What tablet have you got?

[mr_ace]

I'm planning on upgrading my tablet from my puny wacom graphire 4 A6, but I wanted to know what all you guys are using?
What wacom, what size, and does anyone have a cintiq?

thanks!

[Shadownami92]

Im using a Bamboo fun, pretty inexpensive and worked for me.

And I dont have a cintiq but someone brought one into my beginning graphic design class. Its a lot bigger than I imagined, and its nice that it comes on a little stand that makes rotating the screen easy.

[pixelmitherer]

I have a Wacom Intuos A6. It's nice as it has programmable buttons on the side.
i.e. You rarely have to use the keyboard.
Probably would have gone for A5 if I could of afforded it:(

[LowRez]

Wacom Intuos 3, an A6 at home which is too small, and an A4 at work which is a little big, I'll probably upgrade to an A5 Intous 4 when they come out... unless I come into some money and get the smaller cintaq

[warrior21]

I bought a 21" cintiq 4-5 months ago, best investment I ever made. Going from a 4x6 intuos3 got some getting used one(like a week). It was bigger than I expected it to be. The extra buttons on the side are somewhat useful but I dont really use them.
If you can afford it, cintiq is defenantly the way to go. I cant imagine working without it now.
hope that helps.

[mr_ace]

awwwww warrior, ur comment has left me more torn than ever. See, i also need a second monitor, so a cintiq seems perfect, but the 12" one is £800, wheras an intuos3 A5 is only £200, plus £200 for a 20" monitor, i just don't know if i can justify it....
Please, keep the comments coming, its great to find out what you all use!

[Noddy Jnr]

I use an old school Wacom Graphire 3 6x8. I want to upgrade, but I can't warrant the expense at the moment.
But it does the job just fine.

I would love to have a 21" cintiq or even the 12" for that matter. One day soon maybe. :)

[Japhir]

I use a wacom volito A6 (http://www.ixbt.com/peripheral/wacom/volito/vol.jpg) :P. it's pretty cheap (was like 20 € at our super market) but i like it. (and i don't know how much better the intuos stuff is really).
should i upgrade?

[Mogster]

I also use an inteous A5 does a great job for me.

[Twindragon]

intuos 3 for me

[pixelmitherer]

I've heard the cintiq suffers from a slight lag from what you draw and what you see on screen. Anyone experienced this?

[mr_ace]

i've used the 21" one, and it seemed pretty spot on, and i think its th older model, so id like to think the newer ones better. anyone who has a cintiq, do u just use it as a second monitor when ur not using it?

[Wynn]

..using a 4x6 intuos3. reaaaally want to get a cintiq

[yoyomon]

I use an Intuos 3. I use to own a Graphire, and I've played with Cintiqs at school. Cintiqs do suffer from a slight lag from my experience, however, there might be a setting somewhere to make it more responsive, I just haven't bothered to find it. Personally, I think Cintiqs are overrated, although I admit, I like using it when drawing in Flash. Overall, though I think Intuos is the way to go.

[WhiteGuardian]

I using Genius Tablet 6x8 almost 3years. Now start shaking for half area :D
But still good to use. Not really good to used in Zbrush. :(

[Aftermath]

9x12 Intuos 3 i got it on acedemic superstore i recomend you check that site out since your a student also to get the student discounts. I got mine for 299$ when i retailed for 500-600$.

[plunq]

I got a 21" Cintiq as my main monitor and a 24" Dell as my secondary. I love my set up, work on the Cintiq and reference on the Dell. I mostly use a pen for sculpting, painting and modelling. I try to only use a mouse when surfing the web because of Carpal Tunnel.

[cookepuss]

Up until a couple of days ago, I had a very nice Intuos3. As my luck would have it, the keyboard tray where it once sat totally separated from the rest of the desk and the Wacom hit the ground with a ginormous crash. The casing cracked... badly. Now, the darn thing doesn't work at all.

I've got a bit of free money saved up to replace. Not enough for a 21" Cintiq", but enough at least for the 12". It'll be smaller than what I had, but I consider it a fair trade-off. Wacoms are great, but there's something about not being able to see your hand while drawing or painting that is unnerving.

I've been going nuts without my Wacom these past few days. I forgot how bad it was to work with the mouse. :p

[warrior21]

I have never experienced lag on the cintiq, i use it on a daily basis, never lagged for me.

mr_ace: yeah its prety much acts as a second monitor . If price is out of your range, Intuos 3 is probably the way to go plus another 200 and theres a second monitor like you mentioned.

[Blackwyvern]

I'm using an Intros 3. And it does great job on Zbrush 3.
I use to use a Wacom digitizer....LOL what a p.o.s that was.

[seven]

I have an oldschool intuos2 but at work we use intuos3s

[Maph]

I've been going nuts without my Wacom these past few days. I forgot how bad it was to work with the mouse. :p

That just sent a cold shiver down my spine. I'd be lost without my wacom. :uhh:

At work I use an Intuos 3 A5 (4:3), at home I got the spiffy black Intuos 3 A5 (16:9) :cool: .
Wouldn't mind upgrading to a cintiq though (if I ever can scrape together the cash to do so).

[Twindragon]

I read somewhere that you might experience lag with a cintiq if your graphic drivers aren't up to date or if you have a poor graphics card or not the most powerful of computer.

[mr_ace]

do you guys use your wacom in your 3d application? my use of it is pretty much just limited to photoshop and mudbox

[Maph]

I personally use it all the time. Modeling, sculpting, animating, browsing, smacking ducks, etc...
In time it just replaced my mouse. Now I actually feel uncomfortable using my mouse. :p

[blankslatejoe]

i used to use a graphire, which got the job done, but at work i was using intuos', which spoiled me so I got one of my own. Then I got a cintiq 21x at work and now I can't paint at home anymore--I'd rather go into the office to paint!

