Digital artists are having the time of their lives today with the wide selection of drawing resources and tools to choose from. It’s now easy to access tutorials and software online. Brands also constantly update their drawing tablets with better features at more affordable prices. Among these are the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and the Wacom Cintiq 16, two mid-range tablets that are garnering favorable reviews among its users. We’re comparing these two tablets in this Huion Kamvas vs Wacom Cintiq article to help you decide which tablet fits your digital drawing needs.
The Huion Kamvas Pro 16 adapted a conventional tablet design while the Wacom Cintiq 16 only has its drawing screen and power button.
Huoion Kamvas Pro 16 has its shortcut button on the side (left) while Wacom Cintiq 16’s power button can be seen at its upper right corner (right).
Huion and Wacom are two tablet brands that digital artists are very familiar with. Though Wacom has been in the market longer, Huion has gained a following especially among newbies looking for more affordable drawing tablets. Wacom is a Japanese company, but like the Chinese-owned Huion, its tablets are made in China.
An obvious difference between the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and the Wacom Cintiq 16 is the latter’s shortcut buttons located on the side of its screen. This design is typical of graphic tablets where the shortcut buttons are placed on the left of the drawing area. Lefties need not worry, though. With a few setting adjustments, left-handed mode is possible with the Kamvas Pro 16.
On the other hand, Wacom tablets are loved by pro digital artists because of its build quality and the Wacom Cintiq 16 is no exception. Its body shows premium build and sturdiness. However, the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 has a metal back panel with the ends meeting the glass part of the tablet. This metal panel definitely adds more plus points for the Kamvas in terms of durability. Surprisingly too, even with the metal back panel, the Huion Kamvas 16 only weighs 2.7 lb which is half the weight of the Wacom Cintiq 16.
Display & Surface
Both the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and the Wacom Cintiq 16 have a 15.6″ display with anti-glare and reduced parallax.
Viewing from an angle is not a problem for the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 (left)and Wacom Cintiq 16 (right). We did not notice any color shifts for both tablets.
The screens of both the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and the Wacom Cintiq 16 are both impressive as both are made of quality glass and have anti-glare coating. The Huion Kamvas Pro 16’s glass is laminated seamlessly with the screen, therefore, guaranteeing very minimal parallax. The Wacom Cintiq 16 also has reduced parallax even without a laminated glass screen so it’s a tie between the two tablets in this area.
In terms of color accuracy, the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 claims to be better. It has a 120% sRGB coverage while Wacom Cintiq 16 only has 96% sRGB color support. A closer inspection of the two screens, however, reveal that the Wacom Cintiq 16 has more accurate colors because it is already calibrated. Meanwhile, to achieve Huion Kamvas Pro 16’s optimum color accuracy, you will have to tweak its color settings first.
The Wacom Cintiq 16’s anti-glare coating gives its screen a balanced texture. The screen is neither too smooth nor too rough giving users more control over the drawing pen. It is also the same case with the Huion Kamvas Pro 16. The texture is not as good as the Cintiq’s but the quality and feel is not too bad at all.
As for mounting options, the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 doesn’t have built-in legs and VESA support like what the Wacom Cintiq 16 has. Instead, Huion recommends buying their aluminum Huion ST300 tablet stand as an add-on.
Pen & Controls
The pens of the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 and the Wacom Cintiq 16 are both ergonomically designed and battery free.
The Huion Kamvas Pro 16 comes with the PenTech 3.0 (left) while the Wacom Cintiq 16 comes with the Pro Pen 2 (right).
Huion’s PenTech 3.0 and Wacom’s Pro Pen 2 are both battery free pens with ±60° tilt support and 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity. The two styluses look very much the same and both have rubber grips located at the front for comfortable drawing. Both have two buttons but the Wacom Pro Pen 2 has an extra eraser button at the back. And while Huion packed the Kamvas Pro 16 with 10 pen nibs, you will get only 2 pen nibs with the Wacom Cintiq 16.
It is definitely more convenient to have a pen stand when you’re not using your drawing tablet and if this is important for you, the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 got your back. You can rest the PenTech 3.0 horizontally or vertically on the included donut-shaped pen stand. The pen stand has a storage space for the extra pen nibs and this can be accessed by lifting up the top cover. Meanwhile, the Wacom Cintiq 16 has a detachable fabric loop on its right side. When detached, you will see three slots on the holder for your extra pen nibs.
Earlier, we mentioned the Huion Kamvas Pro 16’s shortcut buttons located on the side of the drawing screen. But since the Wacom Cintiq 16 doesn’t have this, controlling the tablet is done through the Pro Pen 2’s buttons. Now, if you’re used to using shortcut buttons, the Cintiq 16 works well with the Wacom Express Key Remote. This wireless remote control has 17 customizable buttons that can serve as your tablet’s shortcut buttons.
Connectivity & Compatibility
Neither the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 or the Wacom Cintiq 16 have WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity.
Computer software compatible with the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 (left) and the Wacom Cintiq 16 (right).
You’ll have to live with the fact that you’ll be using cables whether with the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 or the Wacom Cintiq 16 as both tablets do not have wireless connectivity. Both tablets have a 2-in-1 cable that is used to connect to your computer. However, the Kamvas Pro 16 can be connected to an Android phone using a USB-C cable so you can use the tablet for drawing with the Huion Sketch app. Sadly, Android compatibility is not currently possible with the Cintiq 16.
The Huion Kamvas Pro 16 is compatible with any computer running at least Windows 7 or Mac OS 10.12 and can be used with the following computer software:
Adobe Photoshop
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Lightroom
Affinity Photo
GIMP
Sai
Krita
Medibang
Sketch Book
Wacom Cintiq 16 also has the same minimum computer requirements but is compatible with fewer computer software which only includes Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustration, Sketch Book, Corel Painter, and Clip Studio Paint.
Verdict
Huion Kamvas Pro 16 is a more budget-friendly choice than the Wacom Cintiq 16.
Without a doubt, both drawing tablets we featured in this Huion Kamvas vs Wacom Cintiq review are excellent choices for digital artists. However, we feel that your budget and level of expertise will have a huge say in your final decision.
We recommend the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 for newbies or beginner-level digital artists who are looking for a feature-packed drawing tablet that doesn’t break the bank. It is very user-friendly especially with its shortcut buttons, left-hand mode capability, and pen stand. It’s half the price of the Wacom Cintiq 16 so you can use your extra savings to buy the Huion ST300 tablet stand to mount it on.
Once you’re more experienced in digital drawing (or when you start receiving bigger drawing gigs), you can upgrade to the pricier Wacom Cintiq 16. We can’t deny the fact that the Cintiq 16 gives a more authentic paper feel and this is the extra price you’re paying for with this drawing tablet. Plus, over the years, Wacom has built its name in the digital art world and has almost perfected the non-existence of parallax in its drawing tablets. Then again, we feel that it’s a more practical investment for seasoned and well-earning digital artists.
FAQs
📌 Where are Huion Kamvas tablets made?
Huion is a Chinese company based in Shenzhen, China. Its manufacturing headquarters can be found in the same location.
📌 Where are Wacom Cintiq tablets made?
Wacom is a Japanese company based in Kazo, Saitama, Japan. However, its products are manufactured in China.
📌 Can I use the Huion Kamvas Pro 16 without my computer?
No, you need to connect it to a computer or an Android phone to use it.
📌 Can I use the Wacom Cintiq 16 with an Android device?
Unfortunately, no. The Wacom Cintiq 16 is only compatible with Windows or Mac computers.
