Before acquiring the Wacom Intuos4 I had a cheaper Wacom Volito2 which had 512 pressure levels, by contrast the Intuos4 has 2048 levels of pressure and also has tilt sensitivity which is achieved by using EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) technology in the Wacom pen. While I quite liked the Volito2 at the same time I found it a bit unnatural to use and it ended up gathering dust by the side of my keyboard.

Initially I had the same issues with the Intuous4, it just felt un-natural and cumbersome to me but I decided to force myself to use it. I’m pleased to say that now it feels much more natural and a joy to use in photoshop – I don’t use it as a mouse replacement (yet) as some do but for fine editing in photoshop – cloning and mask creation, what I love is the pressure sensitivity giving fine control over the size of the the clone/healing tool, making fine editing much easier and more accurate than using a mouse. (more…)

While I could still get a good price for the 5D classic I decided it was the right time to upgrade to the 5D MkII.

See photos taken with the 5D mkII

(No longer used) – part exchanged for a Canon 5D mkII

See photos taken with the 5D

Backup/second body.

See photos taken with the 500D

(No longer used) – the camera is now dead.

See photos taken with the 300D

My most used lens.

See photos taken with the EF17-40mm f/4L

I have the non-IS version, bought before the IS version came out. I don’t feel any major need to upgrade to the IS version, though if I were buying again I’d consider it. It is without doubt the sharpest lens I own.

See photos taken with the EF70-200mm f/4L

Excellent for narrow DOF work, paired up with my 500D and I have a take anywhere compact set up.

See photos taken with the EF17-40mm f/4L

Supremely wide on the 5D though not the sharpest lens but still very capable.

See photos taken with the Sigma 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6

The perfect keyboard for Photoshop.

Features:

Wired – my old wireless keyboard was just causing me too much grief, maybe I had a defect, but nothing beats a cable for reliability.
Macro buttons – which can be a real godsend for those repetitive tasks, that can be assigned to different profiles that automatically switch depending what program you are currently using.
Backlit keys – which is great in low light conditions.
LCD screen – that can relay a multitude of information with loads of plugins freely available.

It’s a great keyboard that is really meant for gaming but I find it perfect for Photoshop and coding. Some may think it a little pricey for a keyboard but I think at about £50 it’s good value.

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