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Cintiq Recommendations

dresam
polycounter lvl 8
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dresam polycounter lvl 8
My Intuos4 died and now I'd like to make the jump to a Cintiq.

I've been researching (too much). It's between the 13HD and the 22HD. I tried them out in the store and I liked them both, but the 13HD felt a bit more natural (and cheaper), but my worry is that the 13HD is too small for modeling/sculpting work, and beyond that, it's just a matter of fitting into a new workflow since I've been using an intuos for so long.

Anyone have any real-world experience thoughts on the 13 vs the 22 in zbrush, or even in day to day use? I'd even be open to the 22HD touch, but it felt to me like it was poorly implemented and my pen hand kept initiating the touch feature accidentally, but maybe that's a driver issue that would be fixed down the road if touch is integrated into zbrush (big 'if'). Thanks so much.

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  • almighty_gir
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    almighty_gir ngon master
    i can't give a comparison of the two unfortunately, i only own the 22HD. i can say that after almost a year of owning it, i still think it's fantastic :)
  • Jeff Parrott
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    Jeff Parrott polycounter lvl 19
    Here's my review of the 13HD:

    http://blog.environmentartist.com/?p=1079

    I really like it. But again I use a laptop and work pretty mobile. ZBrush, Phoshop, etc works fine though.
  • dresam
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    dresam polycounter lvl 8
    Thanks, yall. I really appreciate it. Great review on your site, Jeff. Exactly the sort of rundown I've been looking for.
  • Blaisoid
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    Blaisoid polycounter lvl 7
    My Intuos4 died

    after how many years of usage?
    I just bought one last week. :poly122:
  • Blaizer
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    Blaizer interpolator
    I'm still waiting for a good cintiq without cursor lag, with a true responsiveness. I do very fast strokes, and i hate to see all with lag.

    Try them before buying one. Another point to consider is the color coverage. As far as i noticed, the 22HD is better than the 24HD.
  • dresam
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    dresam polycounter lvl 8
    Blaisoid wrote: »
    after how many years of usage?
    I just bought one last week. :poly122:

    About 2 1/2 years of usage. The USB port broke off my Intuos4 Wireless. It's a documented problem with the hardware, so be careful. Mine is out of warranty now, and Wacom said they would fix it for 120 bucks, but I figured I should just move on. I thought about replacing it with a Yiynova (out of spite), but unfortunately I like the feel of the Cintiq.
    Blaizer wrote: »
    I'm still waiting for a good cintiq without cursor lag, with a true responsiveness. I do very fast strokes, and i hate to see all with lag.

    It seemed like the 13HD did a pretty good job there, which is where I'm leaning against my better judgement.
  • Rwolf
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    Rwolf polycounter lvl 18
    Blaizer wrote: »
    I'm still waiting for a good cintiq without cursor lag, with a true responsiveness. I do very fast strokes, and i hate to see all with lag.

    Try them before buying one. Another point to consider is the color coverage. As far as i noticed, the 22HD is better than the 24HD.

    I thought the lag was dis concerning at first too, but I got used to it, and don't even notice it.
    Then again if you sketch super fast I see how that could effect you long term.
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    dresam wrote: »
    About 2 1/2 years of usage. The USB port broke off my Intuos4 Wireless. It's a documented problem with the hardware, so be careful. Mine is out of warranty now, and Wacom said they would fix it for 120 bucks, but I figured I should just move on. I thought about replacing it with a Yiynova (out of spite), but unfortunately I like the feel of the Cintiq.

    If anyone want to prevent their Intuos4 from breaking, order one of these.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/25cm-Mini-USB-Type-B-5Pin-Female-male-90-Right-Angle-Adapter-Sync-Charge-Cable-/170788918342?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:3160

    and I tapped to my Intuos4 tablet, I can unplug it and plug it back in as much as I want without having to remove the cable extension from the tablet, it shouldn't ever break if it never becomes unplugged. I tend to unplug my tablet a lot so I wanted to be extra safe.
  • Dataday
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    Dataday polycounter lvl 8
    I have a 13hd and a 20wsx. While the 13hd looks and feels better, I still end up using the 20wsx over the 13 due to the size.