[seven]

I use a gaming mouse at work and home for anything that doesn't involve painting. If I'm in both photoshop and max/modo/maya, I will use the pen to navigate the 3d app. That's really the only time.

[cookepuss]

I read somewhere that you might experience lag with a cintiq if your graphic drivers aren't up to date or if you have a poor graphics card or not the most powerful of computer.
@twindragon: I've seen enough Cintiq demo videos by pros and hobbyists alike to know that the lag & cursor jumping issues are greatly exaggerated. I'm not worried about updated PC specs because my workstation is only a couple of months old. (See my sig for the specs.) I always keep my drivers up to date too. Not a problem there.

The cursor jumping at the corners/edges issue seems to exist for everybody, but that's an issue due mostly to RF interference. The biggest culprit is the backlight itself. I've actually seen this problem occur on even the larger 21" model. In most cases, afaik, it is minimized with proper calibration and such.

For the most part, I'm not so worried about skipping at the edges or corners. Much of my tablet use tends to be in ZBrush, where my workflow largely stays in that center canvas. Not worried about it with Photoshop menus either. Having used Photoshop since v2, I make extensive use of keyboard shortcuts anyway.

do you guys use your wacom in your 3d application?
@mr_ace: Nope. Well.... A little bit.
I never used to since working in 3D requires a level of interaction that's different than brush work. However, Cinema 4D v11 has a new "Doodle" tool that allows me to sketch right in the editor view. Apart from noting corrections that need to be made, I can actually block out character animations in the editor, in 2D, complete with onion skinning, and exportable to AVI/MOV. That's where the Wacom comes in most handy for me, outside of ZBrush and Photoshop. Beyond that, I mostly use C4D with a mouse. The necessary level of control is different with a 3D app than a brush based 2D/2.5D one.

That just sent a cold shiver down my spine. I'd be lost without my wacom
How do you think I feel? :) I had an old Wacom ArtZ II 6x8 that lasted me 7 years. The thing was built like a tank. Rugged as hell. When I eventually replaced it with a bigger Intuos3 I expected similarly badass construction. Not the case. Comparatively, the Intuos3 may have superior performance, but it has always felt more flimsy. So, when it went crashing and died... not so surprised. Pissed off, but not surprised.

[blankslatejoe]

cooke, the cintiq DOES have the lag issues, but its pretty insignificant with the 21UX cintiqs(I think the earlier ones were worse). You'll see it mostly when running Photoshop in combination with several other heafty aps, like a 3d modeling ap or engine toolsuites or zbrush. But, judging from your specs, you'll be fine. I've got a fairly similar machine, though only half the ram, and I don't see lag issues very often unless I've got 3+ of the hefty aps open or haven't restarted in a couple weeks.

[cookepuss]

Never said that it didn't have lag. I've researched it enough to know all of the caveats at this point. I just said that some people have kinda blown it all out of proportion. Lag & cursor jiggle do exist. I don't deny that. However, based on what I've seen, they're not to these wildly unusable levels that some have claimed.

In all of the demo vids and independent reviews I've seen, the issue of lag tended to be most significant with fast & sudden strokes. More "normal" strokes looked, to me at least, to be doable. Not exactly 1:1, but enough to do work with. I'm not so worried. My strokes form from the wrist instead of from the elbow.

All of the reviews I've read have more or less said that the 12wx sucks at this, that, and the other, but is totally worth getting anyway. I've seen more qualified positive reviews than absolute negative ones.

For $1,000 I'd ideally love a product to be 100% perfect. However, I'm willing to accept the flaws if they're outweighed by the benefits. At the end of the day, that's what it's about - improving workflow.

As far as the hefty apps thing goes, I tend to have no more than 2 operating at once. Usually PS and something else or ZB and something else. I don't like to juggle more than two apps at a time.

[TryForce]

Wacom A4

simple put

[ReplicA]

I got the basic intuos 2, kinda small, but works perfect for me. I'm so happy I got a wacom, after trying some imitators. They either quit working, or were incredibly wobbly, so in reality, I wasn't saving any money by going with other brands.

And here's a different question on the same topic, how do you get rid of scratches/gouges in your tablet? Is it even possible? I've had min for about a year, and have developed some rather deep scratches in the center, and while they're not effecting the tablet itself, it's pretty annoying gliding over the tablet, then hitting the scratches, and going from gliding, to bumpy.

[cookepuss]

And here's a different question on the same topic, how do you get rid of scratches/gouges in your tablet?
What? Your overlay? I think that either Wacom itself or 3rd parties sell replacements. They're like $10-$25 depending on the tablet size. I suppose you could carefully untack the old one and replace it with the new one. Never tried it myself. I don't lean on my pen too hard.

I wouldn't risk a home repair of the scratches themselves. You may just make matters worse.

[ReplicA]

Nope, I tossed the overlay a while back, as it was REALLY annoying. I couldn't get any feel out of the tablet with it. Yeah, yeah, kinda dumb, I know. But the scratches are on the actual tablet. Any ideas, or suggestions?

[Maph]

You can replace the surface sheets. :)

http://direct.wacom.com/stores/5/Intuos_C65.cfm

edit: nevermind what I said. :p

[cookepuss]

Ya dope. :p

I'm reluctant to suggest home repair. Like I said, these things can go horribly wrong. Sending it in for repair might cost more than its worth. Using stuff like nail polish or other scratch filling substances may just force you to get a new tablet. If it's just annoying and not really affecting your work you probably should leave it alone.

