Wacom Cintq 21UX

[laglaph]

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Any one using one of these, I have heard that it transforms working in photoshop; does it? Is it any better than a tablet and a high end screen ( eg Eizo CG243W)? Also how about the colours, I understand that it is difficult to calibrate. Has any one tried and if so what calibration device did you use?

 

Thanks

Paul

[phoehsl]

I have been using both the 21UX and the 15x with Corel Painter mainly. For precise work such as drawing, illustrating,painting etc. I find them way better than any tablet - screen combination. In fact I have difficulties with a normal tablet.

 

For normal functionality in PS they're nice but not that vital. I can get most things done with a normal tablet.

 

One advantage is the speed at which you can work in any application. This is because you aim and hit buttons and sliders directly on screen - compare it to typing on a keyboard to using a mouse typing on a virtual keyboard on screen.

 

I don't favor the pen the 21UX comes with. It's too thick. The thinner type that came with the 15x feels more natural since it has the same average diameter normal pens have. I think one can get thinner pens for the 21UX.

 

I find the colour of the 21UX quite acceptable. I calibrated them using both the X-rite and Spider3 and got very good results. If colour is of vital importance (say you depend on precise colour management professionally) you might want to consider a second dedicated display for that. I personally don't find this necessary, though. I have done many print and film/video related projects with them and never had a problem here.

 

Generally I recommend testing one to see if it works for you. Some people find the 21UX to big and prefer the smaller 12" version.

 

Peter

[Guest WPalank]

I use the Cintiq 21 UX and use it for all my color or grayscale critical work. I use Color Eyes Display Pro for calibration.

ColorEyes Display Pro

Here's a recent article about the Cintiq and calibration:

Wacom Cintiq 21UX - Monitor/Tablet

 

He claims it is the same LCD panel as the Eizo.

 

All I can say is that by using this system hooked up to an Epson 7900 using the ImagePrint RIP, I get exactly what I see on monitor on my prints.

[stunsworth]

I wonder if there'll ever be an iPad app to do something similar - i.e. use the iPad as a tablet and duplicate on it what's on the main screen. Then pass back to the desktop any selections made on the iPad. I realise there'd be no pressure sensitivity, but it might make selecting sections of the image easier.

[Guest WPalank]

I wonder if there'll ever be an iPad app to do something similar - i.e. use the iPad as a tablet and duplicate on it what's on the main screen. Then pass back to the desktop any selections made on the iPad. I realise there'd be no pressure sensitivity, but it might make selecting sections of the image easier.

 

Not an iPad, but already here:

Wacom Technology - Cintiq 12WX

[phoehsl]

I wonder if there'll ever be an iPad app to do something similar - i.e. use the iPad as a tablet and duplicate on it what's on the main screen. Then pass back to the desktop any selections made on the iPad. I realise there'd be no pressure sensitivity, but it might make selecting sections of the image easier.

 

Try this:

Axiotron : Home

 

Peter

[stunsworth]

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Thanks gentlemen, those links are very interesting. However, being a cheapskate I was looking for a cheaper solution <grin>.

[thompsonkirk]

IMO Peter got it right:

 

"For precise work such as drawing, illustrating,painting etc. I find them way better than any tablet - screen combination."

 

But:

 

"For normal functionality in PS they're nice but not that vital. I can get most things done with a normal tablet."

 

The problem for me, & I suppose many other photographers, is that we don't have the training or experience to draw very well. I can't sustain sweeping hand movements without wiggling. My first PS teacher noticed I was a certifiable klutz & suggested working at a higher magnification with a smaller & slightly fuzzier brush. "In PS," she said, "always work up close." Following this advice I find that a smaller tablet works best because it calls for shorter hand movements.

 

Kirk

[hteasley]

I have an iPad, an Axiotron Modbook, and the 12" and 21" Cintiqs, all in my perpetual quest for better painting user interfaces.

 

The Axiotron is buggy, for me, and has too much parallax for comfortable painting. The iPad doesn't have high enough sampling for anything precise, and the detection software is coded for looking for thick fingertips, not thin stylus nibs.

 

The Cintiqs are pleasures to use. The 12" isn't as portable as it should be, because it has a cable hookup box, a power brick, and a ton of cables that go various places. That said, there's no better input device for Photoshop, period. Cintiqs spoil you for everything else.

 

Cintiqs can be programmed to use only a portion of the screen for stylus work: a small subsection will map to the whole screen. You'll lose some precision doing that, as well as a lot of the benefit of the Cintiq over something like a standard Intuos drawing tablet, but you can do it. That would enable small strokes to manifest as large sweeping strokes. You can also just zoom out on your image.