Wacom Intuos 4 tablet, Small or Medium size?

Samsung Galaxy S24, S24+, S24 Ultra

01/17/2012 11:43:04 AM · #1

So I have decided I should get myself a pen tablet to use with CS5. I am leaning toward ordering the Intuous 4 in the small size as it would fit perfectly to the right of where my mouse now sits at my desk. However, it wouldn't be all that big a deal to reposition everything to accommodate a medium size tablet if that is going to be a big advantage.

My workstation is primarily a 15.4" MacBook Pro (usually closed but I could open it and dedicate it to some editing tools) hooked up to a 23" Cinema Display. I really like using my Apple Magic Mouse and find it to be the most precise mouse I have used and very comfortable, so I am thinking I will still want to continue using it for most of my work flow even with a tablet added to the mix.

Can anyone offer advice on whether I will be doing okay with the small size or should I really go for the medium?

Thanks!

Bear_Music

Sony Vario-Tessar T* FE 24-70mm f/4 ZA OSS

01/17/2012 11:52:14 AM · #2

I have an older-generation, small Grafire tablet from Wacom, and its working area is substantially smaller than that of the Intuos 4 small-size. It's perfectly adequate for photo editing, so you should be fine with the small version IMO. If you do a lot of GRAPHICS work (i.e. drawing with the tablet) then I can see the benefit of a larger size.

R.

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

01/17/2012 12:03:35 PM · #3

Originally posted by Bear_Music:

Thanks Robert! I don't plan to be illustrating with it- just photo work. So it seems I might be doing just fine with the small size...

spiritualspatula

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/17/2012 12:08:44 PM · #4

I would recommend the medium size. I have an Intuos 3 medium. Smaller would seem a bit cramped, larger is going to feel ridiculous for movement.
Also keep in mind that the relative "feel" of a tablet is completely dependent upon the size of the monitor you work with. Because the top right corner of the tablet is the corner of your screen and vice versa, you must consider exactly how much gradation you need. If you edit on a huge monitor, a small tablet will feel a bit insane. Of course, you can always remedy this by zooming in... but that makes a lot of edits much more difficult. Medium is MY goldilocks size, but yours depends on your usage. I edit mostly on a high res 15.4 laptop and feel comfortable editing on decently sized monitors with said tablet.

ETA: Not sure if the Intuos 4 sizes are the same as the 3, but I thought they were. If not... you'll have to consider that with my comment.

Message edited by author 2012-01-17 12:09:40.

gyaban

Canon EOS-1D X

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L USM

01/17/2012 12:37:11 PM · #5

I use an Intuos 4 medium, with a 27" screen. The tablet takes a lot of place on my desk, and I must confess that according to the scratches on it, I am mostly using its center part, not that much the edges. So a small version could do the job very fine I believe: my only concern would be that the small version has 2 less configurable buttons on the side, and I tend to use them all on the medium one. Not a huge deal, though.

jbsmithana

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom Nikkor 12-24mm f/4.0G IF-ED

01/17/2012 12:45:44 PM · #6

All I can tell you is Do Not buy the large! I made that mistake a couple of years ago and it is way to big. I'm considering getting a small as my guess is it is easier to use and you can take it with you when you travel.

spiritualspatula

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX100

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

01/17/2012 12:56:51 PM · #7

Originally posted by jbsmithana:

Very true. My medium is around the size of a normal 15.4 laptop, maybe a smidge bigger. The large seemed positively out of control...like dodging something across the screen meant waving to the crowd from a float in a parade...

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS

01/17/2012 01:04:50 PM · #8

He he, where the scratches are does tell a lot Christophe ;) Really appreciate the nice responses.

In further evaluating my work station it seems I could accomodate either a small or a medium by storing it under my MacBook which sits directly in front of me elevated on a stand that is open in the front. So a tablet could just go under the laptop and when I want to use it I could easily slide the Bluetooth keyboard off to my left and slide the tablet in closer to me.

Still haven't decided which of the two to get, but the easier portability of the small is another thing to factor in- cheaper too :)

dtallakson

Canon EOS-40D

01/17/2012 06:45:50 PM · #9

Originally posted by jbsmithana:

I agree. I have the large and it's much too big.

SDW

Canon EOS-60D

Tamron AF 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 XR Di LD Aspherical IF for Canon

01/17/2012 06:50:51 PM · #10

I have the Wacom Intuos 3 - Large 12x9. It is nice to have that much work space but the overall size of the tablet is to big imo. I don't even have it hooked up and haven't used it in months. I never used the mouse but the pen was nice.