Opinion on Tablets for Photoshopping, Drawing, etc.
Eugaet
I'm looking to expand my meager graphics manipulation/creation hobby...but I've found that the mouse is really hard for me to use to draw anything on the screen. Now, I can draw and doodle all day long with paper and pencil, so I have been looking at getting a tablet. Specifically, the Wacom Graphire4 4x5 (it's just a hobby, I don't want to spend more than $100). Any of you computer artists or those in the Nolani community use the Graphire4 or other Wacom product? If not, what do you use and/or recommend?
Cymmina
I got a Wacom Intuos2 9x12 about 4 years ago. I didn't think I'd need one that large, but it was a gift, and the sender insisted. I still think a smaller size would have been fine for me. My Intuos2 looks a lot different than the Intuos3: I have a bar across the top that has preprogrammed buttons for saving/opening new documents/etc. as well as a few buttons I can program to be whatever I want. The bar also allows some pen setting changes to be made without going into the control panel.
I absolutely love it, even though I'm quite good drawing with a mouse. With the tablet, you can use pressure sensitive options with brushes (in Photoshop) that just can't be duplicated with a mouse.
I would recommend the best tablet you can reasonably afford, since it is an investment item. Sometimes hobbies have a tendancy to become something more, and it would be a shame to have to upgrade when the tablets themselves don't get obsolete as quickly as computers do.
I absolutely love it, even though I'm quite good drawing with a mouse. With the tablet, you can use pressure sensitive options with brushes (in Photoshop) that just can't be duplicated with a mouse.
I would recommend the best tablet you can reasonably afford, since it is an investment item. Sometimes hobbies have a tendancy to become something more, and it would be a shame to have to upgrade when the tablets themselves don't get obsolete as quickly as computers do.
ecirbaf
Hi Eugaet
Go for it.
Like Cymmina above I have a Wacom Intuos, the A4 format, quite large. It cost me like 500+ euro, but in retrospect, I would have been fine with the smaller size tablet.
Most of the time, you will be working on "magnified" areas of your image, if you are working at a decent resolution. That's why in practice, a smaller size tablet is sufficient.
I had Painter Classic shipped with mine, which is a wonderful program to get started.
If you can't get it, check this out , it's free and will use your wacom pen :
http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html
Painter Classic is well worth it though if you can spot a package with it.
Wacom tablet + Corel Painter = total bliss.
Go for it.
Like Cymmina above I have a Wacom Intuos, the A4 format, quite large. It cost me like 500+ euro, but in retrospect, I would have been fine with the smaller size tablet.
Most of the time, you will be working on "magnified" areas of your image, if you are working at a decent resolution. That's why in practice, a smaller size tablet is sufficient.
I had Painter Classic shipped with mine, which is a wonderful program to get started.
If you can't get it, check this out , it's free and will use your wacom pen :
http://www.ambientdesign.com/artrage.html
Painter Classic is well worth it though if you can spot a package with it.
Wacom tablet + Corel Painter = total bliss.
LivingDeadGrrl
I have a Wacom Intuos 2 also - was a gift from my sis, who then turned right around and bought herself one 
Wacom makes the best tablets. I don't know much at all about the Graphires, but the Intuos are oh so sweet.
I just bought myself a book too, "The Photoshop and Painter Artist Tablet Book" by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis, because I want to start doing some serious painting and modeling, get back into doing artwork. Great book, I'd recommend it for anyone with a tablet, because there's a bit of a learning curve.
Wacom makes the best tablets. I don't know much at all about the Graphires, but the Intuos are oh so sweet.I just bought myself a book too, "The Photoshop and Painter Artist Tablet Book" by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis, because I want to start doing some serious painting and modeling, get back into doing artwork. Great book, I'd recommend it for anyone with a tablet, because there's a bit of a learning curve.