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Cintiq 13HD
11 years ago
General
I decided I was past due for an upgrade from the antique Cintiq 15X I had to something a bit more modern. I probably could have lived with the 1024x768 resolution but the color calibration and lack of levels of pen sensitivity and tilt was killing me.
I'd been worried that 13" diagonal would be a bit small for the way I like to draw but Wacom only offers 13, 22, and 24. The later two are too large for my space and much heavier and clunkier than the 13 and I like the idea of being able to put it on my lap and draw like a sketchbook so the 13 seemed like the best of the options available though something more like 17 would really have been ideal.
At any rate, I've been using the 13HD for a few days now and I'm not disappointed exactly but it has made me sad in a few ways. First and foremost, the driver for the 13HD replaces the driver for the 15X _AND_ my Intous 2. While the 15X isn't a great loss, the Intuos is. I used it as both mouse and tablet for those times I didn't want to draw on the Cintiq. I can't even rush out and replace the Intuos as it appears Wacom no longer supports a mouse on the newer Intuos so I'm just kind of F***ed there.
I'm also not too happy with the proprietary cable. The way it juts off the side means that you are actually quite limited in the orientations you can hold the tablet in when drawing on your lap and you're likely to damage the expensive connector.
It also lacks any kind of alternative mount points on the back, meaning in my case that mounting it on my animation desk is a hassle and similarly if you wanted to make an interactive stationary piece of some sort with it, you might have difficulty keeping it from walking off.
And then there's the plastic screen which I feel that even the wacom pen nibs are likely to scratch eventually.
Finally... Let's not mention the price...
TL;DR:
Pros:
Much better color than 15X
Vastly better contrast than 15X
Better resolution than 15X
Pen is responsive and smooth and vastly better than 15X.
Lightweight and a good working area.
User Definable buttons are nice.
Cons:
Disables older Wacom products on system and provides no clean upgrade path to replace them.
Plastic screen feels likely to be damaged.
Cable connector awkward, poorly thought out.
HDMI. Why? Adapter is an added cost.
No anchor points on back.
Heinously overpriced.
I'd been worried that 13" diagonal would be a bit small for the way I like to draw but Wacom only offers 13, 22, and 24. The later two are too large for my space and much heavier and clunkier than the 13 and I like the idea of being able to put it on my lap and draw like a sketchbook so the 13 seemed like the best of the options available though something more like 17 would really have been ideal.
At any rate, I've been using the 13HD for a few days now and I'm not disappointed exactly but it has made me sad in a few ways. First and foremost, the driver for the 13HD replaces the driver for the 15X _AND_ my Intous 2. While the 15X isn't a great loss, the Intuos is. I used it as both mouse and tablet for those times I didn't want to draw on the Cintiq. I can't even rush out and replace the Intuos as it appears Wacom no longer supports a mouse on the newer Intuos so I'm just kind of F***ed there.
I'm also not too happy with the proprietary cable. The way it juts off the side means that you are actually quite limited in the orientations you can hold the tablet in when drawing on your lap and you're likely to damage the expensive connector.
It also lacks any kind of alternative mount points on the back, meaning in my case that mounting it on my animation desk is a hassle and similarly if you wanted to make an interactive stationary piece of some sort with it, you might have difficulty keeping it from walking off.
And then there's the plastic screen which I feel that even the wacom pen nibs are likely to scratch eventually.
Finally... Let's not mention the price...
TL;DR:
Pros:
Much better color than 15X
Vastly better contrast than 15X
Better resolution than 15X
Pen is responsive and smooth and vastly better than 15X.
Lightweight and a good working area.
User Definable buttons are nice.
Cons:
Disables older Wacom products on system and provides no clean upgrade path to replace them.
Plastic screen feels likely to be damaged.
Cable connector awkward, poorly thought out.
HDMI. Why? Adapter is an added cost.
No anchor points on back.
Heinously overpriced.
