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Product Review Wacom Cintiq 12WX LCD Pen Tablet
Written by Stephan Dube
At last year Siggraph I had a chance to view the new technology of Wacom, they introduced the new Wacom Cintiq family tablets (12UX, 12WX, 20WSX, 21UX) which allows any artist to draw directly on the flat screen monitor/tablet. This new technology is great for any matt painters or 3D artist wishing to add those minor details or brush strokes in a 3D application.
So what are my thoughts on the Wacom Cintiq12WX? One word: Impressive, why? Simply because the peripheral is quite easy to use and so intuitive. Instead of staring at a monitor, you feel like you are part of the canvas. You can tilt the tablet with its support which gives a few different degree angles (it’s also lockable) from your desktop or you tuck in the stand and use it completely flat on your desk.
Chances are you won’t use this as you primary monitor however if you have a video card that supports dual output then it is a good alternative for a second monitor.
The pen provides you with easy access to the left and right mouse buttons; it makes the job so much easier to manipulate different tools such as brushes or custom palettes.
The Grip Pen lets you create natural looking strokes with a 1024 pressure levels. The pen is also equipped with an eraser which makes it trouble-free to erase any unwanted brush strokes. The tablet has two sets of five programmable buttons also known as ExpressKeys: all ExpressKeys can be customized to simulate modifier keys, keystrokes and other frequently used functions. Beside those ExpressKeys there is a Touch Strip which allows you to slide you finger on top of it to zoom, scroll or perform custom keystroke actions - awesome when using applications such as Adobe Photoshop.
One problem with this peripheral is that you get easily addicted. It starts to be an indispensible tool and you quickly forget using a mouse (is that really a bad thing?). However you will always need a keyboard to add more functionality with different programs. By using the Wacom Cintiq you simply want to start adding more fine points in your textures, spend more time on minor details on a matt painting - it really adds more enjoyment while working. This tool is made for any artist in mind.
The resolution on this particular model (Wacom Cintiq 12WX) is 1280X800 with aspect ratios of 16:10. To get a higher resolution you simply need to purchase the 20.1 inch 20WSX or the 21.3 inch 21UX (the W is for the widescreen) both have 16:10 aspect ratios and compared with the 21UX’s 4:3. This model only weights in at 4.4 lbs with the video control unit. The screen size is 12.1 diagonal with a crisp clear image. The screen quality is exceptional with a higher contrast ratio from the 21UX mode. It is completely crystal-clear and comfortably bright. The tablet is covered by a layer of non-reflective glass which adds more ease when working in a bright environment.
One minor issue that I have is all the wires that come with this unit makes a bit of a clutter behind your computer. A DVI-D to DVI-I cable is needed to get your video output (a VGA to DVI-I is also available). A USB cable is also needed to feed the Wacom tablet and of course a power supply for the unit is necessary. Another small fault of the product is that it seems the sensitivity of the pen gets a bit lost near the boarder of the screen.
One thing that adds tremendous value to the package is the software bundle. With a full version of Adobe Photoshop Elements, Corel Painter Essentials 3.0, Nik Color Efex Pro 2.0 and Wacom Brushes 3.0 – a bundle that makes it very desirable.
This particular model has a price tag at 999$ USD (Wacom Cintiq 12WX) which makes it a bit of an expensive work tool, however once you experiment with it you will simply want to own one. It’s not for an amateur artist but more geared for the professional artist. If you wish to draw directly on your monitor then this is the tool for you. It’s really a descent size, on the other hand if you got the buget I would recommend to get a higher resolution model.
Wacom will be attending Siggraph and they will be at booth 925.
Related Links
http://www.wacom.com/cintiq/12WX.cfm
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