If the scratches themselves are so annoying, get a new overlay and change to a pen nib with a little more friction. That's probably the least destructive and costly option.

[ReplicA]

Yeah, I think you're right. I just checked those overlay thingies, and it seems like they'd at least keep the scratches from getting worse, and lengthen the life of my tablet till I can afford something else. Thanks for the help, cookepuss, and Maph.

And just throwing my input out there, I would KILL for a cintiq. I don't care about some of the negative comments about them, new input devices always take getting used to. Each one has it's quirks, and advantages. I just know I want one BAD. ;)

[Kilkus]

I'm currently using a wacom intuos 3 A5, couldn't imagine being without it. Tho i long for the days of finishing uni and being able to afford a cintiq

[Vailias]

Using the bamboo fun. Prior to that had a graphire 2 4X6 and an ArtZ II of the same size.

Even though they're the cheapy models they work really well.

I have used my pen for modeling in maya, it makes navigation smoother, but takes some getting used to for the actual modeling. It is great, almost essential really, for geometry sculpting.

[menace]

For the ones a really tight budget, or like myself students.
There is a possibility for making a Cintiq urself, and in fact, much cheaper. I even can´t afford a big enough Wacom right now. But hey maybe u can.

http://www.bongofish.co.uk/wacom/wacom_pt1.html here u go for a Diary!
But check out the Forums, there are enough information for techies to do it urself!

First Post i hope i could help.

[Marcus Dublin]

Weapon of choice: Wacom / Intuos 3 6x11 :)

[cookepuss]

Finally ordered my Cintiq 12wx. Amazon's actually got a good price on them, ~$935. It'll be here in the morning. I'll report back to y'all on my experiences with it sometime next week. Should be fun.

[LowRez]

Finally ordered my Cintiq 21wx. Amazon's actually got a good price on them, ~$935. It'll be here in the morning. I'll report back to y'all on my experiences with it sometime next week. Should be fun.

Is that price missing a number between the $ sign and the 9 or are we in europe being raped by wacom again?

£1699 cheapest in the uk I can find for the 21", which is about $2750.... the 12" is £699 which is nearer the price but still more than $935!!!!! Man I hate Wacom and several other companys like autodesk and photoshop for inflating prices for exactly the same product... It doesnt cost $1700 to ship a wacom to the UK ffs

[cookepuss]

Typo. (I'm actually dyslexic, which is why I constantly have to edit my posts.)
Meant 12wx. :p About £587 directly from Amazon, which is close £63 than the lowest I could find before.

[Chasarsis]

Loadout: 6x8 Graphire 3. I've had it for about 3 1/2 years now. Its wonderfully comfortable

[LowRez]

Typo. (I'm actually dyslexic, which is why I constantly have to edit my posts.)
Meant 12wx. :p About £587 directly from Amazon, which is close £63 than the lowest I could find before.

Phew... I thought we we're being robbed blind it happens all the time with products and software in the UK and it really really really annoys me... CS4 extended for example is a great example of this we're paying nearly half extra on top what the US pay... $999 in the US yet the UK pay £887 ($1400)....

the only good thing is that price generally doesnt change as money markets change, so it will eventually even out as the dollar strengthens against the pound, but when CS4 came out the exchange rate was higher than it currently is. And I wouldnt put it past the companys raising the uk price to remain above the US price.

[mr_ace]

even still tho, on amazon.co.uk, the 12wx is ~£800, so we're still paying above the odds

[Uberific]

A really old graphire >_<

[cookepuss]

Got my 12wx this morning. Been messing with it all afternoon.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS:
- All of this stuff about cursor jumping and lag is highly exaggerated. So far, I'm finding it to be very responsive and accurate in ZBrush, even at the screen edges. Any cursor jumping or inaccuracy at the edges is maybe only about 3 pixels worth. Not worth mentioning. In the 10 years I've been using Wacoms, I've very rarely had to paint (for precision) right to the very edge of the tablet anyway. I can't see this 3-pixel stray at the borders to be much of a problem.

- Any lag is so, so slight that it's hardly worth mentioning. If you're brushing quickly, you might experience something like 1/8th of a second (if that) worth of lag, but it's so minor. Even then, it feels more like perceived lag than actual hardware lag. If you've ever painted on the Nintendo DS using Colors! the responsiveness is just about the same.

- Not one dead pixel.

- Much more packaging & foam than actual hardware. :)

- Super, super easy to setup. Darn near plug-n-play.

BOTTOM LINE:
If you already use a Wacom and you think that you're happy... You've never used a Cintiq. :) Much more impressive in person.

I'll see what I can do about putting together a sample video or two of it in action over the weekend.

[prototyp3]

I also use a Cintiq 12WX tablet.

No problems here with lag. The jitter does occur at the very edges, but it doesn't make working with it a pain. I love the pen-to-screen aspect for concept sketching the most. That's the real draw for me.

For sculpting I do things a bit different. I use my main display for the sculpting program, I use the 12WX to drive that main display (the widescreen aspect is a perfect fit, and you can map the display down a bit, to avoid any of the edge jitter) and I keep any reference images I have opened up on the 12WX screen.

---

To those using the 20 and 21 inch models, how do you do it? I find the 12WX is a bit big for fitting comfortably near my keyboard. It took a lot of shuffling around to find a setup that worked, and I'm still not 100% pleased. You guys must have wicked athletic drawing arms, that's a lot of drawing real estate to cover!!!

