Cintiq arms.. Any suggestions

Jesse Moody · Aug 2009

I'm trying to find a nice desk arm for my cintiq at home. Anyone got any suggestions on which ones you may use or have seen that look good.

My desk isn't huge so I want the arm to move my cintiq closer when in use and just have the luxery of being able to reposition it easily.

Thanks

Rwolf · Aug 2009

Here's a couple from a local shop. Might give you some idea's (prices are Canadian)

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX11562(ME).aspx
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX9689(ME).aspx
http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX15076(ME).aspx

Jesse Moody · Aug 2009

I was looking at this one

http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/9/language/en-US/default.aspx

I think they use this one at Raven

http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/1/language/en-US/default.aspx

dehebo · Aug 2009

if you get one let us know how it is please. considered this awhile ago but was a bit nervous to put my cintiq on an arm

Rwolf · Aug 2009

Just came to mind if these lock into place? it would be pita if it moved every time you tried to make a stroke :P

pior · Aug 2009

Yup, LX ergotron. You can consider getting the extension too, give much more range especially if your table is deep.
http://www.ergotron.com/Products/tabid/65/PRDID/11/language/en-US/default.aspx

They also have a nicer looking, ironman-like model but from what I have seen it has a bit less range.

Yes they stay in place, you just have to find the correct setting (a screw adjusts the strength of the arm very easily) but obviously it will wobble a little bit if you set it up to be hanging in the air. You can totally work while standing up with them tho, it's a very good way to change your posture for five minutes or so, then go back to desk mode.

However if you really want to work standing up for long periods of time I would recommend getting an hydraulics desk instead, since the ergotron doesnt go very far in up/down range. Or if you set it to high reach, you wont be able to move it back down on the table. You would have to readjust the height setting locl all the time, and that not practical.

The arm however is very good at depth and angle adjustments.

Also keep in mind that the quality of the mount depends on the quality of the desk. Cheap ikea table > mount will wobble more (IF you set it to hand in mid air. Mine simply make the cintiq stay on the edge of the desks. Works extremely well.)

Also, the default cintiq mount can rotate freely on both clock directions. The ergotron has a bit less range, but totally good enough tho.

I personally cannot stand the default stand, it puts the screen way to high. Will post pics.

foreverendering · Aug 2009

I'll add another vote for the ergotron LX, it's what I use at work and at home.

Jesse Moody · Aug 2009

Looks like the LX will be the winner come pay day. Thanks for the insights guys.

MALicivs · Aug 2009

I suggest you dont buy any of those. buy an intuos instead and give me the cintiq.

pior · Aug 2009

Also, they ship uber fast from Amazon!

rollin · Aug 2009

thx for the info.. would love to see some pics of an actual workspace setup

I'll want to get a stand-wile-work solution one day and every peace of information is very helpfull

oh and btw.. is it possible to mount the small cintiq too or does only the big one has these tft-mount-holes?

Jesse Moody · Aug 2009

Rollin I have the 15" one. It has the same holes on the back as most lcds do. I think it's the VESA pattern or some shit.

I believe the 12" one can be mounted too.

rollin · Aug 2009

ahh have found it.. yes the 12" has the vesa mount!

Jesse Moody · Aug 2009

awesome then yeah the 12' will work on an arm.

ChaosEidolon · Aug 2009

Nice! good recommendation guys...i needed this and didnt even know it.

Get if off NEWEGG btw! it's 130$ shipped. Good ol newegg...

dehebo · Sep 2009

did you happen to get one? if so how'd it work out for ya? cheers.

Jesse Moody · Sep 2009

So after getting the boot from Raven I've been at home and the need for this has really increased. I saw the one on new egg that was the same that we had at Raven but decided to give one I found at staples a shot.

It was made by 3m but it is exactly the same as the 79 dollar one that ergotron makes.

So my review.

Pros:

Cost. Can't beat under $80.00
Setup was easy and only took about 10 minutes.
Saves desk space. I now have my cintiq next to my monitor and when it's pulled out I can have my mouse under it in the space provided.
Mobility. Easy to move around. Tilt, Rotate, Up, Down
Thumbscrews on back allow me to remove cintiq easily if I would like to take it with me. Good for those that have the 12".

Cons:

It doesn't rotate down all the way to be almost flat on my desk. While this is no big deal as I like to have it slightly elevated while painting or sculpting it may be for some people. The ergotron model thats like this one has the same problem.
The bolts it comes with have those ikea like tools you have to use to tighten it up and screw the bolts in. I ended up using the thumbscrews to connect the plate to the back of my cintiq as they were easier to get all the way in and tighten up.

So with all that I am glad I made the purchase. It has been really nice getting some extra desk space back and the arm adds a really nice touch to the cintiq. I would recommend this arm if you are trying to save a little bit of money as it functions as it should.

Hope this helps anyone out there.

Murdoc · Sep 2009

Holy crap I didn't even know these existed, awesome. Also thanks for the review jesse.

brandoom · Sep 2009

Are you using the 21" or 12"?

dehebo · Sep 2009

thanks for the breakdown.

Jesse Moody · Sep 2009

I have the 15" model.

