Wacom Cintiq Tablet Review

I find myself wishing that I owned a Wacom Cintiq tablet as of late. I've done a lot of reading and research on the subject. I even had a chance to test drive the Cintiq 21UX while attending PAX this year in Seattle. I'm going to post what I've learned along the way in hopes that it will help someone decide if they want to spend $2000 on a tablet. There are 2 models in the Cintiq line. I'll be discussing both.

Cintiq 12WX

The first is the Cintiq 12WX. This tablet is the smaller of the two and also the cheapest. Coming in at $999 it's still a bit on the high side for what most people are willing to spend. Here are the basic specs on the 12WX.


Overall Dimensions: 16" W x 10.5" H x .67" D
Display Area: 10.3" W x 6.4" H
Screen Size: 12.1" diagonal
Native Resolution: WXGA (1280 x 800)
Weight: 4.4 lbs with video control unit
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Pressure Levels: 1,024 on pen tip and eraser
Stand Adjustable: Flat on desktop, 25° to 60°
Rotation: 360° flat position on pivot
Warranty: 2 years

The 12WX was my first choice because of the price. Now that I've read up on it I'm not sure if it is worth the $999 dollars. Here is what I've learned. Keep in mind that I haven't actually used this model so what I have to say is just based on research.

Here are the cons:

1. The first major problem that owners of the 12WX have reported is the 2 point calibration. Yes you read that right. There are only 2 points for calibration on the 12WX. The top left corner and the bottom right corner. This causes problems when trying to utilize the outer edge of the display. The reports claim that accuracy suffers a lot and the mouse pointer becomes very jittery at the outer 1" of the tablet. This hinders trying to access menu bars and interface buttons. It also can cause problems with trying to draw marquees and such around elements in your work. This complaint has mostly come from people using the tablet for video editing and photo manipulation. From what I've read most artist have not noticed many issues with this because they tend to limit their painting/drawing to the center area of the tablet. But for the money you should be able to calibrate based on at least 4 points. I hope this can and will be addressed via a firmware/driver update by Wacom.


2. To many cables. This is another big problem 12WX users are having. between the breakout box, monitor cables, usb cable, and the ac adapter, you tend to end up with a mess of cables on your work surface. This isn't a problem for everyone but it is for those of us with limited desk space. It should be noted that that tablet can run off the included internal battery eliminating the need for the power cable for a period of time. The break out box handles all the connections for the tablet so the power, usb, and monitor cables attach to the break out box. There is one cable that then connects to the tablet. This means that you can still use the tablet in your lap with not much problem. This is not a deal breaker for me and I think it is a bit on the whiny side as far as complaints go but people are still having issues with it non the less.


3. LCD display is small and viewing angle sucks. The screen is smaller than the 21UX but it doesn't seem to hinder most in their chosen form of digital artwork. The worst side effect of the small screen is that it forces you to zoom and pan a bit more than you may be used to. The viewing angle of the LCD is also that of a lesser monitor. For the money you would think you would be getting a top quality display. However, most of us who would use the tablet would have no need to view it from an angle.


4. $999 is a lot of money for most of us.

Here are the Pros:

1. Working directly on screen brings you back to a more natural feel. I know I struggled when I first started using a tablet. Looking at the screen and not your hand while you paint or draw can be a big adjustment and one that many people just can't do. The pressure levels are as good as what you would expect from Wacom and as along as you stay away from the outer 1" edge of the screen the accuracy is excellent.


2. Though it is not much of a pro the 12WX is half the price of the 21UX which makes it a winning choice for most of us that just don't have the money. Of course this is also a con I listed above. I just can't believe that for $999 this tablet has any cons at all.


3. It's portable. Even with the cable issue this tablet would be easy to take along with a laptop.


4. The tablet can tilt from 60 degrees to flat making it easy to draw on no matter your preference.


5. The screen is scratch resistant. I've yet to read any information/review that says otherwise.


6. 2 year warranty. That is amazing considering that most electronic devices have a year or less. As a side note, because the screen is scratch resistant, Wacom has said that using a screen protector will void your warranty if the screen needs repaired for any reason. They say that the glues used in the adhesives of screen protectors cause potential damage if the screen protector was to ever be removed.

