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Rangefinder
Magazine Field Test: Wacom Cintiq 15X Tablet by John Rettie Attend a trade show or school, and watch Photoshop being taught by a teacher or demonstrated by a heavy user. Chances are you’ll find them using a graphics tablet with a pen stylus instead of a mouse. It seems that proficient Photoshop users prefer using a stylus because it gives them more control. Artists are certainly more at home since a stylus is more akin to using a brush or a pen. However, I suspect the vast majority of photographers have learned to use Photoshop with a mouse, and most of us get along just fine.
Wacom, the leading producer of graphics tablets, has a graphics tablet called Cintiq that draws crowds whenever it’s being demonstrated at trade shows. That’s because the “tablet” is the actual monitor displaying the image being worked on. This setup allows the artist to work directly on the image using the stylus as an airbrush, pen or any other tool. It’s much more like traditional “analog” tools, so any professional artist or retoucher should feel comfortable with this system. I recently had the opportunity to try a Cintiq 15X for a couple of weeks. I’ll admit that I have never warmed to using a tablet, but then I am not a heavy user of Photoshop like an artist or retoucher working with the program every day. Having never been an artist or used an airbrush, the required hand and wrist movements are not second nature to me. For this reason, I found the Cintiq did not really suit my style of work. However, having seen professionals using a Cintiq, I can see how it works out very well for many photographers. There are two Cintiq models, the 15X with a 15-inch and a screen resolution of 1024x768, and the 18SX with an 18-inch 1280x1024 LCD monitor. The LCD’s surface has a toughened touch screen membrane for tracking movements of the stylus. The LCD is mounted on a pedestal so it can be set at an angle or even laid flat. The cushioned grip pen is cordless and does not need a battery. It works like a mouse with buttons on the side for clicking and has 512 levels of pressure sensitivity. It’s fully programmable so it can be used to scroll through menus and open or close features, avoiding the need for a mouse even in non-graphic work. One of the great attributes of a stylus is the ability to turn it over and use the opposite end as an eraser in programs such as Photoshop and Painter.
One drawback to using the Cintiq as a sole monitor is that it lacks the image quality of a good CRT or newer high-end LCD monitor. Some photographers use the Cintiq for editing but rely on a high-quality second monitor for accurate color rendering. For those who really like using the Cintiq and want to expand the workspace, there is an optional smaller tablet called the CintiqPartner available for use alongside the Cintiq. It’s a smaller 6x8-inch tablet that can be used like regular tablet with a second monitor. The same pen can be used on this tablet, in effect giving one a dual monitor setup. The CintiqPartner sells for $199.95 The 15-inch model (15X) retails for $1499, while the 18-inch (18SX) model retails for $2499. Software packaged with the Cintiq includes Painter Classic by procreate, penPalette by nik multimedia and Wacom Brushes. If you have already become proficient at using a pen and tablet, upgrading to a Cintiq might make sense. For those who have never experienced a tablet, it might be sensible to try out a regular Wacom tablet first before splashing out on a Cintiq. John Rettie is a photojournalist who resides in Santa Barbara, CA. Readers can contact him by e-mail at john@johnrettie.com or by snail-mail c/o Rangefinder.
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