Tablet options - Why Intuos over Cintiq ?

[User767]

I see that all the cintiqs still use that crayon-shaped, dull and fat ending of its pen that bothered me so much because of the way it obstructs the view of the tip when drawing in many cases. Doesn't this bother anyone else?

Bothers me too. You can purchase a slimmer pen from them though-which alleviates the problem.

I use Intuos and Graphire-depending. The Graphire has less plastic around the the active area, so is a bit nicer for laptop use (though I guess they're discontinued anyway). Don't like the Cintiq experience. While it's nicer to be able to draw on what you're drawing, the Cintiq has enough small annoyances that I prefer the disconnect between hand and screen.

Also noticed that the color fidelity and brightness of the Cintiq is vastly different from a 'good' monitor.

[ZigOtto]

...
Also noticed that the color fidelity and brightness of the Cintiq is vastly different from a 'good' monitor.

can't it be home-calibrated, just like any other monitor, by using a colorimeter and its dedicated software ?

[User767]

Yes, it can be calibrated- but it's still not as good as a good monitor, nor is the color quality as good.

Regardless of what you do, if a monitor can't display a clean black, it can't display it. Same goes for color accuracy, saturation, etc. That's the realm that the Cintiq falls into. Not that it's a bad monitor, but it certainly doesn't display the same color gamut and contrast ratio that my desktop monitor does (and with both calibrated, it's a noticeable difference)

[D.T. Nethery]

I see that all the cintiqs still use that crayon-shaped, dull and fat ending of its pen that bothered me so much because of the way it obstructs the view of the tip when drawing in many cases. Doesn't this bother anyone else?

I had not noticed . My Cintiq pen is the identical size and shape of my Intuous 3 pen. This is the style of pen that came in the box with the Intuous 3
(and the Cintiq) -



"This pen is for use on Intuos3, Cintiq 21UX, Cintiq 20WSX & Cintiq 12WX tablets and will not work on Intuos or Intuos2 tablets."

[Paul Fierlinger]

The grip pen, indeed...! That's a real improvement (followed by free software) though my favorite will always remain the Classic and that's probably because most of the time I am a finger-tickler and a thin pen feels the best for tickling. Maybe this is also why I like to have a slippery surface more than anything else I have ever drawn on. Wacom should really consider offering several different overlay surfaces for artists to choose from, and to take an example from their free software, at no extra cost.

I forgot to mention one more thing I like about the Intuos tablet, which is that there are times when I need to lean back with an outstretched arm and draw the way painters paint with an eye as far from the canvas as possible. It has something to do with the combination of my tablet laying flat on the desk while the monitor is slanted upright and further away that makes this drawing technique different from all the others I have experienced, including drawing on paper.

[Paul Fierlinger]

Another Wacom4 bummer: individual pens remember their individual (last) settings; not true anymore.

[hisko]

I just ordered the cintiq 21 for 1259 euro's + vat.
Finally it's affordable for me. I'll let you know what I think about it soon.

[malcooning]

Another Wacom4 bummer: individual pens remember their individual (last) settings; not true anymore.

Paul, does your Intuos3 pen work on the Intuos4 tablet?

[Paul Fierlinger]

Unfortunately not... I don't think Wacom will ever have that happen; by now we must have gone through a collection of pens that amount to a larger expense than the tablets themselves. I give them away to students who have older tablets.