    If you can afford it, I would recommend going with the 22hd. If you would prefer the portability of the 13hd...its not a bad purchase but you do end up losing out on that screen real estate.
  • WarrenM
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    I have the 24HD both at home and at work and it is GLORIOUS. Seriously, best art tool ever...
  • bounchfx
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    bounchfx mod
    I use a second gen 21wx and love it. The first gen ones are great too. I had a 12 inch one but honestly it was too small for me.. the 13 build quality looks really nice though, but I have yet to try it. I also used a 24HD at work. It's fucking huge. It's really nice, but it's massive and super heavy, I don't think I'd ever get one for personal use. 22HD looks like the sweet spot, hoping to upgrade to that or something similar down the line.
  • Xelioth
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    I've got the 13HD, and I've gotta say that I was a little concerned about the small size as well, but with the pixel density on it, You've got quite a bit of space for working. I've found it to be just as nice as the 22" for working on, and after I got the 13HD in the mail, I actually stopped using the 22 we've got in my school simply because the 13 is more portable and I was freer to use it however/whenever I liked.

    Fits very nicely in my laptop bag, which is a HUGE plus for a college student like myself.
  • dresam
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    dresam polycounter lvl 8
    Thanks, everyone. I think I've figured it out: I'm just going to have to buy both!

    Just kidding. Or not.

    I may go with the 13HD for now, then get the Yiynova 22" HD MVP22U when it comes out (if it gets good reviews). The total cost will come out to about the same as a Cintiq 22HD.

    I guess it really comes down to portability vs screen real estate. Thanks for the advice – it helps a great deal.
  • Dataday
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    Dataday polycounter lvl 8
    dresam wrote: »
    I may go with the 13HD for now, then get the Yiynova 22" HD MVP22U when it comes out (if it gets good reviews). The total cost will come out to about the same as a Cintiq 22HD.
    .

    I wouldnt recommend that as I dont believe you can have both wacom drivers and the yiynova's drivers installed at the same time. Furthermore it uses vga input, has a bad lcd panel, a non textured surface and more importantly a very springy pen. I would stick to wacom for now.
  • Tenchi
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    If it's the same price as the 22HD go for that, the 13HD will be too small for sculpting. Remember to check for dust and dead pixels. I had to go through a few 24HDs before I finally got a non defective one.
  • Optinium
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    Optinium polycounter
    Got the 24HD here, the quality of the product is amazing!
  • dresam
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    dresam polycounter lvl 8
    Dataday wrote: »
    I wouldnt recommend that as I dont believe you can have both wacom drivers and the yiynova's drivers installed at the same time.

    Yikes. You're right. That's good to know. Thanks.

    Has anyone here used the multitouch features on the Cintiqs?
  • WarrenM
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    I didn't get the touch editions of the 24HD because I couldn't imagine that touch functionality would be worth anywhere near an extra $1,000 ... can anyone argue otherwise? I'd be interested to know.
  • Blaisoid
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    Blaisoid polycounter lvl 7
    ZacD wrote: »
    If anyone want to prevent their Intuos4 from breaking, order one of these.

    http://www.ebay.com/itm/25cm-Mini-USB-Type-B-5Pin-Female-male-90-Right-Angle-Adapter-Sync-Charge-Cable-/170788918342?ssPageName=ADME:L:OU:US:3160

    and I tapped to my Intuos4 tablet, I can unplug it and plug it back in as much as I want without having to remove the cable extension from the tablet, it shouldn't ever break if it never becomes unplugged. I tend to unplug my tablet a lot so I wanted to be extra safe.

