The third-generation Huion Kamvas serves as an excellent upgrade to digital artists moving to a pen display for the first time, without breaking the bank.
For digital artists, it is a great time to be looking for hardware.
As a professional cartoonist and cartographer working exclusively in the digital workspace for about two decades, pen display tablets are where I live with my work. As a result, I have used/tested many models, shapes, and sizes in my years.
Some are good, and some are not-so-good. But for the work I do, I can spot a bad pen display coming from a mile away.
Professionally speaking, we are living in an age where new offerings hit the market with regularity. The previous borderline monopoly that was the titan known as Wacom now faces stiff competition to stay ahead of the amazing pen displays available.
Companies like Huion have emerged as a reliable name in the market with steady growth and increasing strides toward improving their products with every new release.
I have history with Huion products, and in years past, I found their software lacking and products so-so at best. However, that has all changed and Huion is making pen displays and macOS-friendly software for the digital art market.
Huion recently released the Kamvas 22 (Gen 3). While that name is a heavy lift, this is an update to its previous Kamvas 22.
It's got a 2.5K definition, solid color matching, incredible quality-of-life improvements, and a reasonable price tag. All aimed at artists looking for a reliable alternative to other comparable pen displays.
Huion provided a Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) to take out for an extended test drive, to see if its quality and improvements are holding steady against the market and its own catalog.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: Inside the box
The Kamvas 22 arrived in a padded shipping box from Huion, with a product box in black with branding and additional, custom-cut padding inside for the pen display and all the components.
Inside the box:
- Kamvas 22 (Gen 3)
- Adjustable Stand ST100D
- Digital pen/stylus
- HDMI cable
- USB-C to USB-C Cable
- USB-A to USB-C Cable
- Power adapter
- AC adapter
- AC cable
- Pen holder
- Pen slot (attaches to Kamvas 22)
- Screwdriver and screws (x2)
- Color calibration report
- Standard nibs x10
- Anti-touch glove
- Cleaning cloth
- Quick start guide
The packaging and overall safety of the Kamvas 22 and components for shipping is excellent.
Huion is good at delivering an experience that feels professional and its packaging of the Kamvas 22 is no exception. Opening the box and setting up the components feels like a high-end experience.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: Specs
- Color: Dark Gray
- Dimension: 527.7 x 324.7 x 16~36.7mm
- Working Area: 475.392 x 267.408mm
- Net Weight: 3.6kg
- Touch: N/A
- Stand: 20 degrees - 80 degrees Adjustable Stand
- Video Interface: HDMI, USB-C
- Resolution: 2560 x 1440 (16:9) QHD
- LCD Type: IPS 90Hz
- AG Glass: Anti-glare etched Canvas Glass 2.0
- Full Lamination: YES
- Contrast Ratio: 1000:1
- Brightness: 250nit (Typ.)
- Response Time: 14ms
- Viewing Angle: 89 degrees/89 degrees(H)/89 degrees/89 degrees(V) (Typ.) (CR10)
- Color Gamut Volume: 130% sRGB
- Display Color: 16.7M(8bit)
- Digital Pen: PW600L (PenTech 4.0)
- Pen Technology: Battery-Free EMR
- Pen Resolution: 5080 LPI
- Pressure Sensitivity: 16,384 Levels
- Tilt Support: 60 degrees
- Sensing Height: 10mm
- Report Rate: 260PPS
- Accuracy: 0.3mm (Center), 1mm (Corner)
- Working Temp. and Humidity: 0-40C, 20-80%
- OS Compatibility: Windows 7 and above / macOS 10.12 and above / Android USB3.1 DP1.2 and above
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: Quality and Features
The Kamvas 22 is an incredibly well-made pen display from front to back and top to bottom.
With its sturdy case, full-lamination anti-glare screen, and discreet yet functional button placement, Huion delivers. It's another pen display with a modern aesthetic that does not diminish the performance of the tablet at all.
I want to shout this next bit from the rooftops, as it is an issue I have battled with many other pen display manufacturers, Huion included. The Kamvas 22 includes a detachable display stand.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: The stand is detachable.
This is the full ST100D stand from its catalog, and it is included as standard with the Kamvas 22. This is an amazing inclusion.
The stand allows for a rock-solid 20 to 80-degree angle. It ushers in relief from the back-breaking flip-down stand included in move pen displays.
The stand is removable for lap use or for attaching other swing arm display mounts. Huion included a pair of screws and a screwdriver for easy attachment and removal as well.
I criticized Huion and other manufacturers for their lack of included stands in the past. While I know I am not the sole reason why Huion included one with the Kamvas 22, I will happily take the credit for it.
Huion includes a single battery-free pen with the Kamvas 22: It's newest PenTech 4.0 PW600L.
It is a lovely display tablet pen that feels like the chunkier stylus models from Wacom and Xencelabs. But it tapers slightly to feel more comfortable in the hand for long drawing sessions.
The pen includes three programmable buttons and a programmable eraser end as well.