[ReplicA]

Every time I hear someone say, "I got a Cintiq" I get so jealous, I can't stand it. I want one soooo bad... My tablet is scratched up, I need a new one, and here's you guys "I got a cintiq and it's so awesome! Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!!" Ugh...

So jealous, so very jealous.

[cookepuss]

The jitter does occur at the very edges, but it doesn't make working with it a pain.
Maybe it's just my tablet, I haven't had a pixel's worth of jitter since moments after my first calibration. I've been using my 12wx extensively all week. Really. I've been beating the hell out of it too - about 10 hours each day. Been jitter free all week.

I use the 12WX to drive that main display
Y'know, I don't think that I could go back to using ZBrush like that again. It was like I'd paint a stroke and somebody would scream, "Hey. Nice stroke. Wanna see?" :) With a Cintiq, I feel much more physically connected.

There's something about being able to "touch" the digital clay. Significantly more intuitive. I didn't think that it'd improve my workflow so much, but it really has.

So jealous, so very jealous.
Don't hate the player. Hate the game. :)

Best way to get an idea of what working with a Cintiq might be like is to install Colors! (http://colors.collectingsmiles.com/downloads.php#DS) on a NintendoDS compatible flash cart (http://r4ds.cn/). Colors! can turn your NDS into a portable digital sketchpad.

For $25 (+ your NDS) you can get a taste of Cintiq and see whether or not touch screen drawing is for your or not. Certainly worth the investment, especially since you can upload your Colors! art to the PC.

Not a substitute for a Cintiq, but a great way to kinda sorta almost try one without spending $1k-$2k.

[bonarobo]

Mine, Intuos 2 A5 still excellent for paint and zbrush.


Don't hate the player. Hate the game. :)



agreed...

[ReplicA]

I can hate both. I got plenty of hate to go around. ;)

Nah, I'm glad you got a cintiq, and even more glad to hear that they actually do work well. How does the 12wx feel, by way of size? Is it big enough, too small? That'll probably be the one I get.

[cookepuss]

I guess that depends on what your brush strokes are like. I'm one of those people who paints & draws from the wrist. Some people make large sweeping motions from the elbow.

If you've got no problem with a 6x8 or 9x12 sized tablet then the 12wx will be just fine for you. If you're one of those people dying to get a 12x12 or 12x19 because "every other tablet is too small" then the 12wx might not be a fit for your. You'll probably want to shell out $2k in that case.

The resolution is 1280x800. To some people that might seem small. However, on a drawing surface of about 10x6 its perfectly fine. Text seems normal. There's more than enough room to conduct ZB business more or less as usual. It doesn't feel cramped. The pixels don't seem huge, mostly due to the reduced screen size. The aspect ratio of the tablet is widescreen, which is good if you're mapping it to your desktop LCD for use as a regular tablet.

Really, he only non-annoyance is having to calibrate it any time you change the incline. Not a big deal if you have it propped up on the desk. It could be annoying if you have it set on your lap, but I can't see working like that for too long without getting all hunchbacked & whatnot.

The 12wx connects to a video control unit (VCU). It's a sort of hub where the Cintiq's cable meets up with the DVI, USB, & power cords. If you're expecting to use the 12wx as a portable tablet, this could be an annoyance. Its size reduces portability. However, since my 12wx just sits on my desktop, I can just hide my VCU behind my regular monitor.

If you did have to take it on the road... Not a big deal. Its got a couple of wires to lug along, but most laptop bags have a bazillion compartments anyway. Setup only takes 5-10 minutes, including driver setup.

All in all, like Goldilocks, I'd probably have to call the 12wx "just right." You can easily work at it for hours at a time without feeling the strain on your eyes or arms.

[cookepuss]

In terms of physical size, here's how it looks on my desk - next to my 22" Samsung.

(Pardon the grainy pic. Took it with my cell.)

As you can see, the size of the 12wx is certainly doable.

[ReplicA]

Nice! Looks like it's a good size, not so big that you'd have to move your arm all over the place to do work, but not too small to have to zoom in on every pixel so can you tell what's what.

And I see there's two sets of buttons on it, are they independently programmable, or do you have to live with both sides doing the same things?

[cookepuss]

Independently programmable. I just have the left & right almost mapped to the same keyset. Mostly because I can do just about everything in ZB with what's mapped to my left paw.

[ReplicA]

That's cool, cause I find there's not really enough buttons on the intuos2 to leave the keyboard alone long enough to justify using the button's at all.

[MM]

i used a graphire 4x5 for several years, and last year i got a intuos3 6x11 special edition one.

[Aare]

I got intuos2, A5
i could change my left hand for a cintiq,
....ok maybe not.
I want one!

[Matias]

I'm using an old Graphire 3 4x6, pretty small but havent used anything better so I dont know what Im missing and cant miss it! :P
I was wondering about how a 4:3 tablet works with my 22"ws monitor I havent really noticed much warping and was thinking about upgrading, probably to a slightly larger Intuous (however ya spell that dang things!) and was wondering if I would need to buy a 16:10 ratio one? or whether its not really an issue that people have had.

[elte]

I used to have A3 Intuos2, sigh.. at that time they're out of stock and that's the option left. I was quite happy.. but IMHO it's just too big and tiring to work with.. so I sold it and get my self A4 intuos3, and so far I'm loving it..

I'm not a big fan of fancy buttons in intuos3, I turn everything off, coz most of the time I accidentally pressed it, especially the slider.. I would recommend intuos2 for people who want to get a new one.

