Forums > Digital Art and Retouching > How are you liking your Cintiq?

Photographer

j_francis_imagery

Posts: 364

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US

Fan noise?
Color accuracy?
Screen etched glass color grain-looking noise?
Pixel density?

How is your Cintiq treating you?

Or how is your Huion or XP-Pen working out?

Apr 14 20 07:44 pm Link

Clothing Designer

GRMACK

Posts: 5436

Bakersfield, California, US

I have a Huion GT-220.  Haven't used it at all in 3 years.

Screen has cables exiting bottom and if tilted, they hit tabletop and bind.  Bad design.

Glass screen is above the image so there is a lot of parallax so you must look straight down on it else your are working on the side of the image.  Color isn't the greatest either and difficult to calibrate with extra hardware.

Its HDMI seems to fight with the output HDMI on my computer.  Seems it does not like to run on dual HDMI even though the computer has the extra HDMI port so it might be the graphics card.  The effect is I get the "Marching Ants" around some images where the brightness is high or some dense color gamut.  I had to get a special HDMI powered splitter which helps a little.

I just pulled it out to see what it was and I see they have a new driver as of 2018, so it's been a while unused since I have a 2016-2017 driver.

I ended up getting a better Eizo CG 4K monitor (Much better color and it self-calibrates itself to its internal standards.) and using a medium Wacom pad instead (Large size was too much arm movement!).  No "Marching Ants" either so something odd why the Huion pulls more HDMI signal maybe even with an amplified splitter.

Good luck!

Apr 15 20 08:38 am Link

Photographer

j_francis_imagery

Posts: 364

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US

That’s a drag about the downward cables. I saw that in a video. I think at least they go sideways now.

Seems like every model of every brand has some bad points about it that make me hesitate. I’d like a Cintiq 24 pro if it were less expensive and less noisy and the etched glass created less color grain. I’d like a Cintiq 22 if it had better pixel density and better color rendition and a laminated screen for less parallax and a better non glare coating that didn’t dull colors.

Everyone says the Huion and XP-Pens have improved, but I’m still wary.

iPad Pro is great but maybe a little small. And it only runs iPad apps. Although for Mac users it’s going to act like a Cintiq soon, I hear.

Apr 15 20 10:48 am Link

Photographer

matt-h2

Posts: 876

Oakland, California, US

I have the Huion KAMVAS Pro 13 GT-133, and I'm generally happy with it. I'm coming from a VERY old Wacom, so take that as a data point. I still often look at my main screen while doing retouching, so there's no parallax issue (it is telling that the Huion screen is smaller than my main screen--I think that's part of why I don't use is as much) ! No problems with ports, with a fairly old computer (though a new-ish graphic card).

I don't rely on the tablet for color, so no comment on color accuracy.

Apr 16 20 08:57 pm Link

Photographer

j_francis_imagery

Posts: 364

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US

I’m thinking of the new Huion 24” Kamvas Pro. It’s just releasing now. Shipping in a few weeks. It’s that resolution above HD but below 4K.

Although I'm starting to think 20" might be as big as I want to go.

Jun 03 20 08:47 pm Link

Retoucher

Roped

Posts: 26

Ilova, Sisak-Moslavina, Croatia

Hi
My opinion as a full time retoucher for 17+ years. I have used only wacom products and i just dont see the need for a cintiq (used it for almost a year when i have worked in another studio) if you have a big, color calibrated screen. Just use a Wacom Intuos Pro L and believe me its awesome when you get used to it.

Jun 06 20 03:47 pm Link

Photographer

j_francis_imagery

Posts: 364

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, US

Roped wrote:
Hi
My opinion as a full time retoucher for 17+ years. I have used only wacom products and i just dont see the need for a cintiq (used it for almost a year when i have worked in another studio) if you have a big, color calibrated screen. Just use a Wacom Intuos Pro L and believe me its awesome when you get used to it.

It's for sketching and painting.

I like working on the iPad Pro but it's a little small and I want to use Rebelle and other windows apps. I can use my Intuos, but I prefer working directly on the screen.

Jun 07 20 04:40 pm Link