    Thanks for the tip.
    Unfortunately mine disconnects really easily when I move the tablet and only plugging out the cable from tablet's usb port and plugging it back fixes it.
    Too bad I never heard or saw anyone mention this issue before I bought it...
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    Try that cable anyway, it's only a few bucks.
  • Giles_P
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    What I would like to know is how people are able to afford a cintiq, they are by no means cheap, even a reasonable size Wacom is no small investment. I would love one but cannot find a reasonable way aside from saving for a few months of warranting such money
  • xvampire
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    xvampire polycounter lvl 14
    Tenchi wrote: »
    If it's the same price as the 22HD go for that, the 13HD will be too small for sculpting. Remember to check for dust and dead pixels. I had to go through a few 24HDs before I finally got a non defective one.

    you can have more than one wacom driver and settings, that is exactly the reason why you have wacom tablet properties in control panel in a first place.
    you can customize each wacom tablet settings over there
  • Lamont
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    Lamont polycounter lvl 15
    Giles_P wrote: »
    What I would like to know is how people are able to afford a cintiq, they are by no means cheap, even a reasonable size Wacom is no small investment. I would love one but cannot find a reasonable way aside from saving for a few months of warranting such money
    I think most people save for it as well ;)
  • Giles_P
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    Sorry I suppose that didn't quite come across as I meant. Even working in the industry having to pay the usual bills.etc and general cost of living doesn't really allow for alot of spare cash for such items.
  • bounchfx
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    bounchfx mod
    honestly for me it was a mix of savings plus buying one at a discount from my friend when he was upgrading. Doing a little freelance on the side if you can will help a lot too if you're able.

    Keep in mind a cintiq is absolutely not a necessity, just a nicer alternative.
  • Count Vertsalot
    I have a 22HD and feel it suits the needs of a Zbrush artist. However, with Wacom having announced a truly mobile tablet that has a LCD panel built in coming in the next few months (Wacom said sometime in the summer), I would hold off and see what that is all about. The new tablet might bring on some price cuts to the existing Cintiqs even if it turns out to not be what you're looking for.
  • dresam
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    dresam polycounter lvl 8
    Tenchi wrote: »
    If it's the same price as the 22HD go for that, the 13HD will be too small for sculpting. Remember to check for dust and dead pixels. I had to go through a few 24HDs before I finally got a non defective one.

    Did you have to buy directly from Wacom to get that return policy or can you buy from a reseller and send it back to Wacom?

    Still trying to decide whether or not to opt for the touch feature. It's hard to find info on whether or not that is useful.
  • Dataday
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    Dataday polycounter lvl 8
    Giles_P wrote: »
    What I would like to know is how people are able to afford a cintiq, they are by no means cheap, even a reasonable size Wacom is no small investment. I would love one but cannot find a reasonable way aside from saving for a few months of warranting such money

    This is not just in response to what you said specifically, but more for those who want a cintiq and just cant afford it atm.

    Saving money is key. When I was a waiter during the college years, by saving up and spending smart not only was I able to pay for life and school expenses but I also was able to get those little high priced luxuries along the way. A little bit adds up fast if do indeed save. For example, have a jar and whenever you can afford it, slip between $1 and $10 into it. Check where it is in a few months. The amount may surprise you.

    Also finding good deals is important too. For example, I nabbed the 20wsx awhile back for $1000 and the girl I bought it from only used it maybe 3-4 times in her entire life. I have seen on Craigslist people selling them without knowing their value or just not caring (one person was asking for $300 for example). The 13hd I bought was the same price, but by that time I had quite a bit saved up in order to splurge on those kinds of things. When money is tight, micro managing and keeping an eye out for the deals are your two best friends. =)

    Ultimately, the worth of a cintiq depends on how much you would use it. It is worth the price point in my opinion, though we can probably all agree that the price point itself is a bit exploitative...what we get out of using it can make all the difference in the world.
  • MellowYeahLow
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    I've been thinking about buying a DSLR but I came to realization that even though it would be nice to walk around and take pictures, the chances of me finding interesting places to take pictures is VERY limited at this point in my life.