[Gzero]

trust tablet, tb7300 model, wide screen, cheap, but good for starting :)

[BradMyers82]

I use the Intuos 6x11 and its great because I have a two 24 inch monitor setup; so I am able to take advantage of with wide surface space. I used to have only one monitor, so I limited the mapping area of my tablet to about half the full space. BTW, I disabled all the buttons on the actual tablet. For me, the keyboard gives me the ability to use way more shortcuts and its just easier. My desk is set pretty high, so I have the tablet on my lap at all times, and the keyboard higher up in front.

I really hate thinking about the Cintiq though, because I want one so much and there is simply no way I can afford one. I would get the 21ux or none at all so it would probably take me a year to save $2,000 up with my current financial situation.

It might be a good thing though that I can't afford one, I would probably get all crazy and obsessed with it, like golem from LOTR. "My precious!"

[cookepuss]

BTW, I disabled all the buttons on the actual tablet. For me, the keyboard gives me the ability to use way more shortcuts and its just easier.
I guess it depends on how you use your buttons and how your tablet is set up. With a Cintiq on the desk, it makes much more sense to use the buttons on the tablet. My keyboard sits about 6" lower than the desk surface. So, when using the Cintiq, my elbows are sitting higher than my keyboard. Constantly reaching down to my keyboard is a bit like calisthenics. :p

I would get the 21ux or none at all
I'd rethink that position if I were you. You've got a 6x11 right now. A 21ux would more or less be like working with a 12x19. Totally different way of working. I've gone from a 6x8 to a 12x19. It's almost too roomy for my short arms. I'm actually happier now at the smaller 10.3x6.4 surface area of the 12wx. With a 21ux, you also have to consider how your working habits will change. You simply cannot put it on your lap like a sketchpad.

It might be a good thing though that I can't afford one, I would probably get all crazy and obsessed with it, like golem from LOTR. "My precious!" Yeah. Then you'd probably be afraid to break it too. It looks sturdy. It feels sturdy. It might survive a couple of knocks about. I don't want to test that theory though. :p

[East]

Every time I hear someone say, "I got a Cintiq" I get so jealous, I can't stand it. I want one soooo bad... My tablet is scratched up, I need a new one, and here's you guys "I got a cintiq and it's so awesome! Nanny-nanny-boo-boo!!" Ugh...

So jealous, so very jealous.
Don't be jealous. A Cintiq doesn't make you a better artist. I've tried the 12" one at work quite extensively, and it's just too small, with a too crappy screen and annoying lag. The 21" inch is a bit better, but compared to just using a decent tablet it's not worth the huge amount of money.

Personally I get a better overview when using a regular tablet, as my hand never gets in the way. I don't think I have ever witnessed anyone produce better art as a direct result of switching to a Cintiq..

[cookepuss]

with a too crappy screen and annoying lag.
While I respect your opinion, as you'd probably guess, I've got to totally disagree. That's much too harsh of an assessment, imo.

To your credit, to say that it's too small is subjective. So, for you, that may indeed be true. Toward the same end, for some people, the 21" may be overkill.

To address your "crappy" and "annoying" concerns, let me put it this way:

At the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if the good outweighs the bad.

BAD:
- Expensive
- Only 2 points of calibration
- Have to calibrate any time you change incline, compared to the plug-n-go of a standard Intuos.

INDIFFERENT:
- "Kickstand" doesn't lock, but it is sufficiently stiff enough to stay in one place.
- 25ms refresh is a joke compared to the 2ms of my desktop LCD... Then again, I don't intend on playing FPS' on my 12wx any time soon anyway. It's a productivity tool. Period.
- 600:1 static contrast ratio is not quite as good as the 1000:1 of my desktop LCD (20,000:1 dynamic). However, it's not necessarily a deal breaker either.

GOOD:
- For a 12" screen, 1280x800 is actually quite good. Compare that to my 17" widscreen laptop running @ 1440x900 or my desktop LCD running @ 1680x1050. Per inch, the Cintiq 12wx's 1280x800 res is fantastic for a 12.1".
- It gets the job done and makes my job easier. Period.

I don't think that all Cintiqs are made equal. I've heard nightmares about dead pixels, jumping cursors, debilitating cursor lag, uneven backlighting. I've had none of those problems. I suspect that it's partially due to manufacturing issues, partially due to my calibration & drawing habits, & partially due to very little electric interference in my work area. Maybe I've just been lucky.

I'm not being apologetic or making excuses for the perceived faults. I know that, for $1k-$2k, you expect these things to be perfect. You just have to understand that every device has its quirks.

Again, at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself if the good outweighs the bad.

Bottom line: If it gets the job done and makes my job easier, why nitpick? A Cintiq is a tool.

A Cintiq doesn't make you a better artist.
Amen. It certainly makes your job easier, but it's no substitute for talent. It's just a fancy sketchpad.

[BradMyers82]

cookepuss: Its really interesting to hear your comments on the cintiq 12wx, and I think you have me sold now. 1,000 U.S. dollars is hard to come up with, but is do-able for me in a matter of a couple months if I save everything I can. The 21ux would be awesome, but anything short of getting another job simply puts it out of my price range.


So yeah, post a clip of your cintiq in action, I would love to see it!

BTW, I can't say that I have heard anyone say that they are sorry about purchasing one of these, so that says a lot right there.

[Ramseus]

I have a Cintiq 12wx. 'Tis awesome, except for the lame two point calibration.

[BradMyers82]

Yeah, I just got the cintiq 12wx myself today. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I first posted here. And, I guess I was wrong to say that I would only get the 21ux. There are plenty of reasons to go smaller besides the obvious difference in cost. Not to mention, there is no way I can afford the 21ux.

I'm selling my Wii and some other stuff to cover the cost. I Just had to have this thing.

