Wacom Techno Cintiq 21UX 21-Inch Interactive Pen Display PC Tablet With Pen and Software

Amazon Customer Reviews

(5 out of 5)

worth it if you know what you're using it for

If you're expecting a perfect replacement for pencil and paper then you're bound to be disappointed. The technology is not perfect, but the Cintiq is more intuitive to use than a traditional graphics tablet. I still do most drawing/sketching on paper, but for painting and 3d sculpting, the hands-on approach on the Cintiq is quite welcome. I undo strokes far less and have a better connection with what I'm doing and how it's affecting the image.

If you're a hobbyist then it would be wise to investigate the Intuos or Bamboo line of tablets first. I use both a regular Intuos tablet and the Cintiq at work and home routinely and find they have their strengths for different tasks. Obviously, you can get amazing results with a regular graphics tablet alone and you shouldn't buy the Cintiq with it in mind that it will automagically make you a better artist. However, it helps my productivity and is a refreshing way to work. The benefit to more ably focus on what you're doing rather than how you're doing it is difficult to quantify, but that's what the Cintiq sets out to do and does it well.

A lot is made of the hefty price tag, but considering you get a very large monitor (which, by the way, in terms of visual quality is better than most regular LCD monitors) and built in capabilities of a large graphics tablet, it's not a bad deal. I use it as my primary monitor for general computer usage as well.

(5 out of 5)

Excellent for professionals

If you are in the graphics industry and do a lot of work in programs like Illustrator, Painter and Photoshop then the Cintiq tablets are a real time-saver. I have owned a 21UX for a year now, and have seen a real increase in speed as well as a chance to experiment with new techniques in a way that is far more intuitive than my Intuos 3 tablet (although that is a great product too.) It is important to calibrate the cursor to the pen nib but this is very easy to do and can be changed when you use the tablet in different positions.
If you have an existing Wacom tablet and an extra monitor you can set up a dual monitor system with the smaller tablet working with the second monitor which is very useful as well... you don't have to pick up a mouse in order to move your cursor onto the second screen, you just move your stylus to the tablet and it is very seamless.
This is by far my favorite tech purchase, but I advise anyone who does not use graphics programs as part of their daily work to consider one of the simpler products Wacom has produced that still allow for this sort of tablet functionality -- this is an expensive product but well worth it if you are an illustrator, animator, or Photoshop professional.
I would say my speed has increased about 25% due to fewer undo's and the more intuitive work environment.

(1 out of 5)

makes a good digital photo frame

I bought one of these hoo hahs, and realized after a few hours why it makes no sense.

The whole idea of these things is to simulate drawing on paper with your own hand. If you've already become comfortable with using a Wacom tablet, you will soon realize this is clearly a step backward: your hand gets in the way of your drawing.

It's very easy to get used to the idea of drawing on the old tablet and seeing the results on the screen in front of your eyes. This is the basic idea behind the typewriter, which has been around for a few hundred years. Using a Cintiq is the equivalent of typing a letter by pressing down on the paper with little rubber stamp letters.

And apparently, you have to pay a lot for this privilege, even though my grocery store has a smaller version of these suckers at every check stand.

The most mind-boggling thing about it is the on-screen menu. After spending a few minutes tapping the screen trying to adjust the settings, you realize you can only do this by reaching around back and pressing little buttons. Which you can only see by standing up and leaning over the device. And reading upside down.

The cursor seems to bobble around in front of your pen while you guess where the two are going to meet up, and the lag time is noticibly slower, which sometimes results in jagged lines.

Even if I had some cripping mental disorder, which forced me to use this product in exchange for an endorsement on their website, I would still rather draw on an iphone.

(5 out of 5)

A return to natural drawing!

This is by far THE BEST of it's kind and well thought out. I have one at work and at home and will never go back to the odd seperation of hand and eye again! I've even found myself trying to use my finger to smudge or erase it's so natural feeling. With the sliders and programable buttons I hardly ever use the keyboard now except to type emails. My Poor 23" cinema display is going to waste in the background as the Cintiq is the only screen I use.
I've found I have better posture, less eye strain, and less 'fear' about starting on the blank canvass. I'm left handed and this is great because it's fully programable for lefty's and I dont' smudge my sketches anymore. And even if you feel you "cant see behind your hand", you can even program an offset so the cursor is in a place where you're comfy with it. No excuses..
The one at work is mounted on an arm (iLift from Innovative, and you don't need the apple adapter for the Wacom) and it's great for moving it out of the way or getting it in your lap. The stand it comes with is great too, but I often find I have it hanging off the edge of the desk leaving the $2500 ready to hit the floor. So I recomend you get a good heavy-weight arm to mount it on. Also the arm allows you to take more advantage of the rotate feature. Being able to rotate the tablet like you would a piece of paper is the biggest problem with drawing on a regular tablet.
Get it, use it, and you'll love it!

(5 out of 5)

Great productivity tool

The CINTIQ 21UX works great for drawing and painting in Photoshop and Illustrator. Using the pen instead of my mouse has really increased my productivity. When I am not drawing on it, I use it as my main monitor on a dual monitor setup.

I have it mounted on an lcd arm (7500-1000HY model from Innovative - lcdarmsdotcom). I wasn't sure which model to choose so I gave them a call for advice. The "HY" stands for hydraulic which was not listed on the website at the time. Since I will be resting my arms and applying some pressure on the monitor, I was recommended the hydraulic cylinder which will be more steady/stable than the gas cylinder(identical in appearance to HY) that is listed on the website as SKU:7500.

I received the lcd arm yesterday(Tuesday - ordered last Tuesday)and assembled it easily using the Grommet Hole FLEXmount method and followed instructions on page 57 of the CINTIQ 21UX manual and I was good to go.

I now have a nice, ergonomic setup for my work/play station--No more neck/shoulder/back strain!