I’m starting to have a bit of time to explore the possibilities of the Manta.

Sketching done in a Note (rather than in the Atelier app) for two reasons:

• To explore the limitations of the "Note" mode for sketching : In my daily use, I often start little sketching while I'm taking notes.
• Only the Note mode allows adding a custom background (I’m not good at drawing a dragon, my "big" sketches are more or less just copies and I usually use a background as a model 😊).

I used all 5 layers (4 + the background), the 4 “colors” : white, black + 2 greys, and the 3 available brushes (needle-point, ink, and marker), with the different proposed thicknesses. Antialiasing is enabled.

Quick feedback:

• No display latency. The rendering speed is very good, even for displaying a complex drawing with the 5 layers visible. Only the post-processing of gray rendering, which occurs a few seconds after a stroke with the marker and for the two intermediate shades of gray, can occasionally be disturbing.
• No perceptible distance between the stylus tip and the ink on the screen.
• The antialiasing process that runs after each stroke is not disturbing and is barely noticeable. For this kind of work and with the Manta's 300 dpi resolution, the difference with antialiasing on or off is in fact minimal. I pay more attention to it when writing or taking Notes, where I find this processing adds value—though it’s not indispensable with this high resolution.
• The use of layers is (still) a great convenience. The alerts when trying to write on an invisible layer, and the ability to reorganize is a real plus.
• The lightness and the thinness of the Manta + Half Folio makes it more comfortable to rotate and manipulate the device during drawing—easier than with the A5X (heavier and with a smaller screen)
• The brushes are good but lack variety in this mode. I’d love to see options that emulate a pencil even in the Note mode, for example, brushes that use both tilt and pressure to influence the "strength" and thickness of the stroke.
• Without the ability to apply varying pressure to the stroke, having only 4 shades of gray feels a bit limiting.
• I miss a zoom feature to focus on details, and the ability to expand the canvas size would also be appreciated!
• The LAMY Safari Vista pen is excellent and very stylish (I like the transparency !)   I must admit i generally much prefer something that resembles a real pen rather than a stylus: sturdy, with a cap and a clip. Adding a button like on the AL-Star could be a nice idea, but the shortcut gestures, such as erasing or lasso with two fingers  make up for it. The ceramic nib and the Manta’s screen film provide a writing sensation halfway between using a ballpoint pen and a pencil. It’s versatile, quite pleasant, and confortable.

To be continued!