[martinaee]

First of all I want to say hello to everyone on this forum. I only contribute input to one other forum and this one is so good I will probably frequent it often.

I do a lot of drawing and recently have begun scanning my work and editing it with photoshop and several other programs. I want to start drawing completely digitally. I know this seems repetitive but I want a straight answer: I have read reviews online and the WACOM graphire3 series seems quite good. First of all is there really a big difference for people with experience between the graphire3 series' 512 pressure levels and intuos2 series' 1024 pressure levels? Secondly, I think I am almost certainly getting a graphire3 so the previous question is only for my knowlege-- Is the benefit versus cost difference really evident between a 4*5 inch and a 6*8 inch graphire3? That is, besides the obviously bigger work space is it not possible to do things or at least much harder to do things on a 4*5 that you can do with a 6*8 inch tablet?

Please only answer those two questions--mainly I don't want to start a catfight between the issues (I have read this in posts in this forum ) Thanks all!

[Impaler]

I've used both the Graphire and Intuous, and the biggest thing you'll miss is tilt support. The Graphire is logically also half as sensitive, but you really can't tell the difference unless you're doing very precise work.

As for working on a 4" x 5", don't expect to throw away your mouse just yet. You'll still be using your mouse quite a bit for selections and some precise photo editing and masking, (and maybe even precise coloring). Of course, this isn't exactly remedied with the next iteration up in size, either.

Bottom line? The Intuos is only about 120 bucks more, and you get twice the sensitivity, tilt support, a better pen, and a row of useful buttons at the top of the pad.
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QED, sort of.

[martinaee]

What are the buttons for? Are they programmable and/or relate specifically to graphic programs like photoshop? I don't really need one of the tablest with a mouse--I see the smallest size with a mouse of the graphire3 series is the 6*8 inch (not sure if it's the same with the intuous2 series.) On the WACOM website (I'm sure one can get them cheaper) the 4*5 Intuous 2 is 199$ and the 6*8 Graphire3 also 199$. I'm not saying I'm getting either one right now, but if you had to make a choice between those two which would you choose?