I'll post my thoughts on it when it comes in (Dec. 2).

[cookepuss]

My brother got a chance to use my Cintiq this weekend. He loved it. At first, he was a little annoyed by what he perceived as cursor lag. I think that it was just the way he was holding the stylus. I hold it flat to the surface. He angles it. The stylus angling was kinda messing with his perception, I think. Regardless, he was begging his wife to buy him one for x-mas by evening's end. :)

I got a chance to use Microsoft's Tablet Input Panel (TIP) for the first time. I never really wanted to use it before with my old Wacom, but I figured that now was as good a time as any.

The handwriting recognition, after a little training, is actually fairly intuitive. Out of the box, it still gets a good portion of the words right. The pop-up keyboard interface is nice too. Typical of MS apps, using it comes with a weird price. The TIP will only run on the primary monitor. Oddly, MS didn't think to accommodate multiple monitors setup. I had to temporarily set my Cintiq as the primary monitor just to get the panel over on the Wacom. Guess they thought such a feature would only be of use on tablet PCs. Still a nice little app to have access to. I'd use the handwriting recognition & touch keyboard more often if MS just allowed the app to float to a 2nd monitor.


Tis awesome, except for the lame two point calibration.
True. Still, seeing as how this is a software related issue, there's always hope that Wacom could address this in a future driver update.

[Absorber]

I got the Wacom Bamboo Fun A6, the white one > fits with my Imac :)
Got it for a few months now, and starting to love it (A) But i dont use it as a replacement for my mouse.

http://www.purelygadgets.co.uk/images/user/products/Bamboo%20Fun%20A6.JPG

[Spacemonkey]

I have always used an Intuous A6 at home... so its small as hell. I can pretty much do whatever I want on it but I am beginning to think that a slightly bigger tablet might enable me to improve the quality of my sketches, as its very hard to get good broad strokes without zooming out to a great extent.

[PuG]

First tablet was a Nisis A4, only £32 pounds at the time, and it still used an old serial port. Cheap and cheerful, the only complaint was the pen use to often fall apart, I ended up super glueing it together with a AAA battery inside... however Nisis did supply a replacement, though it never worked.

Currently using a Wacom Intuos 3, 9x12 which I picked up last year.

[mr_ace]

i've decided to get a cintiq 12wx, my good old student loan should cover it if i don't eat for a while... i figured better get it sooner rather than later, as next year I'll be working on my portfolio before applying for jobs, so it's very important I'm at my best for then. i keep getting the feeling maybe i'm just making excuses, ie 'i could be better at sculpting, i bet if i had a cintiq i'd be awesome' but at the same time, i do think it would really help me out having one...

[cookepuss]

my good old student loan should cover it if i don't eat for a while...
At least the money's going to go to good use. I remember usually squandering the excess of my student loans. :p

so it's very important I'm at my best for then.
Well, you don't need a Cintiq for that. Just time, patience, and dedication.

i keep getting the feeling maybe i'm just making excuses, ie 'i could be better at sculpting, i bet if i had a cintiq i'd be awesome'
That, my friend, is fear. We've all been there to one extent or another. Like they tell runners when they hit the proverbial wall, push past the pain. It'll get easier. Same thing with CG.

Remember one thing. A Cintiq is just a tool.

Having a fancy joystick doesn't make you a better gamer, right? It just changes the way you play the game.

To get your A game to A+, you just need to do something CG at your PC every day. Even if it's a 3D speed sketch, keeping your skills honed is important.

There's line in the movie "Sugar & Spice" I keep posted on my wall.

"Nobody ever got ahead by sitting on their behind."

Silly, but true.

These excuses are usually born of fear. Pushing past your limits is always scary. You don't know how good you can be if you keep making excuses and never try though, right?

A Cintiq won't make you a better artist. It will only allow you to do you job in a more natural manner.

but at the same time, i do think it would really help me out having one...
Maybe so. At the same time, don't get trapped into this upgrade-itis syndrome that plagues so many artist. You don't need the fanciest tools or best computers to be a top artist. Hell, there are some awesome artists here who have PCs barely more powerful than today's pocket calculator. That hasn't stopped them.

Work it like it's never been worked. Every day. Excuses are easy. Excellence is not.

[oktow]

use old wacom graphire4 4x5 :D cause i dont have a lot of money...

[J Randall]

Graphire3 6x8 still kicking lost the mouse though, let somebody barrow it, cause they were a graphic designer and I was trying to sell em on the idea.

[Noddy Jnr]

This is the sadest day :(.

My wacom has died. It has kicked the bucket. It is now pushing up daisies.
and to make it worse. I really can't afford a new one at the moment. :(

I think i'm gonna have to do some experimental surgery to try and fix it.

[b1ll]

Cintiq all the way.

Ive use Graphire, Intuos-2-3 over the years and the Cintiq 21ux for the past 2 (or 3?) years, and of course the cintiq is perfect for me.

Of course it depend who and what u do/are
I use my cintiq everyday for long hours. Theres No lags. or whatever else bugs people that never use it say.

Of course the only draw back is that , like when I draw/paint on paper my face is pretty close to the paper, same with the cintiq thus Drestroying my eyes. Still worth it.

Oh and btw, Im using my last 9x12 intuos as a lap table!

