Not liking display tablets

[okellymx]

I got the Monoprice 22, it works and still works perfectly minus the lie that it had a touch screen. I am going to return it because of the lie and the slight parallax forced me to follow the cursor just like an Intuos. It wasn't even close to being more like drawing on paper than the Intuos. It felt the same as a regular tablet. It doesn't seem worth the price to buy a display tablet if I could use the Intuos Pro just fine. Anyone else experience this with other pen display tablets like a Cintiq?

[alaingrey]

I've always been used to Intuos, and I do notice a lag on cintiq and similar display tablets that make them totally unusable for me. The only display tablet that I haven't noticed any lag with is iPad pro and Apple pencil. I hate apple as much as the next guy- but they're cheaper than cintiq and come in a small size now. Plus if you use mac, it can hook up to your mac as a second touch display and can be used just like Intuos. I have windows, so I still mostly use the intuous for coloring things because the pen sensitivity is way better, but inking on the pad is so good. It's probably the most underrated drawing tool out there :V

[Tanisha]

Display tablets are pretty worth it if you get the right one. I personally don't trust any company but Wacom when it comes to tablets. The cheaper alternative ones tend to never have updated drivers, have false advertising, and not be compatible with some programs. I don't have any lag issues with my cintiq 13hd or Cintiq companion 2 so...<-<

[69Michi]

I'm not sure about other pen display tablet but I do own a Cintiq 13HD and i have to say it's the perfect tablet I could dream of. (Granted that I could have gone and bought a bigger screen one but I saw no need for that. Also side note, I did not get the Cintiq touchscreen one) Cintiq's screen feels just like the surface of your normal tablet, it's not exactly... smooth, like an iPad's screen, but it won't give you the feeling like you are drawing on a paper either (Close, but not exactly). It's a tablet, not a piece of paper after all. (I'm not sure about the cintiq 13HD touchscreen one though) But yeah, if you want a tablet with a screen, I would say Cintiq is your God if you can afford it. It's like a shiny pkm in the pkm world

[AnnaLandin]

There's a learning curve to every tool, and display tablets are no different. It takes a while to get used to, but I, at least, noticed a big difference between using a regular, non-display tablet and using a cintiq. It took me a couple of weeks before I started to get comfortable with it, though.

If at ALL possible, I recommend trying one out before buying it, just to see if it's something you're comfortable with. It's entirely possible you won't be, and that you might be better off using a regular tablet.

[okellymx]

I think the 13hd would be better for me because 22 inches seemed way too large and if I wasn't right above the screen, the pen wouldn't line up with the cursor. But it doesn't feel like it is worth the extra $500 from the Intuos Pro Medium.

@AnnaLandin I had no problem drawing with it, I could do everything I could do on my intuos. I was comfortable using it, but that's the point. It didn't feel like it was worth more than my Intuos just different.

My main concern is, did other display tablets like the Cintiq have very noticeable parallax or not?

[AnnaLandin]

My main concern is, did other display tablets like the Cintiq have very noticeable parallax or not?

By parallax, do you mean an off-set between where you're physically touching the pen to the screen, and where the cursor appears?

If so, then I can't speak for newer cintiqs, but my 12 year old model doesn't suffer from any significant parallax. There's a specific calibration tool I use to decide off-set between pen and cursor, so I was able to tweak it to my liking.

[69Michi]

No significant parallax here for my cintiq 13HD as far as I can see either

[okellymx]

Yeah, that's what I mean.

[sorrelma]

i've never used a display tablet but i'm really considering investing in a surface pro(maybe in a couple of years aha.. their tech seems a little unstable rn)
my issue is that there's a fine line between the grit of the surface being realistic(like paper) and absolutely destroying your pen, as well as the display itself after a while. it's probably better for those expensive displays to have smoother surfaces than a tablet that costs half or a quarter as much
idk if i would ever be willing to buy an offbrand device that's like a thousand dollars less than the "good" ones but still expensive tho. i'm sure huion and monoprice are great for beginners on a budget but my experience with offbrand tablets is that the aren't worth the savings
i would imagine that using a cintiq is a very different experience than a budget display

[ranka]

I have a Cintiq 22hd as well as a Surface Pro 2. The surface did have a lot of issues with parallax the further from the center the cursor was. My Cintiq, however, is pretty much perfect in every way. I don't really experience any lag aside from RAM issues with large brushes.

If you have a solid pc rig, I really recommend a Cintiq if you can afford it.

[zaksimmondshurn]

Cintiq's are definitely worth it if you can afford one. I've not used any of the other brands of tablet monitor but I've had experience with 3 different Cintiq's on both Windows and OSX and for me they were a huge step up over intuos (which I used religiously for about 12 years). I hear good things about the Huion's but personally I'd wait and get a Wacom- their products tend to be of such good quality that I think they're worth the extra.

[marulilu]

Cintiq 13HD here. I'm loving the heck out of it, but the cable connection to the tablet is getting sensitive and I'm afraid it'd break. Previous Intuos5 broke at the USB connection port of the tablet (ended up having to exclusively use wireless kit)

[okellymx]

Thanks for all the replies.

[ahkwardkat]

For me, I prefer the cintiq. I can use and Intuos, I have an intuos 5, however I prefer to work traditionally. I really don't like making digital art, though I need it for color, text, and my freelance work. u_u

Since I like working traditionally, being able to work on screen (with my Cintiq 13HD), it is the closest to working traditionally when I need to work digitally. the 13HD is pretty portable and fits in most bags. The only real downside is the cables you need. ouo Additionally, it's helped speed up my digital work. It feels more natural to me and has helped me work faster. Works that took me 8-10 hours took me 6-7, so I could do more orders in a week, thus make more money each week.

