CES, the world’s biggest gadget show, has been and gone for another year, and among the new smartphones, even-higher-def TVs and super-lightweight laptops, there was a bit of news for artists and animators with an update to Wacom’s touch-screen tablet line, the Cintiq 27QHD and Companion 2.

With its 27-inch screen, the Cintiq 27QHD is the biggest pen display Wacom has made, and boasts a higher 2.5K resolution at 2,560x1,440. However it actually has the same footprint as its predecessor, the Cintiq 24HD, and is much lighter, at just 9kg.

In terms of specification, the 27QHD is improved across the board, capable of displaying 97% AdobeRGB with 1.07 billion colours and conforming to the REC 709 HDTV standard. It also features five USB 3.0 ports, plus DisplayPort and HDMI outputs.

To help save screen space, the tablet’s ExpressKeys have been moved to a separate remote control, which is bundled in with the display and has a three-mode touch ring plus 16 user-definable buttons. There’s also a dinky little keyboard available separately for £45/$50, if you prefer using your favourite shortcuts.

For the ultimate in tactile creativity, the 27QHD is also available in its ‘Touch’ form, which enables you to use gestures to pan, zoom and rotate your canvas. You can even work in apps like ZBrush, Mudbox or Maya and mould the digital clay with the pen or your fingers.

The 27QHD plugs into your Mac or PC but can work also as a standalone Window 8 device, should you want it to. For model makers, animators and textures artists, these new pen displays look like a wonderful way of interacting directly with your artwork, if you can afford the price tag; the 27QHD is £1,800/$2,300 and the 27QHD Touch is £2,100/$2,800. The adjustable Ergo stand will set you back an additional £320/$399.

Wacom’s second new release is the Cintiq Companion 2, a direct sequel to its namesake. This 13.3-inch tablet provides the same 2.5K resolution of its big brother, and is available in four standard configurations, depending on the spec of the processor. The range kicks of with the ‘Value’ model which for £1,200/$1,300 has an Intel Core i3 1.7GHz CPU and a 64GB SSD, and tops off with the ‘Enhanced’ model, which costs £2,000/$2,500 and includes an Intel Core i7 3.1GHz CPU and a 512GB SSD.

The update features six customisable ExpressKeys, with three USB ports, plus an SD and Micro SD slot. And the major addition is that while the original Companion was only useable as standalone Windows 8 tablet, the Companion 2 now plugs into a Mac or PC providing full pen and touch screen access when you’re at your desk.


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