Wacom has
released today a new version of the Intous 5 tablet series. This new family adds some
interesting features to the previous generation of tablet. I was lucky enough
to have the opportunity to use the Intuos 5 Small in the last days. This
article doesn’t pretend to be a full review of the product; I will just talk
about the good and bad points that impressed me.
Design
and multi-touch
First of
all I have to say that I really do like the design and the ergonomics of this
new product: comfortable and, in the same time, very solid. It really seems
designed for professional photographers and artist in mind. Why? Check, for
example, how the buttons works and you will find the answer. They are both
capacitive and click sensitive. So you can scroll between them without clicking
to have a preview on what function they have and then click (having both a
tactile and audible confirmation of the input that you gave). This allows you
to stay with your eyes (and mind) focused on the screen. No interruption of
your workflow, no need to look the tablet.
The first “real”
new feature that I noticed is about the multi-touch functionality. Basically you now get both the high precision
that only the Wacom pen technology can give you with the benefits that a multi
touch tablet can offer.
You can
have an idea of what the touch and pen combo features offer watching the
following video.
Essentially I am drawing with the pen and using a 2-finger input to zoom and rotate the canvas in Photoshop. Unfortunately multi touch technology is not deeply implemented in modern software, but I am sure that in the feature we will see huge improvements. Wacom multi touch is very advanced (supports more than 10 points at the same time) and the good news is that the driver offers a very nice panel to personalize your shortcuts. You can see my setting in the following screen.
Basically
you can personalize in a different way each program and get very impressive
results. You can choose to assign a different shortcut for each gesture. Just
watch the following video to see how I work in Photoshop while using the Pen
and the touch in the same workflow.
I really
think that the touch feature offers a nice improvement in the way you can
approach the software.
The
drawbacks of the multi-touch are essentially related to the behavior of the
tablet when you approach it with your hands when you want to use the pen.
Basically when the pen is close enough to the tablet surface the touch function
is disabled. This systems works fine if you get close to the tablet with the
pen pointing on it but, if the pen is too far from the surface when you put
your hand down, the driver could recognize unwanted inputs. Not a big problem,
it’s just a matter of habit.
Anyway as
you may have notice in the video sometime the multi-touch doesn’t react as
expected. I have to get confident with this technology but I think that it has
great potential.
Another
feature that I really like is the extended surface area. You’ll not get your
pen nib stuck with the borders of the tablet any more. This was a problem for
many users. While drawing on the borders of the area you could get the pen nib
in the “duct” on the side of the active area. This again confirms that these
products are made with the users in mind.
Other
features
Same
pressure levels and pens. Wacom found that 2048 levels of pressure are enough
and this is why the new generation of Intuos tablet is not offering any
improvement in this sense. I have to say that I noticed the improvements from
1024 to 2048 but they where maybe a little bit small and this is why many users
are still using (and happy with) the Intuos 3. I agree with Wacom. Regarding
the pen I don’t see any possible improvements from the Intuos 4 technology and
Wacom engineers must had the same awareness.
Personally I am very enthusiast about the new multi-touch feature but if you don’t want it you can get the new 5 Medium sized tablet for a reduced price (lower than the previous generation of Intuos 4 tablets).
Wacom
didn’t change the material that is used for the tablet surface. This
material was made after years of studies
and research. What Wacom engineer wanted was a material that, used in
combination with the different nibs, can give the best possible drawing
experience. I like the material but I don’t like how fast the nib run
out when
you use it. I have to say that the nib wearing will be much more slow
after the
few weeks of use. You have to “run in” the tablet. Personally I prefer
the
feeling of the 24HD surface, but this is really a matter of personal
taste. I think that I'll soon make a new post on the blog with more
details regarding the nib wearing.
What is new
for Intuos users is the wireless module. No longer based on bluetooth technology
but on a more efficient one, you just have to plug in the dongle and the
software will do the rest. I have been told that with the small sized tablet
you should be able to work for 16 hours continuously.
This wireless module is exactly the same we have seen on the Bamboo series.
Conclusion
