Wacom’s Cintiq Pro 27 could be costly, nevertheless it is among the most immersive, correct, and steady show tablets ever.
Regardless of a hefty $3,499 value — which doesn’t embrace the $470 Adjustable Stand — this new show pill is superb.
I’ve to confess, when this gadget was first delivered to my door, I used to be nearly in shock at simply how massive all the unit was. The 27-inch Wacom Cintiq Professional (together with its stand) is among the largest drawing tablets available on the market and is unquestionably the heaviest that I’ve ever labored with although it’s nonetheless smaller than the Cintiq Professional 24 as a result of slimmer bezels. However because of its giant measurement, the Cintiq Professional 27 presents an immense lively drawing space so that you can take full benefit of, with just about all the things that you must get began included within the field — sans the pc you’ll want to hook up with it.
In case you missed PetaPixel’s unique protection of the Cintiq Professional 27,
this show pill presents customers a 120Hz 4K touchscreen that makes use of a real 10-bit panel providing what Wacom claims as capable of cowl 99% of Adobe RGB and 98% of DCI-P3 HDR. It could additionally will be calibrated (Wacom really recommends this) for optimum coloration accuracy. As well as, the system is Pantone SkinTone validated and boasts a most brightness of 400 nits which is simply sufficient to technically ship HDR content material, although we argue that at the least 600 nits is required to really discover the advantages of HDR.
Successfully, these enhancements to the Cintiq make it greater than only a pill, however an precise reference monitor too, giving customers the performance of what has usually required two separate gadgets in a single.
Should you get one in all these, simply be ready for the house this factor takes up. Throughout my precise testing, it’s secure to say I had very restricted house and it wasn’t probably the most ergonomic of environments.
Regardless of my less-than-ideal testing workspace, as soon as I acquired the Cintiq related and dealing correctly, it shortly turned my favourite pill (show or in any other case) I’ve ever had the pleasure of utilizing.
Wacom Cintiq Professional 27: Design and Construct High quality
The Cintiq Professional 27 is a beast of a peripheral that weighs in at about 36 kilos if you embrace the official adjustable stand (the Cintiq itself can optionally be mounted onto a VESA-style arm). So whereas it’s technically smaller than the Cintiq Professional 24, it nonetheless feels larger.
The display itself is very large and supplies you with a ton of house to work with proper all the way down to the very outer edges. On each side of the gadget, you will see “grips” with a sequence of 4 buttons for fast instructions that may be re-programmed primarily based on the app getting used or for basic use comparable to accessing the varied menus and settings of the Cintiq itself. No matter left or right-handed use, the grips really feel fairly much like that of a typical digital camera physique making it simple to really feel “at dwelling” for photographers — this features a “grippy” rubber coating over the categorical key grips.
Alongside the highest proper (rear) nook of the Cintiq, you’ll discover a sequence of buttons for powering the gadget on and off, toggling the contact options, and activating the Cintiq System Menu which will be additional navigated by utilizing the “grip” buttons on both facet of the gadget.
The again of the gadget is the place customers can even discover all the accessible ports and the included cable administration system. On the left and right-hand sides of the gadget’s again panel, you’ll discover a mini DisplayPort connection, HDMI, USB-A, and two USB-C ports.
The Cintiq ships with a USB-C to USB-C, USB-C to USB-A, HDMI, and a mini DisplayPort to DisplayPort cable, successfully supplying you with with all the things that you must stand up and working with no need to make a journey to the native Greatest Purchase. After getting related the cables you want for no matter setup you’ve gotten working, you may set up some plastic covers that assist manage what would in any other case be a large number. I say that form of loosely because it’s mainly only a small cowl/protect to maintain the cables from twisting or making use of stress on the ports. Both means, whereas minimally useful, they’re nonetheless fairly welcome.
The Cintiq Professional doesn’t have a built-in kickstand, so that you’ll both have to put it flat in your desks, mount it to a VESA monitor arm, or use the customized ($500) stand from Wacom.
Whereas the stand is an absolute beast and weighs greater than the Cintiq itself, you gained’t want any extra instruments, grips, cables, or stabilizers to get it put in and begin utilizing it. Merely slide the Cintiq into the mount and also you’re able to roll. It has a little bit of an odd form (suppose a digital camera lens diagram with the lens hood because the arms on the bottom) and is sort of two-feet extensive on the longest half. It’s tremendous versatile although, and lets you place the Cintiq in an almost 90-degree vertical place (very similar to a typical monitor) all the way in which to laying flat on the desk like an precise drawing pad.
Moreover, you may pivot the display about 20 levels for an angled working place if desired. The positions will be shortly adjusted after which use the sliding “lock” on the again of the stand to actually lock it into place to make sure the display doesn’t transfer when you get working.
Eager eyes can even discover a sequence of vents alongside the highest of the gadget (and alongside the underside of the again panel) for cooling and airflow as earlier generations of the Cintiqs have confronted some criticism for the way scorching and loud the fan system acquired after they had been working for a number of hours.