[mr_ace]

hey cookepus, cheers for that! i'm not sure it's fear tho, i'd say it's more insecurity. i'm always insecure about the quality of my work, so i guess to ease my pain, i make excuses. but don't get me wrong! i'm not some lazy dumbass who blames others for their mistakes, and i do do work constantly, (i'm at university so i don't really have a choice, not sure if i'll be as motivated next year ;)). but i'll get back to you on my opinion of the cintiq. i really love my current tablet, but i'd really like that little extra bit of hand-eye co-ordination that only comes from being able to see what i'm drawing on. that, and i need a 2nd monitor.
i have no problem using my current tablet for texturing or sculpting, but when it comes to drawing in PS from scratch, i just can't do it well, and i'd love to be able to work purely digitally for drawing.=, and in turn, draw a lot more.

[freakmean16]

Well right now Im usinn a Wacom Bamboo, the black one, its really cool for me, the customizable buttons and all, after it i used a Genius, and it was really awful, it had batteries in the stylus and was very clumsy to use, when i was working i use an Intuos2 A4, but i dont notice that much difference between the intuos and the bamboo....i thik its because I love my bamboo...

[ReplicA]

Ah, Freakmean, I had a Genius tablet as well. I didn't mind the need for batteries in the stylus so much, but the high level of wobble in that thing was god awful. It was damn near impossible to draw a straight-ish line with the thing. Ultra light, and felt like it would fall apart in my hand. Not good times.

[devoid]

so i just went to order a cintiq last week and found out that the 20wx is "indefinitely" out of stock. I looked all over because everything i read made it look better than the 21ux, and a couple guys have them at work and they are damn sexy and felt nice. I ended up calling wacom and they said that one of their parts manufacturers went out of business so they have no idea when/if the widescreen one is coming back.
A real bummer since i was gonna get it for myself as an early xmas present. Still on the fence if i should wait and see if it comes back or there's a new model or just get the 20ux.

[jandaku cintaku]

hi..all...in home I used wacom bamboo A5, it's work greatly for me, it's small and it doesn't occupied my work space ( since I use small table to place it and the mouse :inocent: ) I'm planning to save some money to aim for cintiq 12"..off course after I upgrade my workstation with quadcore..bla..bla ( the list continue..:lol: )....man it takes forever to save the money...:cry:
btw for me..i luv ma bamboo...

[BIGFISH043]

hey... just got this beautifull toy!!! Cintiq 21ux :D everything about it is great except for the price that gives you that brand new car feel... you want and love driving it but fear of scratches ruins the fun a bit. especially with all those confusing post on the web:

''... cintiq may handle a lot of workload... 10 hours a day and no scratches for a year now , just change pentips on a regular basis ... '' which make the product sounds like a good professionnal tool like it should be. :thumb:

BUT

you may and will see a lot of:

'' ... used it for couple days and already got tons of scratches... ''
'' ... Wacom customer support doesnt cover scratches, 500$ glass replacement... ''

OUTCH! :eek:

so I get the ' invisible shield' to protect my investment and I must say I am not totally happy with it: Gummy feel, not as smooth as wacom screen, hard to put in place ( you will need an extra pair of hand and good communication skillz...)

anyone try other brands ( view guard, nushield, etc. ) and got advice on it?
or try the bare thing and are happy with it...

thx

[mr_ace]

wowwww necro post lol

i have a cintiq 12wx, and i can't say i have any problems with scratches at all, i don't notice any at all, had it for about 2 years, and it's still as good as the day i bought it...

[BIGFISH043]

thanks! I ll peel off that crappy shield then... :paper:

[crazyfool]

I want a cintiq so bad haha, I need to invent a money tree or something. I remember using my friends HP tablet pc and it was really weird drawing on screen as your hands in the way all the time but it felt sooo goooooood lol. and after watching god of war 3s making of videos Im in love with cintiqs. I asked a friend of mine about cintiqs a while ago as I was a bit scared of screwing up the screen aswell but he said aslong as you look after it and arent heavy handed you got nothing to worry about.

I got an Intuos 3 A5 wide at the moment thats in need of a new cover sheet as Ive warn it away in some areas due to hardcore zbrushing haha, atleast they arent too expensive to replace but its lasted me over 2 years so cant complain.

[BIGFISH043]

all right! thanks man!!! I'am getting into ' DW 4.5 Dreams and Nightmares ' and test it to its full and natural feel with being to much worried about crapping it!

cheers mate.

[daphzart]

I have an intuos4 medium. I loves it.

[ReplicA]

Crazyfool, did your friend happen to mention what happens to your cintiq if you are heavy handed? That's me, I'm very heavy handed, but would kill for a cintiq. But if I need to change how I use it, it would be nice to know :)

[protovisionary]

Why don't you test how much actual pressure you use? Go to your Wacom Tablet Properties Page on the Control Panel. You can roughly gauge how much force you use on average. My average stroke is around the 50% range. A hard stroke for me maxes out at 75%. It actually takes more effort than I'd ever really use just to get up to 90% or 100%.

Also consider the how your position your Cintiq. That's certainly going to affect how much pressure you put on the screen. I have mine standing up and at a slight angle. I can't lay it down flat because I'll kill my back if I hunch over it all day.

In terms of scratches & nicks... Don't worry. I've had my Cintiq for almost 2 years. A couple of fingerprints & smudges, but not one scratch. The smoother glide of the screen holds up very well to daily use with the default nibs. None of the usual wear & tear issues of a stand alone.

Cintiqs are built much more durably than the regular Intuos line, which has gotten a bit flimsy lately. I've also got an Intous4 and it feels cheap by comparison. The Cintiq is built like a work horse. With the Intuos, I just know that I'm going to have to replace it way before my Cintiq.

