Which Graphics Tablet for newbie?

[Cryxo]

I have been wanting to get some kind of graphics tablet for quite a while now after getting more and more interested in the world of art (also for GCSE). But I have been having trouble on choosing what tablet to get. Something fairly simple and not too expensive.

Cryxo

[Anian]

Wacom, and buy the cheapest one (that is the cheapest of the models and has the smallest drawing space). There is even a low budget series (but not quality affected, just in how many options there are) I think it's Bamboo, not sure though.
There are cheaper brands but Wacom is pretty widely used and since you're a newb (no negative connotation) it's better not to start with bad quality tools but something that will last while you get used to a tablet as such and get better at drawing.

Of course if you're already good with drawing on paper then get some more expensive model (wider board to draw on so you can get more comfortable).

[loominous]

If money is an issue, I'd go with a used but large wacom tablet of an older model (art pad, intous 1/2). A4 is a nice size, and should be cheap at this point.

Newer models are a bit more fancy, but the additions usually have little or no actual impact on your drawing/painting performance. Some programs like Painter have features that require newer models, which are able to detect the tilt of the stylus for instance, but very few people I know actually use these features.

So a large, used and old wacom would be my budget recommendation.

[Misj']

If money is an issue, I'd go with a used but large wacom tablet of an older model (art pad, intous 1/2). A4 is a nice size, and should be cheap at this point.

Actually...in most cases I would suggest A5 rather than A4. Particularly for a 'training' tablet; (depending on the way you draw of course) A4 is just too big for easy usage. Especially when you just start out. Plus you will need the space on your desk (which is the reason why I stuck with my A5). Wouldn't go any smaller than A5 though. Smaller sizes are fun to play with, but of limited usability if you want to keep using it for a few years.

Eventually, once you get used to working with a tablet you might want to upgrade to a bigger size or better model.

Apart form the size-issue, I agree with Loominous.

Misj'

[Tuomas]

I wanted to try one, and A4 seemed the best size as the papers I usually draw on are A4. However, I realised (people told me) that I rarely draw images so big, that the deatils fill the whole area. So I bought the Wacom Volito2. Of course it's different than drawing with pen and paper, but I'm not professional, and wouldn't need anything better at this point. One the size of your mousecarpet is just fine

[Mr Flibble]

I bought a fairly cheap, no-brand graphics tablet on eBay. It didn't really work. It's probably worth dishing out a little extra for something you can actually use.

[loominous]

If money is an issue, I'd go with a used but large wacom tablet of an older model (art pad, intous 1/2). A4 is a nice size, and should be cheap at this point.

Actually...in most cases I would suggest A5 rather than A4. Particularly for a 'training' tablet;

The reason why I usually suggest large tablets is that the large surfaces help activating the whole arm when drawing, where just moving your fingers won't be enough to reach areas. Relying exclusively on the fingers when drawing is extremely common particularly among beginners, which severely limits the looseness of lines, and smaller tablets encourage these small motions.

You can draw with tablets of any size of course, but to get nice flowy lines, which I think in many ways is the foundation for good drawings, a large surface is pretty much the only way to go.

[Cryxo]

Thank you all very much for your advice. It's been very helpful 

[cat]

If you want to replace your mouse with the tablet, I also suggest to take the A5. Otherwise you would have to do big arm movements just to navigate your browser.

[Hudders]

Make sure you have enough desk space if you get the A4. I have to keep mine unplugged most of the time.

[Babar]

Heyo. Sorry for resurrecting this thread (it was the latest graphics tablet related one I could find). My problem here is a little more specific. I can only really buy from a very small range of what is available here. If I order from abroad, the postage costs (and the customs here) will kill me, and unless someone is coming here from somewhere else, (which happens rarely), I can't ask them to buy it.

So, my choices seem to be:
Genius G-Pen 560, 4.5 x 6 for about $55.55 (cheapest one)
Wacom Bamboo "Make your Mark" 5.8 x 3.7 about $131

If my friend (who hasn't even opened his, and seems difficult to convince to sell it to me, even at full price, although that is his right) sells me his, it would be a Wacom Bamboo Fun 5.8 x 3.7 for about $100 (that being the full price)

There is also a Wacom Bamboo Fun 8.5 x 5.3 available here, but that is for about $206, which would be a little out of my league, unless I really really really want it.

I've checked out the models on the net, and read a couple of reviews, but I wanted to make sure here as well. People here seem to be really against non-wacom tablets, but the Genius g-pen seems to be the cheapest (although people here were really against cordless pens also ). Should I drop that? Does anyone know about Genius stuff?
Also, the "Make your Mark" wacom, by looking through the stuff, it seems to be geared towards writing instead of drawing. Does anyone know otherwise?

I'm not too worried about warranties, mostly because I can't be- there are none for the products here, so if something busts, I'll be stuck with it. Any help would be appreciated, though.

[jetxl]

Go with the cheaper one and if you like it and use it a lot save your money for a wacom.
They don't even have the Trust ones?

[MashPotato]

I'd go with the trusted brand, especially since you can't return it.  I have no personal experience with Genius tablets, but I've heard the pens aren't durable (and they need extra batteries too, according to that production description.  Boooo).  I've used Wacom (although not the Bamboo line) for about a decade, and I've never had a problem with them... plus the pens don't need batteries.

[Mr Flibble]

Pens that need batteries are a bit of a drag, it's indicative of poor design overall.

[Arboris]

I've been thinking of getting the wacom one myself too. Looks like a nice little device, altho the drawing surface is A6, which is rather small

[Misj']

I originally started out with a Trust (yeah, I know: we don't trust Trust...but it was actually quite a good tablet to be honest)...but I also found that certain pieces of software that were optimized for tablets required the Wacom-drivers (and hardware) to work. While I found that such software was quite rare, it did happen to me once or twice over the years. Personally I would go with the Wacom Bamboo Fun and think it has a good price-to-value...and from what I've seen of it (and my limited use of a colleague's tablet) it does do the job well.

Size has already been discussed earlier in this thread so I won't bother with that.

[Arboris]

I just had a "to heck with it" moment and just bought the Wacom Bamboo. It's really nice piece of solid hardware (no el cheapo feel or anything), and it's really responsive. One thing that I noticed is that it's really thin, it's maybe 0.5cm high. So far I'm just trying to get used to it. One of the hardest habbit to get rid of is "mouse dragging" That, and the "harder i press the bigger fatter the line" option.

and because of the A6 format, it's actually a decent way of browsing

[InCreator]

I bought a fairly cheap, no-brand graphics tablet on eBay. It didn't really work. It's probably worth dishing out a little extra for something you can actually use.

Same here.

I originally started out with a Trust (yeah, I know: we don't trust Trust...but it was actually quite a good tablet to be honest)...

Not really what I remember.
Don't trust Trust.
Made a good dust collector, anyways.

[Cryxo]

About a month ago... I eventually decided to finally buy a Wacom Bamboo One.
It's is absolutely brilliant! Apart from the obvious uses of drawing with it, it is great using it for playing Crayon Physics Deluxe http://www.crayonphysics.com 

[Arboris]

that game is pretty sweet with the tablet