Wacom Cintiq Professional 27: The Show/Pill
The 4K show of the Cintiq Professional 27 is wildly spectacular although it felt to me a bit dim, which resulted within the colours feeling a little bit bit muted when in comparison with different native 4K shows.
Nonetheless, photos are virtually razor sharp at every decision possibility accessible and movement each on display and with the pen reactiveness are very easy because of the 120Hz refresh charge and backbone of 5,080 strains per inch. Out of the field the colours are good, however after calibrating it, I used to be capable of get the 99% of Adobe RGB and 98% of DCI-P3 HDR that was promised on the field.
The corporate says the display options no parallax or latency and in my testing, I can just about verify this to be correct. The sensation of the pen-to-screen was extremely easy and pure and after per week of lengthy days of testing, there have been barely even any fingerprint smudges on the display, which tells me it combats the negative effects of day by day use very nicely.
Wacom Cintiq Professional 27: The Pen
The brand new battery-free Professional Pen 3 is a welcome change from the normal pill pens I’ve been utilizing for the final 10 years or so. The inner weights will be shifted to be entrance or again primarily based in your particular person preferences, and the grips will be modified as nicely to be the straight flat fashion or a flanged fashion that widens on the finish (like a lot of the conventional pens from Wacom). The extent of personalization that Wacom supplies to get a pen that feels good for you is admittedly appreciated.
The pen holder (cradle) can sit in your desk, or be screwed into one in all 4 positions alongside the outer fringe of the Cintiq — both the left or proper grips or alongside the highest proper or left of the show itself. Every place you place it comes with its personal professionals and cons. Putting it alongside the grips means you lose easy accessibility to the buttons behind it, and inserting it alongside the highest blocks (barely) the airflow to chill the gadget whereas in use.
Arguably inserting it alongside the facet of your dominant hand shouldn’t be a problem as you gained’t be utilizing that hand to entry the buttons behind the grip anyway since it will likely be occupied holding the pen, however since I used to be planning on messing with positions lots whereas utilizing the gadget, I opted to depart the mount on the highest left facet of the display.
Contained in the cradle hides the number of non-obligatory and further parts for the pen. These embrace 5 regular substitute nibs, 5 felt-style nibs, and three substitute snap-on button plates (giving customers the choice to pick from no buttons, a thick three-button plate, and the default skinny three-button plate). Moreover, you’ll discover substitute silicon pen grips and the nib elimination/set up device.
Regardless of all the well-designed compartments for the spare elements and positioning of the cradle, in comparison with the pen, it feels considerably low cost. Particularly if you think about the price of all the things with the standard construct of practically each different single function, the cradle may use some further love, even when it really works simply high-quality as is. It simply looks like an afterthought.
Wacom Cintiq Professional 27: Pen Stress and In-Use
The Wacom Cintiq Professional 27 might be probably the most correct and responsive pill I’ve examined in the previous couple of years. The system has an entire set of customization instruments accessible to regulate the pen sensitivity, angle, tilt, and extra via the Wacom Heart app that even lets you draw on a “clean floor” whereas testing out all the varied settings.
Like most different trendy tablets, the Cintiq Professional 27 Professional Pen 3 can acknowledge the diploma of tilt and stress as much as 8,192 ranges utilizing Wacom’s Electro-Magnetic Resonance expertise. Messing with it by drawing (poorly as you’ll see beneath) some strains and shapes and testing stress ranges, pace and angles, the pen was completely responsive and correct.
The expertise is the most effective I’ve examined thus far. Whereas retouching pictures, it was tremendous simple to get even single-pixel accuracy when zoomed through which is wildly spectacular contemplating how shakey and inaccurate my coffee-fueled physique tends to be.
Under are some captures of the pen (and my horrible handwriting) in motion at varied settings.
Usability and Efficiency
Setting the Cintiq Professional 27 up is fairly easy and follows the identical sample as any earlier pill you could have encountered. Join the required cables after which obtain the most recent drivers from the Wacom web site and comply with the prompts. On Apple computer systems which were up to date to the latest OS, there could also be some hiccups relating to the brand new safety settings and system/safety entry you’ll have to allow and, apparently, you’ll want to do that shortly or you could have to uninstall and begin over once more.
Past that potential hangup, the remainder of the setup was somewhat easy, leaving me simply to decide on a decision for the display. After getting the drivers put in (and presumably rebooted the pc) all that’s left is to begin customizing any settings you need via the Wacom Heart app.
The Cintiq Professional 27 is a luxurious merchandise. There are a number of instruments that assist you to, typically, obtain the identical duties. To be trustworthy, I’ve no want of the Cintiq Professional 27 for what I do, however after utilizing it for this evaluation, it’s actually all I wish to retouch my photos with shifting ahead. Transferring again to my regular “small” pen pill looks like stepping again a decade or extra by way of expertise and efficiency.
However even with my absolute love of the gadget, the expertise isn’t with no few speedbumps.
Whereas the crew at Wacom has clearly heard the suggestions concerning the warmth and fan noise within the Cintiqs and addressed them, it nonetheless isn’t an ideal setup. The gadget is comparatively quiet however you’ll undoubtedly discover the followers when you energy up the show (particularly in case you’re in a quiet room). It’s in no way an precise distraction — I didn’t measure the precise decibel degree — and in case you merely activate some music, the sound of the followers is shortly drowned out. The display does get heat after some continued use, however surprisingly, it doesn’t get anyplace close to “scorching” in any respect.