Huion includes 10 standard pen nibs with the Kamvas 22 that fit inside a lovely pen stand included with the pen display.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: Setup
Setting up the Kamvas 22 for use right out of the box was incredibly quick and easy.
After unboxing and sorting the components, I plugged everything into my Mac Studio, booted up, and downloaded the Huion driver for macOS. I was working within minutes, it was truly that easy.
Huion provides three ways to connect the Kamvas 22 to your computer.
The first option is a direct, full-feature USB-C to USB-C connection from the Kamvas 22 to a USB-C port. The second option is the HDMI cable option paired with the USB-C to USB-A cable adapter, and the third option is via HDMI cable with the USB-C to USB-A cable adapter.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: The rear light.
I tested all the methods with my Mac Studio, and everything worked perfectly at the base level. Out of the box, I could have started work immediately, but I needed to customize the pressure settings and my stylus button functions.
I have wrestled with drivers from Huion (and others) in the past when it comes to proper integration into a macOS environment. I am very happy to report that the Huion driver for the Kamvas 22 is excellent.
I appreciate having a quick, simple, and perfect setup and install process with the Kamvas 22 driver. I love that the driver allows you to set profiles for specific apps as well, either as blanket commands or specific to each app in use.
The driver does everything needed and allows you to adjust button mapping on the stylus pens, adjust pen pressures, and configure finer details to meet your needs. It also sets up the built-in lighting on the back of the pen display.
A new feature with the Kamvas 22 is a ring of lighting to backlight the display for ambient lighting and mood. It could be easy to dismiss this as a frivolous feature, but as someone who works in low-light offices, I appreciate the small touch of ambient light it provides.
Plus, lights are cool.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: In Use
After setting up the Kamvas 22, I double-checked my calibration before opening a fresh Photoshop document and settling in to draw.
There is no fan noise from the Kamvas 22. None.
You can work with this pen display on your desk with a sleeping baby in the room or in your lap while you watch movies on the couch. You will never hear it.
I worked on the Kamvas 22 for many consecutive hours every day of my review period. I never noticed any significant change in surface temperature or a drop in performance resulting from any internal heat issues.
The stylus pen included with the Kamvas 22 is sturdy and comfortable. Nothing about the Kamvas 22 feels cheap or easily breakable, and the rubber-style grip on the pen is excellent.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: Stylus and holder
The Kamvas 22 has a fully laminated anti-glare work surface that is clean and durable, with a bit of micro texture that makes the drawing experience feel more like working on paper. I like this a lot, as I always spend the money and invest in felt nibs for other manufacturers' styluses.
Using the standard nibs from Huion on the Kamvas 22 feels great, and I want to experiment with felt nibs on this surface.
The biggest issue for me with any pen display is the quality of the sharpness of the line quality and responsiveness on the display. When I draw, I need to know when I draw a line on the pen display that the response time and pressure sensitivity will behave exactly as expected.
The Kamvas 22 offers 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity, 60-degree tilt support, and 200g-500g of adjustable force with a staggering 90hz refresh rate with the stylus/cursor response time.
I was floored by how smooth and consistent the line quality is. There is no cursor float or stuttering.
Factoring in the improved pressure sensitivity and driver options, Huion has created the best drawing experience I have ever had with a pen display. I liked it so much, I used the Kamvas 22 to create a freelance map project for Marvel.
My only regret is that I have not had this experience with a larger tablet yet. I like to work on 24-inch and larger pen displays as my daily user, as I am a "full range of motion shoulder illustrator," and it is easier on my hand fatigue.
The working area of the Kamvas 22 is excellent as is, and I could make it work every day if needed, but like many digital artists, I'm greedy.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: Cost
The Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) retails in the Huion online shop for $599 with a variety of optional accessories and bundles available with purchase.
The cost for buying into a pen display like the Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) is always an investment. Unless you have a surplus of expendable funds, you should always shop and compare to find the best pen display for you and your needs.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Review: In use with a Mac Studio
Wacom offers the Wacom One 14 at $299, and Xencelabs sells its Pen Display 16 Lite for $799, making the Kamvas 22 an excellent value for what you receive in size, resolution, and included features (like the display stand).
I have used a Wacom One 14, and it is a nice pen display, but for the quality of the hardware to the macOS driver, the added working area of the display and the colors, the Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) is the better investment.
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Pros:
- Easy installation
- Beautiful display with great refresh rate and line quality
- Display stand included, native VESA mounts optional
- Zero fan noise
- Sturdy construction
- Mac-compatible driver that actually works
Huion Kamvas 22 (Gen 3) Cons:
- Short USB-C cable
- While reasonably priced, it is not cheap
Rating 4.5 out of 5
The Kamvas 22 is an outstanding pen display for home, office, and mobile work. Huion continues to improve with every release and at a lower cost than the leading pen display manufacturers.
Where to buy the Kamvas 22 (Gen 3)
The Kamvas 22 is currently available through the Huion online shop for $599. It's also on Amazon for the same price.
