Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 Review

February 13, 2016Digital Camera World

If you’ve ever tried to juggle a laptop and graphics tablet while on-the-go, you’ll know it’s hardly a recipe for comfortable image editing. That’s why Wacom has produced this all-in-one graphics tablet computer, the Cintiq Companion 2 Review (prices from £1199.99/$1299.95).

But this is no scaled-up smartphone, as inside the slim 15mm-thick casing are full-on laptop-grade components fronted by Windows 8.1.

Four spec options are available, with our mid-range model’s Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB RAM easily able to run a heavy Photoshop workload. SSD storage ranges from 64-512GB, but you can expand capacity via MicroSD, while USB 3.0, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth take care of connectivity.

You can even keep traditional keyboard shortcuts thanks to the handy customisable hardware buttons alongside the screen.

Then there’s the 13.3-inch 2560×1440 IPS multi-touch screen. It’s a quality display that features a matte coating for reduced reflections and a paper-like feel that’s ideal for making smooth pen strokes, although it also generates a shimmer effect which can be distracting.

Other annoyances include the worryingly flimsy charging port and mediocre 4.5-hour battery life, however this isn’t surprising given the powerful hardware inside.

Wacom bundles the tablet with its Pro Pen that boasts 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. Together with the optimised screen friction, it provides an incredibly intuitive and accurate drawing experience.

The Cintiq Companion 2 is great for staying creative when away from the studio, but should you also want to use it as a traditional graphics tablet, it can be connected to a desktop PC or Mac.

The post Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 Review appeared first on Digital Camera World.