glad I did. I paint detailed artwork with shading and complex coloring in Photoshop, and the 4x5 is perfect. Don't be fooled into thinking you need a larger tablet, unless you work with it for 10 hours every day. (From what I gather, it's healthier to use larger tablets for such long time periods.) You can achieve VERY high quality work with a small tablet. And at $200, the price is much more affordable than that of larger tablets.

My only real complaint is that sometimes the tablet doesn't pick up my very lightest strokes. This may be a problem with Photoshop that doesn't occur with Painter. It may simply be a result of my habit of sketching very lightly, as I do with pencil. But the range of pressure sensitivity is impressive and extremely useful.

i just received my tablet today and i couldn't be happier. it took me about 10 mintues to get used to the pen but after that...no problem at all.

i am a graphic/web designer and digital artist and this is perfect for me. i was a little worried about the size but its perfect since it adjusts to the size of my screen. great product!

After a long search, and trying everything from the Logitech Laser Mouse, and the new Microsoft Explorer Trackball, and everything in between..., this thing is like finding a treasure. The problem with mice is that they are not really precise (including the laser mouse) and because they must have physical contact with a surface are prone to getting sticky and irritating, if you want any precision forget it. The same goes with a trackball, the ball accumulates oils and becomes less responsive. Well, with the Wacom, it's pixel precise since it matches your screen. It also does not rely on physical contact with a surface. The pen hovers over the surface, so nothing to get dirty or impact the tracking. It takes a little getting used to but if you spend a large amount of time designing on a computer, get this thing!

The active area is adjustable so you can in a sense speed up or slow down the tracking, customizing the feel, and adapting to larger or smaller screens.

What is nice too is that you can lean back in a chair and work with this. The side buttons and the touch pad scroller are great additions and can help speed you along in controling menus, selecting, and clicking.

I thought I might not like the small size, but it's actually perfect, and since you can configure the tracking it's customizeable to how fast or slow you want the motion to be.

This is not just for Photoshop people, but works precisely with Adobe InDesign, After Effects, etc. You will love the precision, and the smoothness of the response. Yes, it's a bit pricey but if you do a lot of work designing with a computer, and since the input device is your ability to control the computer, having anything less than this is like driving a car with bad steering, and a tire blown out. Spend the money, it's like butter...

I have used a Graphire 2 for the past few years and decided to upgrade to the Intuos3 4x5. No regrets! Installed in a few minutes without a hitch. I immediately downloaded the latest driver from Wacom ( a habit I have developed with all new hardware). I use the tablet for photo retouching, colorizing black and white photos, and other tedious photo work. It really speeds up the process. Works well with Photoshop, Paintshop Pro and numerous other graphic programs. If the price is an issue, my experience has been that the Graphire is a great entry level tablet and reasonably priced. My old one still works after several years of use.

Pros:
* Easy setup
* Excellent software bundle.
* Great performance.
* Comes with a variety if extra nib styles.
* Quality hardware, well made.

Cons: A bit pricey, however, for those on a budget, the Graphire can serve you well and is $100 cheaper.

Excellent product. Despite people's recommendations I prefer this small size for photo retouching, I find with the larger tablets my arm was touching the tablet and getting in the way - this is perfect works flawlessly right out of the box with my Powerbook on two monitors, easy to configure. For anyone thinking about this or the cheaper graphire product (which I also own), the Intuos3 is so far advanced and sensitive compared to the Graphire its amazing. The graphire has about 1/2 of the pressure points this has, this is so much better its amazing. Highly recommend.