# tablet use with LR5



## camner (Sep 13, 2013)

A number of folks have suggested that a tablet (e.g. Wacom) is a better way to make adjustments than via the mouse.  So, a couple of questions:

1.  Have folks here found that to be the case?

2.  If yes to #1, in looking at the Wacom site there is wide range (and prices!) of tablets made by them.  Without tablet experience, it's difficult for me to know if stepping up to the more expensive tablets would help much with LR or whether one their more "entry level" tablets would suffice.

Thank you!


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## clee01l (Sep 13, 2013)

camner said:


> A number of folks have suggested that a tablet (e.g. Wacom) is a better way to make adjustments than via the mouse.  So, a couple of questions:
> 
> 1.  Have folks here found that to be the case?
> 
> ...


I had a Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch when I ran Windows.  I used it exclusively for Culling newly imported images. The pen part was useless to map the 4X5 tablet onto dual monitors.  I made good use of the programmable keys for (P), (X), {Zoom} and {Next}.  The touch was rough for Develop adjustment sliders because I could not get the granularity I needed for the slider to move just a little bit.  Most of the time I had both mouse and Bamboo attached and still used the mouse 80% of the time. for everything except culling imports. Multi touch gestures meant that I had to hover over the tablet and this got tiring  Stray pinkie touches would cause unexpected. mouse events and this became a chore.  When I went to the iMac, I got both a MagicMouse and a touch pad.  I use the touch pad exclusively now and it behaves and controls much better than the Wacom ever did.  I do miss the 4 programmable keys though.


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## camner (Sep 13, 2013)

clee01l said:


> I had a Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch when I ran Windows.  I used it exclusively for Culling newly imported images. The pen part was useless to map the 4X5 tablet onto dual monitors.  I made good use of the programmable keys for (P), (X), {Zoom} and {Next}.  The touch was rough for Develop adjustment sliders because I could not get the granularity I needed for the slider to move just a little bit.  Most of the time I had both mouse and Bamboo attached and still used the mouse 80% of the time. for everything except culling imports. Multi touch gestures meant that I had to hover over the tablet and this got tiring  Stray pinkie touches would cause unexpected. mouse events and this became a chore.  When I went to the iMac, I got both a MagicMouse and a touch pad.  I use the touch pad exclusively now and it behave and controls much better than the Wacom ever did.  I do miss the 4 programmable keys though.



Thanks for the quick reply, Cletus. I presume that by "touch pad" (Mac) you mean the external touchpad (wired or wireless) that Apple makes, right?

Also, if you use both the mouse and the touchpad with your iMac with LR, what do you use each for?  What kind of LR work seems to work best for you with the touch pad?


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## clee01l (Sep 13, 2013)

camner said:


> Thanks for the quick reply, Cletus. I presume that by "touch pad" (Mac) you mean the external touchpad (wired or wireless) that Apple makes, right?
> 
> Also, if you use both the mouse and the touchpad with your iMac with LR, what do you use each for?  What kind of LR work seems to work best for you with the touch pad?


Actually, now I use the touchpad exclusively.  I purchased both because I had not had a good experience with a Windows touch pad on a laptop ot the Bamboo on my Desktop. The Magic Mouse is also multi touch and I could get comfortable using it exclusively too. It gets used only when the batteries run out on the touch pad and I need a pointer.  I had the Bamboo connected to the iMac too just to see how it would work in the OSX environment. OSX (or Windows for that matter) can support any number of simultaneously connected pointing devices.


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## greg (Sep 13, 2013)

My experience with the cheaper tablets has not been good, the lack of a true sense of touch made using sliders or adjustments erratic. Look at the Wacom Intuos 5 Touch. It has a superb interface at a good price and I find the small size is perfect, total footprint is 1" longer than a A4 sheet. The sensitive working area is just over 6" x 4" and I do use it with a large 2nd large monitor with no problem. Again as Cletus said the programmable keys create very useful shortcuts. Look at online videos reviewing the Intuos 5 range and if you find a tablet is not for you this range has a high 2nd hand resale value.


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## msohio86 (Oct 17, 2013)

I'm with Greg. Love the 5 Touch. Actually use it all the time for everything on the computer. No mouse anymore. It's there just don't use it. In LR5, adjustment brushes and healing/cloning are so much easier. And setting the upper click to un-do works for an old shaky 73 year old hand when I need it.


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## camner (Oct 17, 2013)

msohio86 said:


> I'm with Greg. Love the 5 Touch. Actually use it all the time for everything on the computer. No mouse anymore. It's there just don't use it. In LR5, adjustment brushes and healing/cloning are so much easier. And setting the upper click to un-do works for an old shaky 73 year old hand when I need it.



Thanks for the vote of confidence.  That model comes in three sizes (small, medium, and large, natch!)...which one are you using, and how do you find the size?

The small is about 12x8, the medium is  15x9, and the large is about 19x12 (all according to the Wacom site)


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## Footlaunch (Oct 19, 2013)

I have been using my iPad with the Arctic Whiteness 'The Touch' very speedy once you spend the time to get used to it.


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