You have to remember tablets are investments. What are you looking for? How critical is the power of the machine? something like a surface pro, you are limited to the power of the computer/tablet that the pro itself is. For something like my cintiq, it's just a monitor, my laptop is the power and it's built for handling a lot of processor-demanding things.

Also, for a surface pro, I believe you'd have to re-buy all your software. For the cintiqs (except the companions), it's just a monitor, so no buying new software.

I guess it depends what you want out of it, something easy and portable and cheap, but possibly weaker and less reliable as far as power? Or something a but more expensive, a little less portable (unless you have a laptop like me), but doesn't require as much power?

[KaseyQuevedo]

I've used Cintiq's for a long time for the day job, but could never get past the price barrier for home. For a long time I've used an Asus slate tablet(about 4 years now) that has stood by me. Full Windows, etc. This was just before the Surface came out. The Surface is just NOW starting to be something I would consider if this one ever went belly up. Same with the iPad Pro, but I still feel that would be limited. I've always liked being mobile. I could squeeze in 10 minutes here while waiting for the kids to get out of school, and 10 minutes there with a cup of coffee.

Now all that being said, I finally broke down and got a Monoprice 22 inch tablet monitor for home. I understand there are die hards that won't use anything but Cintiq, but not everyone has a couple grand lying around. For me it wouldn't make any sense for me to get a smaller Cintiq as it's still a good price tag, and at that size I'd rather have something mobile. I've always found I never used the keys on the Cintiq much, so the fact that there are none on the Monoprice doesn't bother me at all. I've been using it steadily since I got it, and haven't had any lag issues. I did read here, and some of the reviews before I got it, that some thought it was touch. Not something I need myself, but I think the issue is in the wording in some of the listings. It's unfortunate for those that were expecting it, but I don't think it's anything that would hinder productivity. I use it for the pen.

Anyhow, I thought I'd chime in as I know some folks are wary if it isn't Cintiq. That's not to knock that brand, but the prices can be a high barrier. Overall, I've had a good experience so far, and at about a third the price. I've been using Clip Paint and PS primarily with it so far which have worked great with it, and I'll be happy to follow up if I run into any issues with other software.

Anyhow. That's my dos pesos.

[mglcano]

I used to use a cintiq 12wx and if I didn't calibrate the stylus correctly I would notice the stylus tip wasn't exactly where I expected it to be. Also, whenever I was zoomed out too much there would be a slight lag. If I were zoomed in 'just right' and the canvas size was 'just right' then it really would feel like pen on paper.

[VermillionWorks]

I use a Cintiq 13HD, and there IS a learning curve, the mouse point doesn't quite line up with your pen in the way you'd expect (even when you tweak the calibration), so I wouldn't say it's exactly like drawing on paper. Closer, sure, but not exactly like it. It also still helps to have programs like MS5 where you can make your lines smoother.

I could've probably done okay with my old Intuos, however I have a very annoying case of nearsightedness that made using the Intuos a pain. With my glasses off, I either hurt my neck leaning towards the monitor from it being so blurry and trying to focus, or had to put the monitor right in my face, which just....wasn't good for me, and I still found myself leaning sometimes...and with my glasses on, I got headaches and dizziness because even with the monitor pushed back a bit it wasn't good for my eyes, my glasses are too strong for that I think.

The Cintiq puts things right in my face like paper, which makes things easier. Now I don't have to try to focus so hard with a regular monitor.

I kind of feel like I'm the only one who ever had this problem with tablets. XD If I'm ever forced to go back to the Intuos, it....won't be fun. I might have to find a cheaper Cintiq alternative, even if it isn't perfect, because the Intuos is just too rough on me.

Though I've rarely had lag, sometimes the tablet will suddenly stop working properly, when that happens, I use this method to fix it without rebooting or whatever. Seems to do the trick every time without messing with my settings. -
http://fox-orian.tumblr.com/post/39456072610
NOTE THOUGH: DO NOT TRY THE BOTTOM 'PERMANENT FIX' SUGGESTION! BAD, VERY BAD!

I also had issues with the calibration suddenly going wonky in the beginning, but I haven't had that happen so much lately. Maybe later drivers fixed that issue...

[gosunkgugi]

I have a Cintiq 13HD. I really have no business owning a tablet that expensive, but I had the money, and you only live once, so whatever. So far, I'm pretty disappointed - in order to get the cursor to line up with the stylus, I have had to get a separate computer for the Cintiq and turn on "duplicate screen". Anything else, and the Cintiq either doesn't understand its own size, or it decides to displace your cursor by about 5cm, making it unusable - or, if you turn on mouse mode, the cursor starts randomly flitting back and forth, making every line look horrible.

Ultimately, after all this work I've put into it, the Cintiq still has softer colours than any other screen I've seen, meaning that anything you draw on it will look a lot better on the tablet than when it's been exported, and if you ever miss a spot while colouring, you won't notice until it's exported and you view it on another screen.

Is it more convenient than my Intuos4, once I've gotten the kinks out? Yes, but it's not $900 more convenient.

[kkitty]

I have a Cintiq 13HD after I begged my dad for one and yes it is expensive. It counted as both my birthday and christmas gift. But, this is the second year I've had it and besides the wire (always have a backup lmao) the tablet works fine. No lag or anything.

I got it because 2D animation was too hard for me without seeing the stuff right there, but it also makes drawing way faster and more accurate. I'd say it's completely worth it. That said, Wacom does kind of have a monopoly on tablets, so although it's expensive it's kind of the only really reliable option out there unless you're looking at an iPad or something, which I personally don't like working with at all. It's really what works for you, but I'm sorry they lied about the touch screen being a thing. That's really terrible of them.