PL 1600

[schaba4]

Hello,
I dream to own a cintiq 21ux -like many of you I guess...- for drawing as a hobby.
I have seen that WACOM has developped a lower range product line : PL series - more dedicated to powerpoint stuff.

What about PL 1600 as a cheaper alternative to a cintiq ?

Has anyone already tried to draw on that kind of product ?...
I understood that it is not compatible with airbrush or other sophisticated pens, but it seems quite good in the other hand.

thanks in advance for your help !...

[arganza]

Hi, everyone!
I´ m curious about the same product. I´ m currently using a graphire wacom tablet with 512 lvs of pressure (the same than pl 1600) and i´ m, quite happy with it so that´s no problem for me. I don´t use pen tilt or other pens like airbrush or so. I work in an art academy that has cintiq 21 and call me idiot but they are too big for me and never use more than the 3/4 of the screen for the main image. They also has a few cintiq 12 and they are a little small so i think 16 inch is perfect for me but i´d like to know someone´s opininion about it before i could do something i could regreat. Are this PL tablets an option? I´m planing to use it for a while and keep it as a portable option in the future. Any help or opinion is wellcome.
(sorry, i know my english is not the best

[darkmagistric]

Although I've never used one, It uses Wacoms older digitizers, so anyone used to graphires, tablet PCs, or the 1st gen bamboo will be right at home.

Outside of the lower pressure and lack of tilt, the biggest drawback is the lack of express keys and scroll wheels/strips. If yon can make do with that, I think it would be a worthwhile purchase.

[hitman261]

I read this thread with interest and as a sometimes lurker on this forum decided to join to give some feedback on the PL1600. I bought mine mainly to use in an educational setting but for various reasons have been unable to do so. I use at home for annotating documents etc and recently have started to use with programs such as sketchbook pro and photoshop. It's been great to use and I never find that I need more pressure sensitivity or tilt angle functionality. However, I have nothing to compare this to and don't forget I am a very unskilled amateur who is just playing with drawing/sketching.

I have thought that the PL1600 would make a good alternative to the cintiq and at a much more affordable price and guess that people have just been put off by it because of it's specialist nature. If anyone wants to know anymore about it as a drawing tool then please post your questions or email me. I must admit I'm using it less these days as advice I've read online encourages complete beginners to learn to draw the traditional way with pencil and paper, which I'm doing more of these days.

[redlinebuzz]

Hi hitman261, saw your post above as I am considering getting one of these and can't really justify the outlay for a cintiq. One thing I was wondering is how it performs with the likes of Photoshop, do you need special drivers or such like, and also spare pens, can't seem to find them for sale anywhere, and feedback is greatly appreciated. You haven't any videos on YouTube of the tablet do you? Thanks.

[Obraxis]

I've just ordered a Wacom PL-1600, specifically as I want to use it with photoshop and other graphics applications...without paying the Cintiq tax.

I will report back with a review when I have it

[Obraxis]

Just received it, but wont be able to test it for a few days. I did however receive an email from Wacom saying you CAN use it for Photoshop work very well, and if you've never used a Cintiq you'd never know the difference.

[Malifer]

Just received it, but wont be able to test it for a few days. I did however receive an email from Wacom saying you CAN use it for Photoshop work very well, and if you've never used a Cintiq you'd never know the difference.

So how is it? I keep thinking ive read somewhere that someone said they had one but didnt like it for photoshop, but with 512 levels of pressure it cant be that bad. many make due with less. Id be interested in hearing if you like it or not.

[Obraxis]

It's pretty good actually. I just submitted a review thread pending moderator approval

Edit: Seems both my thread and posts here are not working... So I posted the review here:
http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthre...f=23&t=1082007

[Obraxis]

It's pretty good actually. I just submitted a review thread pending moderator approval

My review got posted here for people interested:
http://conceptart.org/forums/showthr...)-Quick-Review

I will answer any questions in there

[Obraxis]

My review text keeps going missing No idea why so I'll post the review in here for now:

Wacom PL-1600 (aka DTU-1631 in the USA) Quick Review

Hey all,

I finally had a chance to do re-do my quick review of the Wacom PL-1600 (aka DTU-1631 in the USA).
You can probably tell from Googling, it's very hard to find a review of ANY kind on this device, as it seems not many people are picking this up as a possible Cintiq alternative...


Which it very well should be. It's pretty fantastic.

Designed initially for the Tablet Displays for use in Banks and other display places, this device could easily serve as a cheap Cintiq. It's even more impressive that it comes form Wacom themselves. The screen comes in a brown box with the Wacom logo emblazoned on it's sides. nothing too fancy, but you're not paying for a fancy box.


You do however get the specs and contents listed on the side:


Inside the box you have a number of accessories: DVI to DVI, DVI to VGA, A to B usb cable, power brick and EU & UK power plugs. You also get the quick start manual and driver disc. Great thing Wacom have done is include 4 extra Pen nibs! That should keep most artists busy for a long time! :-)


The size of the display is a really good size, about the size of an A4 piece of paper with just over an inch thick border. The only button on the front of the screen is the power button (unlike a Cintiq).


The build quality of the screen itself it's superb. Being made of strong plastics, glass screen and metal hinges. The power brick however let's the superb screen down. It's made of cheap nasty plastic, feels light and easily breakable. I think you would need to take care if moving the PSU around too often.


Installation of the unit was a breeze. Just connect the unit to your PC with either DVI or VGA adapters provided & install the drivers on the provided CD. Note if you have a Mac Laptop or iMac you will need a displayport/lightning adapter (~£5 on eBay).


The screen quality itself is good. Colors are well reproduced (thought not perfect) and response time from both the screen and pen are on-par with a genuine Cintiq. Screen brightness is great as well. BUT you ask, how is it in photoshop? I've made a quick YouTube video showing how the pressure sensitivity is:


One of the things you may need to adjust are the pressure sensitivity settings. thankfully they are exactly the same as any other Wacom. 512 levels of pressure seen more than adequate for drawing work.


And finally, a size compairson against a trusty convenient 500ml Coke bottle:



RESULT: Overall for less than half the price of a Cintiq, this comes highly recommended.

Specifications: 7/10 - Missing some of the button and features of an actual Cintiq, but with 512 pressure levels that's more than enough for most people.
Usability: 8/10 - Works great with Photoshop and other pen pressure-sensitive programs.
Quality: 8/10 - Great build quality of the actual screen, let down by a poorly built PSU.
Price: 9/10 - At around £844 online, this is a bargain compared to an actual Cintiq.

Overall: 8.5/10 - If you are a student or simply can't afford a Cintiq, this device from Wacom should be all you need and more!

[Obraxis]

I dont know why the thead is invalid and missing...very odd. So I posted the review on cgtalk: http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthre...f=23&t=1082007