    So I'm thinking about going for a cintiq 13HD instead. I have a intuos 3 which I've been using for the past 4 years. It's nice, but I'm looking for a natural feel which I'm hoping to gain with using a cintiq.

    My main concern is that I've been reading great things about it and finally landed on some reviews on newegg where people complain about the quality of the glass/display as being shabby. One review admits that the glass/display is being scratched by the stylus pens themselves from use. Does anyone read/heard about this being true?
  • yankijp
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    yankijp polycounter lvl 4
    MellowYeahLow: I have one of the larger models and it is true that there can be scratches on there. I have a smaller one on mine. It is a little annoying sometimes but it is totally fine. I think mine is like 1.5 years old.
  • Xelioth
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    My main concern is that I've been reading great things about it and finally landed on some reviews on newegg where people complain about the quality of the glass/display as being shabby. One review admits that the glass/display is being scratched by the stylus pens themselves from use. Does anyone read/heard about this being true?
    I've had the 13HD since it came out and my screen is flawless, so I can't help but think it's less the pen and more the user.

    And even if it's the pen, just get a plastic screen protector. Problem solved. It comes covered with a plastic film, so I would think you could probably use that if you wanted to be cheap about it.
  • joebount
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    joebount polycounter lvl 12
    The first 21UX (the grey ones) have a crappy plastic cover that scratches like crazy. They did improve quite a lot since then but I would still use a proper protection for such an expensive device.
  • Jeremy Lindstrom
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    Jeremy Lindstrom polycounter lvl 18
    For those that have the larger cintiqs did you get overheated while working? It maybe just my office at home had terrible AC issues but I couldn't sit and work several hours without sweating to death, the screen was just so warm. I know first world problems, but I ended up selling my 21ux a little while back as I wasn't using it as much as I wanted and I was stroking out while using it. :D
  • Justin Meisse
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    Justin Meisse polycounter lvl 18
    21ux at home gets slightly warm, 22hd at work feels cool as a cucumber - I keep the thermostat at around 74-75 at home and the office is always fairly cool so I don't know if that's a factor
  • Jason Young
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    Jason Young polycounter lvl 14
    Aye, 22HD stays relatively cool. I'd definitely recommend the 22hd, though I still feel like cintiqs are overpriced for what they are.
  • WarrenM
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    My 24s stay pretty cool. They heat up when I've really been going at it but I think that's more the heat of my hand than the cintiq itself. If you know what I'm saying...
  • MeshModeler
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    MeshModeler polycounter lvl 11
    ebay all da way. i got my 20wsx for a grand, just gotta keep an eye out
  • Tenchi
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    dresam wrote: »
    Did you have to buy directly from Wacom to get that return policy or can you buy from a reseller and send it back to Wacom?

    Still trying to decide whether or not to opt for the touch feature. It's hard to find info on whether or not that is useful.

    I bought mine through a Amazon 3rd party seller, they should all come with the same warranty. When I reported faults they'd take the model number and then tell me to print on the Cintiq box the Wacom test center depot address and a number which I think is the faulty code. They picked it up and it went straight to Wacom's test center. The same delivery guy had the replacement one to exchange. I never paid for delivery of returns. I think this would be the same procedure for any 3rd party seller.

    I have not tried the touch feature version, but it's a big premium to pay. I do not find the 24HD lacking in any way, I utilise all the express keys and work pretty fast; so I don't think pinching and moving would make much difference. But if you have the funds...
  • Jeremy Lindstrom
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    Jeremy Lindstrom polycounter lvl 18
    ended up getting the 13hd.. can't talk the wife into dropping 2k again for a cintiq.. :D
  • dresam
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    dresam polycounter lvl 8
    FYI,l I ended up getting the 13HD, too. It does feel a cramped for sculpting work. In all honesty, I wish I'd gotten the 22 incher. Oh well, I can probably sell the 13 and not take too big a hit right now.
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