Tech Tuesday: Living Large with Wacom’s New Cintiqs

Getting ready to face the cacophony of sights and sounds at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas is tempered only by the gorgeous weather (sorry, East Coast folks—it’s 68 and sunny here today!) and the excitement of attending the largest tech toy show in the world.

I’m craving hands-on time with Wacom’s new Cintiqs: the 27QHD pen and touch displays. Just announced this morning, these 27-inch displays replace their 24-inch counterparts and deliver a huge work surface for retouching (or drawing). Both models offer 2048 levels of pen pressure sensitivity while the “touch” adds the familiar feeling of multi-touch gestures.

In addition to the 27-inch workspace, Wacom has introduced a wireless ExpressKey Remote that’s perfect for incorporating shortcut keys. The Cintiqs can accommodate up to five remotes so you can easily set them up for specific tasks and applications. And that’s in addition to the standard on-screen controls, so it’s really a timesaver (well, at least once you customize the settings).

And while you’re on the Wacom site, take a look at the new Cintiq Companion 2—the next generation Windows 8-based tablet that’s great for on-location retouching and can be hooked up to a Mac or PC as a primary or secondary display.

Prices:

$2,300 (Cintiq 27QHD available late January)

$2,800 (Cintiq 27QHD touch available late January)

From $1,300 (Cintiq Companion 2, available starting in February)

As of now there aren’t too many more photo products announcements, but there are enough to keep any photographer engaged. Be sure to check out tech editor Greg Scoblete’s reporting on PDN‘s site (and Nikon shooters need to take a look at the new, lightweight 300mm, f/4 lens—I spent a little time with the lens last night, and it’s mind-bogglingly light).

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