Cintiq purchase

Sleepbringer

I am looking to purchase a Cintiq Tablet in the next month. I have never owned or used one in the past so I am kind of clueless.
I am wondering:

your thoughts on them
Model you prefer/recommend
Is the Companion worth it for portability or should I simply buy the 22" and be stationary?

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

smceccarelli

Cintiqs = The most awesome thing ever

I owe mine since 3 years, it is my constant friend and partner (yes, I also have real flesh-and-blood ones, I am not that weird...) and probably my favorite object in the whole house. Maybe the iPadPro is competing with that status now, but not quite. I have a 24HD, because I am quite addicted to screen space and I hate working small.

But

There are a lot of other brands now that are much cheaper and have very good reviews (Ynova is one of them), so you may consider those instead. Also, there are artists now that work with the iPadPro using Astropad to convert it into a drawing tablet. That has the enormous advantage that the iPadPro is a mobile drawing tool by itself (and an excellent one at that). I have never used Astropad, but there are people that swear by it.
As for the Companion - I have no experience with it, but when I was looking for mobile solution, the weight, heat generated and limited battery time put me off. I decided to get an iPadPro instead and I think it was an excellent choice.

Celi

I began with the Bamboo, then the Intuos. For my last birthday, I bought a second hand Cintiq (16" I think), and there is a before and an after... It's really a pleasure to use it, comparatively to the Intuos.

andyjewett

I have a 22HD and a Companion Hybrid... as @smceccarelli said, Cintiq = the most awesome thing ever. I appreciate the larger model for the room to move but I actually prefer the surface texture on the companion (closer to a feeling of drawing on paper).

It really depends on your needs... do you need a mobile solution as well because the companion model I have is al so an android tablet when it is not hooked up to my MAC... and it is certainly cheaper than the larger dedicated Cintiqs.

Personally I would rather have an iPad Pro and the larger dedicated Cintiq handling my desktop and mobile needs in that way. But, that is the most expensive option of course.

Cintiq Companion 2nd generation

Cintiq 22HD

Bottomline... once you have a Cintiq it's likely that you'll never go back.

Dulcie

I don't have a Cintiq yet...I hear that they are so wonderful to use, and I'm sure one day I will switch over....but I'm not rushing yet because probably I will go 'oh wow! now I have this, I can never go back....' ...and then it will be yet another thing to look after/keep away from my 2 year old/insure/replace, in addition to my desktop, Intuos and laptop. But I tell myself, one day in the future when I am worthy of having it and get that book deal/big job or something or another extra to pay for it, it can be my reward

Sarah LuAnn

I was researching tablet monitors a couple years ago when I was looking to buy. I was looking at the cintiq but also other brands. In the end I went with the yiynova after reading several reviews, and I am happy with my choice. Why? Because over and over the comparison reviews (including Will's) said something to the effect of, "You get 90% of the machine/capabilities for 50% of the price."

I've had my yiynova for nearly a year and a half. I love it! I've had no problems and I'm glad I saved the extra 500+ dollars it would have cost me to get a cintiq of a similar size. For what I paid for my yiynova, I would barely have gotten the smallest cintiq size.

That being said, cintiq is an AWESOME brand and I think its great if you want to go with the very best. Just keep in mind there are options that are very nearly as good, and won't make quite as large a hole in your pocket

evilrobot

I have the same Cintiq model as @smceccarelli and I agree it's the best thing I've ever owned. I also had a 15" and then the 21" every model has gotten better.

Naroth Kean

I have done a ton of research on tablet, but Cintiq seems to be the best one still. I have Yiynova 19 right now, and it works perfectly fine for my type of work. However, I don't recommend Yiynova for detail line work because the accuracy is not good at all. I might invest in Cintiq later when the money come in more, and yes Procreate Ipad pro pencil is awesome for sketching for me. Good luck!

Chip Valecek

I have the surface book which I love! My goal is to upgrade to the Surface Studio some day, but when I needed a new PC i was thinking about a nice PC with a cintiq and while at the store looking I saw the Surface Book. I tried it and thought how perfect it is and I can take it anywhere. Saved tons of money as well.

DOTTYP

I have a cintiq 13 Hd the screen is to small but my eyesight is not great and it always has to be attached to a computer with a very short lead,I would love to be able to draw in bed at night.I would go for the bigger model maybe a cheaper brand only you would know if portatibility is an issue I must admit the ipad with Procreate looks awesome.

Kekkerz86

I have the Cintiq Companion 1. I did have the plug in not charging issue but Wacom fixed it right away and I haven’t had a problem since. I love being able to work wherever and whenever and since I use all of the express keys, the small tool buttons in photoshop and illustrator don’t bother me at all. The express keys are one of the reasons I went with Wacom and not the other brands. At my day job we just got upgraded to the 22HD Cintiq and I love that too. Having the bigger model to work on has made me a little spoiled when I use my Cintiq Companion b/c there is less space/surface to move around on while drawing. I would love to get the 22 or 27 Cintiq in the future for my home studio.
I think whatever size you go with it should work great, I think it's just, knowing what your needs are and how you work. Do you like to stay at your desk? or do you like to move around and create in different environments? I liked to move around and work in different spaces so the Cintiq Companion was the best option for me at the time. Plus it's a stand alone computer so I only need to bring one machine and less cords with me wherever I go.