Thoughts on the Cintiq13HD

I apologise in advance for my poor writing, possible indecisiveness and low quality pictures …I couldn’t find the SD card for the good camera >_> I’ll replace them later…and I might make changes to the text later too.

After owning the Cintiq13HD for over a month now I have to say that for me it has mostly been good, most of what I have found annoying are things I can deal with. Though after seeing other people’s opinion of it I have the feeling that I’m in the small group of people who it actually suits really well.

Also my point of view is that of a student who animates and illustrates, my opinion has no professional grounding. I can only compare it to traditional drawing and working with my small Intuos4.

I’ve tried using Photoshop, SAI, Flash, TVpaint and a little bit of Sketchbook Pro with it, All work pretty well with it…except Flash, Flash hates it.

Size and Weight

_{That’s pretty much my whole desk :| not the biggest of spaces}

It is slightly larger than an A4 sketchbook, so it should fit on most desks or on your lap which is how I usually use it. Personally I’m very short on space and my desk isn’t particularly sturdy so any monitor larger than this could have been a problem. When holding it, it is a little bit heavy for its size, though that doesn’t interfere much. I prefer holding it since it means I have quick access to my keyboard and mouse.

Screen

_{SAI screen compared to an A5 sketchbook, they’re roughly the same}

Here is where people will have problems; although the screen area is 1920x1080 the physical size is only 30x17cm. If you are using a program that allows you to move the canvas off the main program then you can make full use of the space, programs like SAI however only leave you with around 22x14cm. I usually work in an A5 sketchbook so this isn’t an issue for me (it’s quite nice actually), but I know this small space can be an issue for those that like larger workspaces. I would advise that you try to see one in person if you are iffy about screen size, or see how you work when limited to an A5 space. The screen can also be a little glary, my room gets a lot of sunlight so in the afternoon it can be hard to use since a quarter of the screen ends up one big glare. Colour wise I’ve found that it saturates colours a lot and some highlights can be washed out, so you might want to flick your work between monitors or fiddle with the colour settings.

Performance

I’ve barely experienced any lag at all and the pen pressure feels similar to that of an Intuos. I’ve only experienced delay problems in Flash, but it’s delay to the point of giving up, though that’s the only program I’ve found with that problem. Unfortunately the Cintiq makes my computer sound like it’s near death when I have it plugged in, and this is when it is just plugged in, it isn’t even turned on. When I’m not using it I have to leave it unplugged to stop my computer from going to sleep.

Installation and Software

Now I’m not sure whether the software problems I’ve had have been related to my computer or not, but they are the exact same as with my Intuos and happen more frequently. Installation is as easy as with other Wacom products but my issue is with the preference file corrupting. Occasionally it turns off pen pressure or stops me from using tools entirely, this can be fixed by deleting your preferences but for me it means that my quick keys are useless as they are forgotten every time you reset your prefs. As this could be a problem with my computer, I wouldn’t worry about it unless you have had similar problems with your other Wacom product.

Cable

_{It looks long enough, but you’d be surprised}

Yes I need a section for the cable, as it is a mix of convenience and inconvenience. You only have one cable, it attaches to your monitor at one end, then splits into 3 at the other (Power, USB, and HDMI). It stops your space from becoming a mess but the cable is slightly too short. When I hold it in my lap occasionally the cable will pop out at the top, it has those little clips at the side but I don’t find they do anything. It doesn’t completely plop out (only around 1mm at the top), but it is enough to stop pen pressure from working and be an inconvenience.

_{I tried recording myself drawing and it popped out like this 5 times . __ .}

Accessories

_{You will need that screen cloth…unless you like finger smudges}

It comes with a pen pot like with the Intuos and a small carry case for on the go, the case is a nice addition but I’m not really the kind of person who would tote around a $1000 monitor, so unless you are that kind of person it will be fairly useless. It would have been nice if it came with a carry case for the actual monitor so you could carry it around but oh well. I really hate the stand that it comes with, there are 3 set positions (22°, 35°,50°) which all feel very weird to me. The monitor clips into the base at one end and into the desired height at the other, but it never really fully clicks in, I’ve never had it fall off though so I’m assuming that it’s meant to be precariously perched like that.

Comfort

My wrist and arm get sore frequently, when using the Cintiq I could barely feel anything compared to what I felt with the Intuos. If you find yourself preferring to draw with a sketchbook in weird positions then this will probably suit you well, as mentioned before I personally don’t like the preset angles you have for on a desk but I’ve been able to find something I can shove under it to make it a nice height. I haven’t had any overheating problems as of yet, though I’ve only used it for 2-3 hours at once, and it can be a little awkward reaching over to your keyboard when it is on a desk. If you draw traditionally then there will be almost no learning curve, it is very easy to get used to, I tried using my Intuos the other day and I couldn’t because I was so used to the Cintiq. However if you are a person who mainly uses a tablet you will probably not find it as easy.

Price

$1000 is a lot and you would expect more for what you get, it’s a little bit weird when the carry case looks and feels more well designed than the stand for the actual product. A longer cable and a carry case or something of the sort would make it almost worth the price. Also you will want to check your computer for a HDMI port, some computers (apparently Macs) do not have these ports and you will need an adapter which will add to your costs. You will also want a glove of some kind to stop your hand from sticking to the screen, a cotton glove with the fingers cut off does the trick (though it is a tad slippery).

I’m aware of the Yiynova brand of monitors, but for me in Australia it wasn’t that much less, and I much prefer buying a product that I can try first over one that you can only buy online. Also we only have 2 types available, the really small one, and a big one that’s too big for my desk.

Summary

From how I’ve used it so far I haven’t had many problems and it has greatly reduced my work time and physical pain. I personally sought out a Cintiq in an attempt to make my workspace more comfortable so I would be in less pain; it was kind of annoying looking at a bunch of reviews that assumed that the only reason a casual buyer would buy one is to make your work better, so I had to try one in person to see for myself. If anything this will just assist with your workflow if you are more adjusted to traditional work or have trouble using regular tablets. I would suggest that you look at the space that you have, space that you want, and how much money you have. If you like working larger then look into a Yiynova or larger Cintiq, and if $1000 is a lot for you then you might want to think about how badly you need one or if a basic tablet with do. Functionally it is the same as their other tablets, so if you have a problem with how they handle certain programs then you will still have that problem (I personally hate how Photoshop works with them, but that’s just me).

The 13HD will not be for everyone, I happen to be a person that likes to sit in weird positions, draws really tiny, and doesn’t need to worry about living expenses and whatnot, so for me it works. The major drawback for it is price (and size if it’s an issue for you), but other than that all the problems I’ve encountered are nitpicky things that are exacerbated by the price. Try one in person, and try drawing in a smaller sketchbook like A5 to get an idea of size (and coordination if you primarily use a tablet) before you buy one.

mmmmmmmmmmmmkay, I’ve cut my Cintiq thing down by 300 words :| it was more like 400-500 but then wrote a really long summary OTL damn…

I just need to take photos of stuff and then I’ll probably have it up either tonight or tomorrow. Any last minute stuff anyone would like me to include?