Hey, everyone! It’s been a long time, and it’s been almost a year since I bought a Wacom Cintiq Pro 24. Undoubtedly, the most expensive hardware I’ve ever bought in my entire life. So, this is my short review.
What’s in the box?
Well, for starts, the Cintiq itself, of course. Including in the box you’ll find a Wacom ExpressKey — a fancy remote control with hotkeys, if you are into this sort of thing —, a Wacom Pro Pen 2, plenty of cables, and that’s basically it. No, a glove is not included… cmon, Wacom!
The screen
What can I say of a 4K screen with 99% Adobe RGB (CIE 1931) (typ) color coverage? It’s more than enough to even use it as a second monitor, of course.
The model I bought is not the touch one, and if you check some videos on YouTube you’ll understand why I avoided the model with touch. The touch response is super slow, like, really really slow! The newer Cintiq Pro 16 (from 2021) does a better job on that front, but still, not as good as any iPad for instance.
Wacom Pro Pen 2
With 8192 pressure levels, the not-so-new Wacom Pro Pen 2 shines — not literally of course.
It’s the same pen that comes with the Wacom Intuos line, and of course, it works with the Intuos drawing tablet as well, so that’s a plus.
As most drawing tablet/display’s pens these days, it’s completely battery free. There’s not much to say here, it just works. As any good tool, it does your job very well.
Wacom ExpressKey
Instead of adding programmable keys on the display itself, the Cintiq Pro 24 comes with the Wacom ExpressKey.
It’s almost the same size as an iPhone 12/13 mini, and it magnetically attaches to the bezel of the Cintiq with a decent grip. I can move the Cintiq around the it won’t fall off, which is great!
I tried a lot to get used to it, but honestly, I always go back to the good old keyboard. The only thing I’ve been using is the radial button to change the brushe’s size, that’s all.
Wacom Flex Arm
Although the Cintiq has some legs, the angles you can achieve just with those legs are just not enough, and for some reason ($$$) the Cintiq Pros don’t use the VESA interface, though, there’s a Wacom VESA mount “adaptor” that should allow you to install your Cintiq on any VESA arm, as long as it can hold its weight.
Other than that, you “need” to buy the Wacom Flex Arm if you want to have a more ergonomic experience, or you could buy the Wacom Ergo Stand. Both are super expensive, but the Ergo Stand is heavier. I bought the Flex Arm because of its weight, and of course, it’s a bit cheaper.
The Wacom Flex Arm allows you to position the Cintiq in basically any angle, and it’s not complicated to install.
Why you don’t need a Wacom Cintiq Pro 24?
First, you don’t need a drawing display to make good art, or to be a professional. Instead, you can go with a drawing tablet. Yes, the learning curve is probably higher with the latter, but, at the end of the day, they are just tools.
Any Cintiq is expensive, and this one it’s just cheaper than the 32” version. Put the Wacom Flex Arm price on top of it, and we are talking about a lot of money, about $2.4k. With that budget, you can get a Wacom Intuos Pro (or any other drawing tablet) + an iPad Pro and have a nice combo.
At the end of the day, it’s just another tool, as long as you know how to use it, it doesn’t matter that much.
It’s inevitable; sometimes, in life, you’ll buy something you don’t need.
But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing…
Pros
- 4k display
- Crispy colours, crispy screen
- Wacom Pro Pen
- No delays: screen + pen
Cons
- The fan noise gets a bit “loud” from time to time
- It’s super heavy for a drawing display. You need a proper table to install the Wacom Flex Arm with the Cintiq.
- Super expensive!