Which tablet to purchase?

[Stotka]

Hi I've been folowing this forum for a few months now and this is my first post.
I'm planning on getting the mbp 17" soon. And i want to buy a drawing tablet. At the store i could see 2 models. 1 is the normal bamboo, and the other is bamboo fun. Now i want to know which one is a more professional tablet?
Or should i try and find the intuos?(Amazon and such buying site is a no go for me, well not for me, but for my country) I have just gotten into college and I'm on a graphics design major.

thanks

 

[sthursby]

It doesn't really matter which one is the more "professional" one, it depends what size you need and what you can afford. I don't have the Bamboo Fun, but I have one the equivalent size, and it's more than enough. If you're a digital Picasso, then you might need something a bit bigger. But 5x4" (give or take), I find, is more than enough for most of my needs. Then again, if I had the money, I'm sure I'd have bought a massive one by now...so long story short, buy on need and price, not image!

 

[Stotka]

Never thought about it that way. I'll take the size into consideration.
Thanks

 

[TheDonny]

The tablet that will be right for you depends on a few things: how deeply you plan on going into design, what you plan on designing, and your budget.

I suggest forgoing the Bamboo and purchasing an Intuos instead. The main difference is the sensitivity of the tablet- the Bamboo limits you to 512 levels of pen pressure, while the Intuos offers 2,048 levels. What this ultimately means is that the pen will feel much more like a "pen" or "pencil", if you will, and allow you much more freedom for creating more expressive work.

I own two of them, a 4x6 and a 9x12. The size is very important- I don't really enjoy smaller (I use it for travel) because my range of motion is restricted and the strokes don't feel quite as natural. I also recommend getting a widescreen oriented tab, as the proportions for the Bamboo will not match the widescreen of your MacBook. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[angelwatt]

The Intuos is more professional. The Bamboo is more casual (hence why they add the word Fun). Not that it's a piece of junk or anything. I have a 5x7 Wacom. It cost around $100. It doesn't have the greatest sensitivity, but I knew I wouldn't be using it a ton, and not for anything professional. I still like it and it lets me do what I want. A bigger one would be nicer, but as others have eluded, the price climbs fast as you go for larger ones.

 

[GoCubsGo]

For my digital painting I need and want all layers of sensitivity I can get. For photo editing it's less important. So what's your focus? The Bamboo line is great if you want a wacom but don't need an Intuos.

And the word is "which".

 

[bntz313]

I would even try to purchase a used intuos2, 3, or 4. you can offten find one on your local craigslist.

 

[Stotka]

Serbia does not have Craiglist,Amazon,ebay support...
Ill try and find the intous in a few shops, and ask if i can order.
I want to do normal sketches, basic ones and all the way to complex drawings, ill also be doing a lot of 3d modeling.
Thanks on your advice.

 

[jampat]

The bamboo and bamboo fun tablets are identical. The fun adds a mouse (which only works on the tablet) and Photoshop Express (one version older than current).

If you are an 'artist' that is used to conventional drawing instruments, the increased sensitivity of the intuos will be appreciated. If you are just someone fixing up their pictures, the bamboo's work fine. If you are using airbrush/charcoal and things like that Intuos is definitely the way to go, for masking and moving points around on a model, the tablets will be similar. Intuos also allows pen tilt to affect your drawing, again something an artist probably considers mandatory and I have no use for.

 

[bntz313]

Serbia does not have Craiglist,Amazon,ebay support...
Ill try and find the intous in a few shops, and ask if i can order.
I want to do normal sketches, basic ones and all the way to complex drawings, ill also be doing a lot of 3d modeling.
Thanks on your advice.

If your going to be doing all of this than I wouldn't get a bamboo. Thats just my 2cents