As talked about, the Cintiq does assist contact however I may take or depart them. For probably the most half, I left them. After some preliminary testing of the contact capabilities, which do work, I by no means felt there was a situation the place utilizing them as an alternative of the programmable buttons or my close by keyboard was a greater possibility.
As an illustration, the contact options are the one time I felt the Cintiq Professional 27 was a bit laggy and in contrast to utilizing the pen and keyboard, I couldn’t pan and zoom on the identical time when utilizing contact controls. So whereas there may be usefulness to the contact options, I believe that is an space the place Wacom nonetheless has some room to enhance and will take some notes from the performance and efficiency of one thing like an Apple iPad Professional.
That being mentioned, the Cintiq Professional 27 does embrace the flexibility to have on-screen “contact” instructions to assist pace up the workflow that I really did discover very helpful. These ranged from basic pc/keyboard fast entry, to application-centric “most used” instruments. It did take a little bit of getting used to to ensure that me to cease utilizing the long-term-conditioned keyboard shortcuts, so I assume after a studying curve this may be very helpful to illustrators and video editors to allow them to keep within the zone whereas working. These customized on-screen instruments will be adjusted via the Wacom Heart app to work in virtually any configuration you would want, theoretically which means after some customization chances are you’ll by no means have to make use of your keyboard and mouse once more.
I’ve talked about a number of occasions how giant and imposing this gadget is, and it does have an effect on the place it may be positioned. You’ll wish to make sure you’ve gotten loads of house for it, particularly if you’ll use Wacom’s stand. As it’s so giant, in case your workstation isn’t large enough, you may need hassle accessing the locking mechanism being situated behind the stand. Which means in case you’re making frequent modifications in your and the place of the display, you’ll need to awkwardly attain round or reposition all the gadget so as to get at it. Keep in mind, this factor weighs 36 kilos.
Design-wise I get it, and with a bigger workspace it actually isn’t a problem, but when house is proscribed it’s an annoyance.
The Wacom Cintiq Professional 27 is All I Need to Use Now
I’ve been utilizing tablets for over a decade and after getting over the preliminary studying curve, I can truthfully by no means return to only “click on” primarily based enhancing. When you must do customized and detail-oriented work, there actually is nothing on the earth like utilizing an correct and responsive pen pill.
Whereas I don’t completely want a show pill, after utilizing the Cintiq Professional 27, I actually don’t take pleasure in utilizing the rest. It has form of spoiled me and going again to a standard pill actually does really feel like stepping backward.
The Cintiq Professional 27’s display was a little bit dimmer than I anticipated which resulted in colours showing to be a bit muted, however the show nonetheless has extremely nice decision and coloration accuracy. The grip and management buttons on the edges are fairly helpful — if for nothing else apart from repositioning the display — and the Professional Pen 3, whereas not probably the most spectacular trying, was extremely correct and dealt with exceptionally nicely, particularly because the nib didn’t have the trademark “wobble” that’s current in practically each different pen available on the market. Lastly, all the floor helps multi-touch, so you may leverage all the display as a touchpad for hand gestures for added workflow enhancements must you want.
The Cintiq Professional 27 might not be low cost, nevertheless it does really feel definitely worth the funding. The pill is sturdy and durable, the display feels unbelievable to work with and is seemingly extremely scratch and scuff resistant, and whereas you should utilize a VESA mount to avoid wasting cash, realistically it’s best to consider this technique as a $4,000 funding somewhat than simply $3,500 and bundle the Professional Stand into the acquisition.
The system is constructed like a tank and easily works higher, smoother, and extra precisely than any show pill I’ve examined within the final 5 years.
Are There Alternate options?
Lately there have been a powerful variety of new rivals within the graphics pill market, giving a consistently rising checklist of alternate options so that you can select from.
After the $3,500 Wacom Cintiq Pro 27 and non-obligatory $470 adjustable stand, you’ve gotten some choices.
Clearly on the “professional” facet of the fence are the opposite sizes of the Wacom Cintiq Professional (which incorporates the $1,599 16-inch, the $2,699 24-inch, and the to not too long ago discontinued $3,147 32-inch fashions) adopted by the $899 XP-Pen Artist 24 Professional which is barely a 2K show however can also be considerably cheaper. Should you’re nonetheless seeking to go cheaper however get a 4K show, the $829 Kamvas Pro 16 (4K) is one other potential possibility.
The newest 12.9-inch iPad Pro is a robust contender for many who need accuracy of their pen work, however the flexibility of having the ability to edit on the transfer. And at last, the $2,799 Microsoft Surface Pro is a viable possibility for customers who desire a home windows primarily based all-in-one expertise that’s just like the iPad.
Ought to You Purchase It?
Sure. Whereas the value could also be a bit daunting, in case you already want a pen pill and a reference show, the Wacom Cintiq Professional 27 is a worthwhile funding that completely performs double obligation.