And finally here are 2 very good videos to watch about the 12WX

and

Cintiq 21UX

The second Cintiq model is the 21UX. At 21" this thing is huge! My test drive of this model at PAX pretty much sold me. Here are the specs.

Tablet Dimensions: 22.1" W x 16.5" H x 1.8" D
Active Area: 17" W x 12.75" H
Screen Size: 21.3" diagonal
Native Resolution: UXGA (1600 x 1200)
Weight: 22.4 lbs with stand
Aspect Ratio: 4:3
Pressure Levels: 1,024 on pen tip and eraser
Stand Adjustable: 10° to 65° incline
Rotation: +/- 180°
Warranty: 2 years


I was blown away with this one. I spent a good hour and a half drawing and painting in photoshop before the guy at the Wacom both finally got a little mad at me for hogging the thing while other people where trying to have a go at it. The 21UX has none of the problems that the 12WX is plagued by with the exception of the cables.


The cons:

1. It costs $1999. That is a lot of money to justify for the average hobbyist/casual artist. If I used it every day I could rationalize that much but I don't so I can't. I do however, still want one. If anyone from Wacom is reading this I would be happy to take one for free in exchange for reviewing and promoting it! ;P


2. It's big. It will take a good chunk of your desk


3. Not portable. At least not in a simple or easy way.


4. Same cable issues as the 12WX but in this case it doesn't much matter since the tablet itself will take up most of your desk anyway.


5. Setup of the 21UX can be time consuming and frustrating from what I've read. I didn't setup the one I tested at PAX so I don't have any first hand knowledge of this.

The pros:

1. Very large working area. This tablet has none of the calibration issues the 12WX does so you can utilize the entire surface. The native resolution was more than enough for the concept and illustration art that I do. With the working space available I didn't have to pan unless I was zoomed in.


2. The LCD display is awesome. I had no issues with viewing angle, brightness, or contrast. There was no light bleed that I could see.


3. Very accurate and fast response time. I had no issues but I do regret not trying out a large brush size. I know that in painter x with an intuos 3 tablet, a large brush size sometimes causes lag. If anyone knows if this is an issues please comment. For the most part it doesn't matter anyway since most people don't use large brush sizes very often.


4. Tablet rotation. I was able to rotate the tablet on it's stand no matter the angle of the stand to the desk. Not having to rotate the image in photoshop or painter saves a ton of time. I loved that I could work that much faster with out even thinking about it.


5. The side buttons on the tablet are amazing. Keeping my left hand on the left edge of the tablet made it natural to use the buttons for what they are intended. Unlike my intous 3 tablet I actually liked using the buttons for zoom, pan, and brush size.


6. 2 year warranty. Just as the 12WX, the 21UX comes with Wacom's 2 year standard warranty.


7. Scratch resistant screen. Just like the 12WX, the 21UX also has a scratch resistant screen.

And here is a video of the 21UX in action

Smudge Guard Glove

The last item I wanted to touch on for both tablets is the smudge guard glove. Pretty much every Cintiq user, and most intuos users for that matter, have started using this amazing glove. It has 3 main benefits.

1. Protects your hand from the heat of the LCD. No the LCD can't burn you but users have complained that it gets uncomfortable sometimes.


2. Protects the screen from oils and smudges.


3. Lets your hand glide smoothly over the surface. This last reason is the reason intuos users are using the smudge guard glove.

Summary

So in summary, I would prefer the 21UX to the 12WX but finding the money for either is hard. If I'm forced to save I would rather wait a little longer and get the 21UX. With my opinion out of the way I would say that 90% of 12WX users are very happy with their tablets. The reason for this can only be that the ability to watch your hand as you draw far out weighs the negatives that come with the 12WX. I hope this little post will help someone out there that is agonizing over purchasing a Wacom Cintiq. Thanks for reading!

Cerin