Rhinokey · Sep 2009

will these work with 21" cintiqs? mines one of the first run and are crazy heavy i'd like something like this if it could handle. but it seems much heavier than a regular 21" lcd

Jesse Moody · Sep 2009

Rhino. Yeah it should be fine. I would go with the bigger one then I got but they are awesome and come with tools to adjust the tightness of the arms so you can move it around and tighten it down and stuff.

adam · Sep 2009

I got the one Pior suggested and it works fine with a 21" Cintiq. I love it.

Millah · Jul 2010

Apologies for the necro, but I was looking into these today and it just so happens the 169 dollar Ergotron LX is on sale atm from Amazon for 125. Get it while it's hot. Woot!

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Ergotron-Desk-Mount-LCD-45-241-026/dp/B00358RIRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1278788431&sr=8-1[/ame]

Jesse Moody · Jul 2010

Ahhh I actually got the Ergotron LX for my 21" Cintiq. AMAZING!!!! Such a nice arm...

Rhinokey · Jul 2010

BACK FROM THE DEAD

i just got a LX for my cin, andi have mixed feelins, theres a lot of wobble when i draw on it, seems to be coming from the horizontal extension,, anyone know of any way to make this not so bad, when i draw on it it bounces all over, is it just a matter of getting used to it?

3DLam · Aug 2010

Hey guys,

Stumbled upon this thread awhile back... just thought I'd mention that NCIX here in Vancouver has this thing on special for $116 Can and they ship. Just bought mine today and am monkeying around with setting it up!
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=51666&vpn=45-241-026&manufacture=ERGOTRON

haiddasalami · Aug 2010

Curse you 3dLam....time to buy it

Its the cheapest price now.

Millah · Aug 2010

Rhinokey wrote: »

BACK FROM THE DEAD

i just got a LX for my cin, andi have mixed feelins, theres a lot of wobble when i draw on it, seems to be coming from the horizontal extension,, anyone know of any way to make this not so bad, when i draw on it it bounces all over, is it just a matter of getting used to it?

Sorry I missed this and it's such an old response Rhinokey. Two things-

1- Make sure you keep tabs on keeping the arm tight with the allen wrench. The more I use it the looser it becomes over time and I occasionally re-tighten the arm to get that stiff feeling I like. I purchased the arm a few months back and have re-tightened it I think twice so far.
2- Depending on your desk situation the nice thing I find with the arm is that I can get the cintiq much lower leaning up against the edge of my desk.

A combo of these things works for me and I'm loving it. Also, this is off topic, but I picked up an ergorest to support my non-drawing hand that I use for keyboard shortcuts, etc. and the combo is great without killing my wrist.

CultureOfOne · Nov 2010

I'm a newbie to the Cintiq in general, but of everywhere I've searched, you guys seem to be the real experts, so I thought I'd ask this here first: Has anybody tried the Ergotron LX arm (45-241-026) on a Cintiq 12wx?

I'm not worried about the VESA mounting - I know the 12wx has 75mm mounting holes - I'm worried about the minimum weight requirements for the arm. I noticed that the arm is rated to hold 7-20 lbs, but the 12wx screen is only 4 lbs. Having seen the demos of the LX with a 21ux, I'd love to have an armature that is this flexible, but I can't justify it if it's just going to fly my tablet like a flag

If the 12wx is too light, can I address this by adding weight to the arm (eg a sandbag-type wrist weight might work). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

CultureOfOne

arrangemonk · Nov 2010

DAMN YOU!
i thought this tread is about wacom arms (like tennis arm) and a cure for that
but no...
my fingers still cramp immediately when touching that bloody bamboo pen

Justin Meisse · Nov 2010

arrangemonk wrote: »

DAMN YOU!
i thought this tread is about wacom arms (like tennis arm) and a cure for that
but no...
my fingers still cramp immediately when touching that bloody bamboo pen

a coworker had it pretty bad so he started getting deep tissue massage to break up all the scar tissue. Also try wearing a wrist brace at night (not while you're working like some dum dums do)

CultureOfOne · Nov 2010

Id' be happy to offer advice on dealing with overuse/reuse injuries - that's a topic with which I have a LOT of experience - but perhaps we could put that in another thread. In the mean time, I'm still hoping to find an answer to my original question: can the LX arm be used with the Cintiq 12wx despite the low weight of the tablet?

CultureOfOne · Nov 2010

For lack of a suitable answer, I decided to take a chance and ordered an Ergotron LX arm for my Cintiq 12wx. Blissfully, it works very well. I had to dial down the tension to the minimum on all the springs, but it seems to be behaving. The VESA mount on the Cintiq is fairly high on the back - not centered - so at the lowest arm position it dips down to lap level perfectly.

I do have one concern: the LX arm is still pretty stiff, and I'm concerned about the torsional stress on the Cintiq that will result from repositioning it frequently (ie when you grab the sides of the Cintiq to move it/angle it/etc., the tablet will be flexed and bent slightly each time due to the relative resistance of the Ergotron LX arm). Anybody experience any problems with damage to their Cintiq from using an armature?

Cintiq arms.. Any suggestions

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