[Oddin]

I have wacom Intuos 3 A4 SE - bought it through my company so it was a bit cheaper than the standard one. I got the airbrush pen with it which I've never used :)

I started out with Hyperpen 12000 U which is a super low end "falls apart in your hand" kinda deal, but it served me well for two years, and it's still in working condition (which I find very weird)

I'd love to get my hands on cintiq but here in Croatia they are twice the price than in US or EU, and that's a complete turn off. I'm quite happy with the current one. I dug out a hole right in the middle of it after a year and a half of intensive use, though (replacement cover sheet set me back about 50$).

So until I find out my rich unknown uncle died and left me a country I'm stuck with this one, and I'm not complaining.

BIGFISH043 I'd take off that protective cover because (and I don't know if this is true) I've heard that wacom voids your warranty if you put it on...

[chrisradsby]

I have a Wacom Intuos 4 Medium size, it's really good, I can't really compare it to any other since it's my first tablet.

[dustinbrown]

Necro post indeed, lol, this thread just got a new lease on life!

I've got my eye on the WIRELESS Intuos4 Medium (http://www.wacom.com/intuos/wireless.php). I work exclusively on a laptop for mobility, and I like to work both at home and at a local cafe, so the fewer wires I have to deal with the better. The only thing that bugs me is that Wacom doesn't give you a mouse with the wireless version of the tablet, and I feel like they're trying to nickel and dime people by making them buy the mouse separately. That sort of thing chaps my ass. I use my 3-button Wacom mouse all the time for 3D apps and browsing.

Currently I'm using a 6x8 Intuos2 and, despite my lust for the wireless i4, I'll keep using my i2 until it completely dies. I'm not the sort to replace something just to get my hands on the shiny new version. It seems wasteful to me. I've DIY repaired where the cable attaches to the tablet, and just the other day I completely disassembled and repaired the pen. The nib was moving around too much when I applied pressure. I dropped a bit of rubber band inside the well of the pen, now it works perfect again, haha.

[ReplicA]

Just looked at my tablet properties, and apparently my bamboo settings don't have a measurement for how hard you press. You can change sensitivity settings, but there's no meter for testing.

But I often find myself really pressing hard, harder than necessary really, to get certain functions to work (at least that's what's in my head, even though I know I don't need to press that hard). For example, smoothing a high def mesh. Especially with MB, since the smooth brush still hasn't been optimized for higher res meshes, I end up pressing really hard to try and get the smooth brush to work. Not to blame the software, or hardware, just saying that's an example of the quirks I have with pressing too hard.

I can't have my drawing surfaces at an angle more than, maybe a 15 degrees. After that, my shoulders, and wrist start killing me, and I have to take breaks. So either flat on the desk, or a slight angle for me.

[mr_ace]

u can lean as hard as you like on a cintiq, it won't scratch* Personally, i don't think they're as good as they appear when you don't have one lol.

I find the 12WX to be too small, so you don't add as much detail to tings as you could if perhaps you were using a standard tablet, and a good, big monitor. Obviously this is moot if you get a 21" cintiq but WHAT KIND OF SICK FUCK CAN AFFORD A 21" CINTIQ?

Frankly my advice if you were planning on getting a 12 WX is get a sweet ass 24" 1080p monitor and and a good big intuos, and you'll still have some change to spend on crystal meth and hookers, or whatever it is game artists spend their money on these days.

I'm also not a fan of the intuos 4 tho... I used one at work, and i really wasn't a fan. I don't like that click wheel, the light up panels are a gimmick, i don't think it looks or feels as nice as a intuos 3, and the thing burns through nibs like crazy. On my old graphire, i didn't even know you could change the nib, had it for like 3 years, not a problem. Had the intuos 4 for about a month, and had burnt through about 2 and a half nibs, and the the nice matte drawing surface was all scratched to shit and looked horrible

*takes no responsibility for u smashing ur cintiq..........

[protovisionary]

Just looked at my tablet properties, and apparently my bamboo settings don't have a measurement for how hard you press. You can change sensitivity settings, but there's no meter for testing.
Probably a driver thing. The Bamboo drivers are only up to 5.21 while the Intuos/Cintiq drivers are up to 6.15. I attached a pic.

I find the 12WX to be too small, so you don't add as much detail to tings as you could if perhaps you were using a standard tablet, and a good, big monitor.
That's mostly just perception because, per square inch of canvas, the 12wx actually packs in more pixel detail. 1280x800 on a 12.1" is actually something like 5% more dense than a 22" at 1680x1050. If you can't get as much detail then it's probably of how you're using your real estate & camera controls.

Obviously this is moot if you get a 21" cintiq but WHAT KIND OF SICK FUCK CAN AFFORD A 21" CINTIQ?
AH, but how much do you spend a year on games, movies, music, & other tech? $2k sounds like a lot, but I think that we waste more than that without thinking. If it's for work, the tablet pays for itself too.

don't like that click wheel, the light up panels are a gimmick,
The light up panels? Yeah. Maybe not the wheel though. The wheel and the extra sensitivity are the Intuos4's only real redeeming qualities. I like just being able to wheel my brush sizes. What I don't like is the tablet surface. After two weeks and it already started to show some visible wear. Like I said, I don't press that hard. That's annoying. The older Intuos' with their overlays wore down less.

[mr_ace]

That's mostly just perception because, per square inch of canvas, the 12wx actually packs in more pixel detail. 1280x800 on a 12.1" is actually something like 5% more dense than a 22" at 1680x1050. If you can't get as much detail then it's probably of how you're using your real estate & camera controls.


I mean the actual physical size, while the resoloution is great, I like to work with say a full head in zbrush, and when that heads only like 6 inches of screen size, you don't notice a much as if its 10 inches. obviously, you can zoom in, but i just don't like it as much