Wacom Bamboo Capture or Create - Hoping for a quick answer

[Brownbear]

Hi,

Today I purchased the Bamboo Splash Wacom tool (before researching and apparently Splash is better suited for graphics than photography) so I am returning it tomorrow to exchange for either the Bamboo Capture or Bamboo Create.

It looks like either the Capture or the Create will suit my needs just fine, but the Create has an eraser tool and a larger work area that I presume will come in handy.

I just want to be able to select things better in my photos, ie, select a bird and sharpen it or increase the contrast, nothing fancy.

The price difference is not large and I'm presuming that it will be better to buy the Bamboo Create? ie; more expensive so it must be better but I'd like to check here so I don't buy the wrong product again.

Probably either will serve me well, and anything will be better than a mouse but I thought I should check in so I don't make another mistake.

Bamboo Capture


Active Area

5.8" x 3.6"


Bamboo Create

Active Area

8.5" x 5.4"

I will check back tomorrow morning. Thank you.

[revi]

Are you sure the Splash and Capture are actually different tablets, or just bundled with (slightly) different software?
The Create is larger, which may or may not be useful (and it's 100$ more according to the Wacom site...).
I've got a Bamboo of the small size, and for me that's sufficient. It also looks remarkably like the Capture, though I
got it under a different name, the type marked on the device is CFH-470.

Note that I don't use any of the software included with the device, as it's all for Windows/Mac, and I'm using
Linux. And it worked there w/o too many troubles

[Clactonian]

Christina, I can obviously only talk from my own experience but I have a tablet with the 5.8" x 3.6" area and after a mouse I found even that involved quite a lot of hand movement. For accurate 'drawing' I find I rest the edge of my palm (wrist) on the surface and pivot the fingers holding the pen around that base. With a larger active area I would have to move my pivot point as well. I have no experience of the larger active area tablets but I'm sure I would find that I had less control. More experienced users probably don't have that problem. Mine is a CTL470 model.

[Donald]

I've got, what is now, a really old Wacom Bamboo (bought in the days when there was a Bamboo and not various different types of Bamboo). It's the smaller size and is absolutely perfect for my needs. I've never used a larger sized tablet so don't know what I'm missing. But since I don't know what I'm missing, I'm very happy with what I've got.

[davidedric]

+1 for smaller size. Works for me. Probably blindingly obvious, but since the tablet maps onto the screen and not the image, viewing at an appropriate magnification should give you the control you need.

[Brownbear]

Thank you all for your quick replies... yesterday I read the threads on this forum on the tool and it seemed to me that the smaller sized worked well enough for everyone so that will be fine for me, too. It did sound like the eraser tool on the larger one might be very useful (ie to backtrack and erase your selection mistakes) but perhaps not since no one here has mentioned it.

Remco... I think that the Splash and Capture are the same tablets with slightly different software. The gentleman in the store advised me that the Splash should work fine with photos but when I checked out the web site the Splash appeared to be geared to artists drawing and it does not say anything about being compatible with Elements 9, or being able to work with photos as the descriptions for the Capture and Create do.

Thank you everyone.

[GrahamH]

I have an old Wacom Graphire (pre-Bamboo), sometimes has connection problems with the computer, so I thought I would eventually upgrade (last week). Not used to the new one (a Genius) as yet, so that may colour my response. The active area on the Genius is super large. I went with it thinking that the larger one would suit my needs more. My current position is that I vastly prefer the smaller, older Graphire. It seems to be easier to use, presumably due to the pivot point (wrist) not needing to move.
Give me time and I will assess over a longer period (not wanting to waste cash). Although I am very tempted to sell it online already. In this case it seems smaller is better - unless the operator is in error. Any techniques I should use instead, advice welcome.

Graham

[Manfred M]

Graham - I use an older Intuos3 6" x 8" tablet. I had a chance to use the larger 12" x 19" unit a couple of years ago. Very tiring to use a large tablet. While the accuracy was much tighter than with a small tablet, this was more than negated by the fatigue from the large arm movements.

[Brownbear]

Graham and Manfred, thank you you for sharing your knowledge and experience.

And thank you to everyone for your help. I ordered the Bamboo Capture.

[Carl in Louisiana]

Hey Christina,

I use the Intuos-5 6"x8" tablet and love it. The poor mouse is sitting on top of the filing cabinet and has not been used for some time now. Editing is soooo much easier with the tablet and after you get use to it you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. I'll still keep the mouse in case anything goes wrong with the tablet. I do hope you enjoy yours when you get it.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Carl. I'm very much looking forward to using a tablet! Although I've managed to learn to make selections with a mouse, it is not easy especially on critters with feathers and fur.

Graham, I looked up techniques for using a larger tablet but I could not find anything that was informative, ie; worth sharing. I hope someone who uses a large tablet will share some tips with you.

[davidedric]

I use the mouse left handed and the tablet right handed Can be useful to have both operating, though a bit brain scrambling at times!

[Donald]

I use the mouse left handed and the tablet right handed Can be useful to have both operating, though a bit brain scrambling at times!

I can tap my head and rub my stomach at the same time (see here), but I'm not sure I could manage mouse and tablet at the same time!

[Brownbear]

Just a note to say thank you to all for advising and to say that I'm happy with the Bamboo Capture, so future readers of this thread know that I think it was a good choice.

The smaller size seems perfect and it turns out that I did not need the eraser that I thought I might need (included in the more expensive Create)... I've tried it out on one photo and I know that I will love having a selector pen but it will take some and practice to get used to using it instead of a mouse.

Thank you.

[Clactonian]

Pleased you're pleased Christina. I hope you find it easier to use than me. I'm still struggling to get to grips with mine, but am sure it will be worth the effort in the long run.

[Manfred M]

Yes, the learning curve can take a while. I think I had to persevere for close to a week before I became comfortable with it; the first couple of days were definitely the worst and I packed it in a couple of times before I stuck it out. Once you figure it out you really do wonder why it was so hard.

I had an almost identical experience with the Photoshop Pen tool. I just couldn't get it and had a number of false starts and then one day, things broke through the hand - brain barrier and now I can't figure out how I ever managed without it.