Is getting a used Cintiq 21ux now a bad idea?
interpolator
I've found what seems like a good deal; a used Cintiq 21UX DTK-2100 for $500.
If it arrives defective I can return it, but longer term the 21ux is not covered for repairs by Wacom. That said, the repairs would cost more than the $500 paid for it anyway, in most cases.
I'm using a regular Wacom right now. Is getting this a good idea, or is it too much of a gamble given the probable age of the device? I've heard the 21ux is pretty sturdy, with some people still using ones they got 10 years ago when it was initially released.
If it arrives defective I can return it, but longer term the 21ux is not covered for repairs by Wacom. That said, the repairs would cost more than the $500 paid for it anyway, in most cases.
I'm using a regular Wacom right now. Is getting this a good idea, or is it too much of a gamble given the probable age of the device? I've heard the 21ux is pretty sturdy, with some people still using ones they got 10 years ago when it was initially released.
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Gaomon is another brand that might be worth checking out, their latest tablet is getting good reviews.
A few notes :
• You will most likely dislike it very much IF you attempt to use it as a full replacement for your regular tablet ; the best solution is definitely to have both hooked up at the same time. This is a can of worms in itself though, as you don't want too much of a generation gap between multiple devices. So depending on what you have, your mileage may vary. Still better than having to run multiple drivers from different brands though.
• On accuracy : something that took me a while to realize is that not all styluses are created equal. I have two of them, initially for safety/backup purposes ... and after a while I realized that one caused jitters to happen, while the other always behaves smoothly.
• On repairs : I personally got mine repaired about 2.5 years ago because the digitizer panel was acting up. Wacom Europe did the servicing - it was expensive, but worth it.
• You want to have LazyNezumi running when using it. Not so much because of line smoothing, but rather because it comes with a special experimental fix that solves an old, never addressed issue in the Wacom drivers (loss of sub-pixel accuracy after a short while).
Overall I would say that it is probably worth it, but you might want to try and bargain it down a little because of some of the above mentioned cavehats.
Managed to nab my cosmetically damaged 24 for udner $1000, base price, becasue a concept artist on the InXile team found it, thank God.
Runs wonderfully still atm, despite it missing three pedals and chipped corners on the frame.
I've been tempted to find a used 22hd but I'm not sure how I feel about the grain on the screen... it's like theres rainbow glitter everywhere. I could probably get used to it but, I kind of wish they would just release a new model of 22 with better tech.
Its amazingly stable, I have only had to have it repaired once when I dinged it on moving house and the video card inside went on the fritz. The local Wacom supplier fixed it. Pricey, but the only issue I have had from eight years of consistent every day use.
Yeah, they are pretty solid.
Only considering getting a newer Cintiq now due to the resolution. Running newer programs like substance painter with tons of menus can eat up your screen so you live view is tiny on such a resolution.
Honestly pressure levels and colour has never been an issue for me. I use a 27HD at work and they seem about the same to me but maybe im a dumbass.
Its a solid bit of kit, depending on who owned it before and how it was treated is something to consider heavily though. As knocks and bad treatment can lead to pricey repairs.
Regardless of the model I personally would not recommend using it as a main monitor. There is no point having such an high-end, fragile device running all day ; and indeed the aspect ratio is not appropriate for tasks typical of a main monitor (image manipulation, modeling, gaming).
However, as a dedicated painting surface and set as a secondary or tertiary display, it is fantastic imho. I keep mine tucked under my main monitor and I slide it forward when I need it (I do not use the default stand that I find way to cumbersome - I simply prop it at an angle with whatever works for that purpose).
On the topic of color accuracy : the DTK is pretty damn good. A tiny bit more dull than a modern high-end display, but still better than most medium quality screens out there.
Even before accounting for the condition and absence of repairs, it sounds like the design itself is on its last legs.
I picked it over the other knockoff options because the cables come out of the side and I'd seen it used on an ergotron arm.
It's effective enough, drivers can be niggly but I hardly ever have to reboot to fix the issues. The biggest problem is probably only having one button on the pen but most packages have a navigation scheme that gets around that.
Colour wise, it tends towards blue but it's crisp and bright so no major complaints.
I'd rather have a cintiq but it was £1000 less than a 22 so I'm not exactly kicking myself.
I originally praised the Huion tablet I'd gotten, but after having it a while I realized it was a piece of crap, and thought I should update this post in case someone comes here for advice on what tablet to get.
First of all, Huions straight up just do not work with 3D software. I tried it with Maya, ZBrush and Substance Painter, and it had huge problems with all of them. Especially Painter.
I contacted support, and their response was basically that their drivers do not officially support any 3D software.
Maya had no pressure sensitivity, ZBrush kept getting lag while drawing, and Painter could not recognize any of the keys on the stylus (only pressing down the stylus worked as input).
I also noticed over time that the colors were completely off, the screen had a scratchy surface that kept catching the stylus, it had an obscene amount of glare to the point that I couldn't use it at night with the overhead light on, and the cursor was bad at staying beneath the stylus if you tilted it at all.
Eventually I was forced to replace it with a proper Cintiq, which has been a massive improvement.
The second model (black and different buttons) is quite good and not different than newer models apart of the size format. You could have problems of tremors in the line, but this has not disappeared in newer models. Also even it is difficult to be scratched it can happen and you should avoid the ones with many scratches. A 21 inch Cintiq is better than no Cintiq. Also you can rotate it and use it in portrait mode at will. His size makes easier to have lateral monitors, that is more practical than a very large one.
In any case keep in mind you are buying a device that is nearly 10 years old.
I just found one for €180 (offers starting at 150), complete with cables and accessories, no defects, listing says I'm allowed to test it beforehand...
However it says manufactured in '09, so I'm aware it's 12 years old by now. But I'd still really like to have it... even if it's just to try out to see if investing in a newer drawingscreen would be worth it.
So far I'm been drawing on my note10+ and it's killing my hands D'x
So yeah, is it worth it? Has something happened in the past few years since the last comment to swing the average consensus to 'hell no'? Because at the moment it reads as 'if cheap, why not? Buyer beware', which I'm okay with~
That said, the pictures look great, they're getting rid of it BC their PC died, gives me vibes that maybe they didn't use it all that much anyway x'D
Ty for your reply~
That's not how it works. A piece of hardware that works with 10 will not stop working when 11 comes around. This is not Apple land
However, If you are the kind to be excited about new OSes and installing new stuff all the time, then yeah you're in for some trouble when it comes to that sort of equipement. It's not that it will stop working - the issue is more about MS, Wacom and Adobe adding/changing pen features that end up conflicting with each other. If I am not mistaken there are now 3 different pen APIs conflicting with each other in modern setups, whereas before the touch era there was only one.
In other words : when you have a work setup that works, you usually do *not* want to update anything besides the essentials. I've met people who after years of using their machines still couldn't get their tablets to function properly, and this was actually caused by their willingness to always install the latest Photoshop update, which often breaks pen stuff.
Anyways. 21UXs are great when they work. There are 3 models : grey first gen, grey second gen, and black. You want the black one which is the latest.
FWIW I currently have two (one as my main tool, and one as a backup). The main one went through one round of servicing as the digitizer panel failed, and I got it replaced a few years ago. This is not possible anymore though as Wacon doesn't support that model for repairs anymore. My second one (backup) was bought off ebay and failed after a few days. It seems like the problem is just the power switch, I need to investigate that.
In short : if it's in great state, 180Eur is absolutely a great price and the device is just as good as the more modern ones. I basically still stand by my earlier posts from 3 years ago. If you don't want it I'll take it