When Lightroom 2.0 hits the streets, you can be sure that one of the features you’ll want to experiment first with is the new localized correction tools. As I’ve said before on this blog, I think that localized corrections are the headline feature in Lightroom 2.0 and will play a large role in many a photographer’s workflow. To be sure, there will always be a need for the intensive manipulations that only Photoshop can really bring to the table. But, in many cases, the localized corrections will be capable enough to make most trips to Photoshop a thing of the past.

Localized corrections are based around the idea of masking out an area in which one or more adjustments are applied. To build a mask, you use a brush tool to literally “brush” on varying levels of mask. Once you get the hang of it, it’s straightforward to do. But, using a mouse to control a brush tool is kind of like typing with one finger using morse code. It’ll do in a pinch, but if you do much of it, you’re going to want a better tool.

In this case, the better tool is a pressure-sensitive tablet. Long a cherished input device used by illustrators and photographic retouchers, it is perfect for working with localized correction masks in Lightroom 2.0. By varying the pressure you apply with the stylus, you can make smooth blends in your masks easily and quickly. It really makes all the difference in the world.

The only problem with getting a tablet is picking one out from the shelf at the store. I just went through this myself after deciding to replace an ancient tablet from years ago with a newer, more capable one. Standing in front of the shelves at Fry’s looking at a slew of models from Wacom, as well as a few from other manufacturers, left me in a state of indecision. The prices of the models in the boxes ranged from $70 to well over $700 and varied in size from 4" x 6" to 12" x 19". What model would be good enough and large enough to work with, yet small enough to fit on my desk and not break the bank?

Faced with this, I spent some time doing a bit of research and sorted out what the differences were. First of all, I didn’t find anything to really recommend any of Wacom’s competitors. Given that, the next bit of research was to find out what really were the differences Wacom’s Bamboo, Graphire, and Intuos lines. Here are the important points:

• The Bamboo is Wacom’s value line of tablet. They’re perfectly capable and priced nicely. You plug it into a USB outlet on your computer, install a driver, and you’re off to the races. The pen has 512 levels of pressure and a resolution of 2,540 lines per inch. The best part is that, unlike tablets of old and those from some other makers, there’s no batteries to mess with. It with a 5.8" x 3.7" active area.
• The Bamboo Fun is a step up for the creative crowd and features a stylus with a pressure-sensitive eraser. It also comes with a mouse that can be used on the tablet as well. It comes in the same size as the regular Bamboo and a larger size with a 8.5" x 5.3" active area.
• Stepping on up is the Intuos. These are Wacom’s professional tablets and up the game by being able to resolve 1024 levels of pressure and 5,080 lines per inch, twice that of the Bamboo. They come in 4" x 6", 6" x 8", 6" x 11" , 9" x 12", 12" x 12", and 12" x 19" sizes.
• The Graphire tablets have been replaced for the most part by the new Bamboo series. The one Graphire that’s still current is the Bluetooth model. I’m not big on using batteries in my input devices when I can avoid it, but if wireless freedom is your thing, this is something to look at.

As far as how big a tablet to get, for photo retouching the general consensus seems to be that bigger isn’t necessarily better. A bigger tablet requires more motion of your hands and are probably better suited to artists creating work in Illustrator or the like. A big tablet also requires lots of desk space, including a good inch and a half or so of extra area around the active parts of these tablets. On the other hand, my previous tablet was a teeny one with something like a 3.5" x 5" active area. I always found it hard to really control things with it as the smallest of gestures were magnified greatly.

For use with Lightroom and Photoshop, quite frankly any of these tablets will get the job done. Based on my experience with the smaller tablets, I ended upsizing a bit and going with a 6" x 8" Wacom Intuos. If you’re looking at the low end, however, I can’t see how you’d go wrong with a Bamboo or even a discontinued Graphire that you may find on a dusty shelf.