A first impression/look at the Huion Kamvas Pro 13

I have started using a pen tablet since 2014 with my Wacom Intuos. Right off the bat I knew it is the best way to do photo editing/adjustments. While I admit that I have not really used it for all of my edits, it is still good and handy whenever I ought to “get my hands dirty” with fine edits which requires good control that the ordinary mouse or trackpad can offer.

Jump to Dec 2019 and I find myself needing a new tablet as my Wacom Intuos was getting way too small for my needs. It was such a nice timing as well to see Ynzal Mktg (a good supplier of Wacom/Huion products here in Manila) to put some Huion products on sale. I checked and saw interest on the Huion Inspiroy H950P. That is a big enough pen tablet for me. I referred to online reviews and since most have given the product a good review, I went ahead and bought one for myself. I was actually a little hesitant to be honest because it was actually the first time I have read about that brand but after a few uses, I knew it was a good buy. I really had no issues with the tablet and its big surface area was such a treat.

So a few weeks went by and I saw myself seeing a need (ok.. desire/want and not a need) for a secondary monitor to help with my workflow. The original intent was for me to have a secondary monitor to be used in portrait orientation, so to be used for well.. editing photos in that orientation. I have looked for options with portability as my main priority. This is because I wanted to get something that I can set aside or hide without a hassle. While desktop monitors would be a cheap alternative, it leaves me little option in the “hide it when you don’t need it” category. At this point, my eyes were on the Asus Zenscreen (15.6″) portable screen. While this is truly handy, it only covers ~70% sRGB, which for creative professionals (not that I say I am one LOL), is bad. And since color was a concern for me when I considered Asus Zenscreen, the obvious next path is to go with retina display. Yep. I was now on to the various iPad lineup. For screen size, there were only the iPad Pros but those were overkill for me to simply buy it as a secondary screen. The next biggest option (and turned out to be the cheapest) was the iPad 7th Gen (~200usd). The color was good, the size is decent too. The consideration for the Apple iPad was due to Apple’s recent iPadOS and OSX versions that introduced “Sidecar” which basically makes your iPads a secondary screen. The best part here is that it does connect wirelessly and there is no noticeable screen lag. I was really going with that option but I then considered how to further utilize it, what if I use an Apple pencil and use it as my pen tablet as well. I again went to online reviews and while some say it is decent, some say that it is not at par with what you would expect with traditional and dedicated drawing pads. The input lag was too much, doing straight lines was near impossible too. Again, at this point, using the iPad as a drawing pad was just a big plus. But since I was going with that direction, I had to see what the market has for me for a real drawing pad/pen display. Visit Ynzal then. And yep, they are again running a promotion (seriously Ynzal, you seem to know when I am itching to get something!). This time for Huion Kamvas Pro 13 and Huion Kamvas GT191v2. A good 200USD discount bringing both at 300USD. Whoaa. The non-discounted price for the Huion items are already the same price as the iPad 7th gen + Apple pencil. I have then made additional researches and all of the reviews I watched had a raving feedback for the Kamvas Pro 13. At this point, I am 90% leaning towards the Pro 13 since the GT191v2 is a big 19.5″ display so it fails in the portable and easy to store category. A good plus with the Kamvas Pro 13 is that it covers 120% sRGB as oppose to the 100% sRGB of the GT191v2. I am currently using a MacBook Pro 13″ so I am comfortable with that screen size.

A few days later and a few exchanges of message with Ynzal Mktg and I am now opening my Huion Kamvas Pro 13 🙂

Before my first impressions, here are some information about the Huion Kamvas Pro 13 (data taken from their website):

  • Appearance
    Color:black
    Dimension:388 x 219 x 11mm
    Net Weight:910g
    Touch Ring:touch bar
    Press Keys:4 customized press keys
    Stand:folding stand ST300 20°/45°
    Video Interface:USB-C
  • Screen
    Workspace: 293.76 × 165.24mm
    Resolution: 1920 x 1080（16:9）
    LCD Type: IPS
    AG Glass: YES
    Full Lamination: YES
    Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
    Brightness: 220cd/m2
    Response Time: 25ms
    Viewing Angle: 89°/89°(H)/89°/89°(V) (Typ.)(CR＞10)
    Gamut: 120% sRGB
    Display Color: 16.7M(8bit)
  • Technical Specifications
    Pen Technology: battery-free electromagnetic resonance
    Pen Resolution: 5080 LPI
    Pressure Sensitivity: 8192 Levels
    Tilt Support: ±60°
    Sensing Height: 10mm
    Report Rate: 266PPS
    Accuracy: ±0.5mm（center） ±3mm（corner)
  • Operating Conditions
    Input Voltage: 100-240VAC,50/60Hz
    Output Voltage: 12V 1A
    Power Consumption: ≤9W
    Standby Consumption: ≤0.2W
    Working Temp. and Humidity: 0~40°C,20-80%
    Storage Temp. and Humidity: -20°C~60°C,10-90%
  • OS Compatibility
    Windows 7 or above
    macOS 10.12 or above

And now, the first Impressions:

1. Easy to set up. I only had to adjust the resolution for both the Pen display and my laptop monitor after I plugged it. I already have the driver and app installed at this point so it is nice not having to install new drivers.
2. The cable used is so nice. It only uses a single USB-C input and the provided cable already links the HDMI, USB2.0, and power together. So no messy cables.
3. The screen. It is anti-glare and has a good texture/feel when using the pen.
4. Definitely no input lag, I even think this is faster than my H950P.
5. Good color, at 120% sRGB I can be confident with the colors. It do help of course to see the same image on my retina screen.
6. Battery-free pen. Well, all of my previous tablets were like that anyways. (Note, the Apple pencil needs charging)
7. The product is solidly built, with a premium feel to it. It is really thin so carrying it along with the laptop would not be an issue.
8. The separate stand is a good touch. It gives multiple options of recline. It folds so it can be stored with little needed space, it is not attached to the Pen display so users can still enjoy using it while holding it or on their lap.

I only have two small issues on the product:
1. The buttons: There are only 4 configurable buttons on the tablet which gives me too little option. I got used to using H950P’s 8 shortcut buttons. Some are also complaining about the position of the power button. I don’t find any issues there though.
2. The need of an AC power. This is of course understandable given that it is a monitor and also acts as an input device. Though it would be cool for a battery option.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase. I have gone from wanting a secondary screen, found one but hated the colors, checked the iPad line due to it having Retina screens, but found it not to be a good input device, and to the Huion Kamvas Pro 13.

A big thanks to Ynzal Mktg for the very smooth transactions we had (for both the Huion Inspiroy H950P, the Huion Kamvas Pro 13, and also the nibs from years ago). You can reach them at:
Facebook (new window/tab)
Ynzal Website (new window/tab)

Here are some photos taken of the item: