Click here to view the Amazon listing for the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17
Click here to view the Amazon listing for the Wacom Cintiq 16 (Non Pro Version)
- Ultra HD/4K Display:
- 17.3” Touchscreen @ 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels)
- 1.07 Billion Colors
- 100% Rec. 709
- Wacom Pro Pen 3:
- 8192 Pressure Levels
- Customizable Grips
- 3 Side Switches
- Improved tilt+/-60 degrees
- 120Hz Refresh Rate:
- Seamless Motion
- Near-Zero Latency
- Fast Response
- Express Yourself Easily:
- 8 Customizable Keys
- Intuitive Menus
- Multi-Touch Gestures
- Choice of Stands:
- Easy Stand Included
- Specially Designed Stand (Accessory)
- Wacom Pro Pen 3:
- Customizable Weight
- Grip Thickness Options
- Unparalleled Responsiveness
Software Included:
- Toon Boom Harmony
- Toon Boom Storyboard Pro
- MASV
- Bluescape
- Clip Studio Paint EX
- Shapr3D
Pros & Cons Discussion
We start with the cons, which is a hefty price tag for what is essentially a customized 17″ tablet. At this price point, many are quick to turn away to look at alternatives, only to find there are few and far between that have excellent comfort and ease of use in the setting we expect for such a device. The name Wacom says it all.
But $2,499.95!
For the adept and professional, the price should be no concern. Indeed, this flat out appears to be a name-carry from the good quality 16 inch non Pro version. The stand prices affirm this inference.
Perhaps this is why Wacom has included 7 kinds of software. They know the value offered is a bit more polish than competitors plus a lot of brand-name recognition.
(We’re a little disappointed not to see a full version of Maya or 3DS Max, or Adobe Suite subscription to bat. It only makes sense! )
Judging by the competition – Kamvas Pro 24 at its $700 price range, you can afford three and still write home to mama~! Sure, it’s ‘screen only’ but you have to appreciate the extra room and running software on your desktop isn’t a stretch for the pro who uses the screens in the office, or in an at-home office (thanks Covid-19).
— Also, continuing our little rant, you can go for a 1 inch smaller – Artist 16 by XP Pen. The fact is, if you don’t work at Blizzard as an artist, or a graphic designer for Ogilvy Mathers, there are alternatives that would be just fine to try out – and return, if you’re unsatisfied, because you’d still be saving a lot!
So with that out of the way (that was the ‘bad news’), we look at the ‘good news’.
And the good news is, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17 is the latest generation of Wacom touch screen tablets with a beautiful screen, rich colors, deep darks and excellent ergonomic design. Knock offs can be dismissed.
The R&D budget of Wacom is unmatched as its brand recognizability has garnered it extremely wealthy compared to fledgling competitors. The premium market really has no other name, though Huion has been making consumer rated waves lately with lots of good feedback.
Bottomline: Reliable name at a hefty price, try non-Pro 16 for the savings?
The bottom line is, the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17 is overpriced and we believe Wacom knows this. The pen is fairly easy to use but it doesn’t compare to pen on paper as they say in marketing material. That delay is slight but noticeable when your pen slides across the screen. The Ergo Stand is heavy, large, and extremely overpriced at $500. Such greed!
(Surely lopping off a few $$$ hundred wouldn’t hurt them, and only serve to increase sales. Competitors are clearly showing that the value market for touchable artist screens are about $500 less than Wacom expects. For the premium of the name, we could feasibly excuse $300 markup but that’s it.)
Anyhow, the specs speak for themselves(see above), if you’re familiar with 16, then 17 will be a nice upgrade. Small businesses could probably go with Wacom Cintiq 16. Larger games companies and other graphics departments should probably just bulk buy something economy or huge 27″ touch screens to pair with their high end Nvidia machines with AI chips.
Click here to view the Amazon listing for the Wacom Cintiq Pro 17
Click here to view the Amazon listing for the Wacom Cintiq 16 (seriously, almost self-defeating for Wacom that their consumer non Pro version goes for $2k less and just the cost of 1″ less usable space)
What are your thoughts? We’ve tried to be as candid as possible in this review.
Sourced, reviewed and commented February 2024 by the Team.
The differences are minor. For example, the 13HD has less shortcut keys (4 as opposed to 16 and 10) which makes sense due to it’s size. But that’s not what should be the deciding factor to buy this particular Cintiq tablet/display. It’s all about the slimness and size in my opinion. It’s highly portable plus it comes with a 3 in 1 HDMI usb cable which makes it easy to hook up anywhere.
