Huion Kamvas 13 (Gen 3): A great starter pen display

The Huion Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) pen display is a compact and affordable solution for those who want to have a go at creating digital art, whether we're talking about professionals or budding artists. Given the wide range of tools it offers, the Kamvas 13 is suitable for both beginners and professionals.

Priced at $249 (or $269 with an optional stand), the Kamvas 13 stands out in its competitive market as a cost-effective choice for those seeking professional-grade capabilities without breaking the bank.

Design

The Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) features two precision dials and five hotkeys. This design ensures intuitive functionality and an efficient workflow. The dials are highly customizable, and you can use them to zoom in, adjust brushes, or scroll. There's even a tactile click on the dials that makes switching between functions seamless. While there's certainly a learning curve for someone who's never used one of these pen displays before, it's not too steep.

The stylus is another thing to discuss. It is comfortable to hold, and the buttons are easy to reach. The PW600L stylus offers 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity and 60-degree tilt support for more dynamic strokes, seeking to mimic the feel of traditional drawing tools as closely as possible. I found the pen to be extremely sensitive and easy to figure out.

You'll notice the Kamvas 13 Gen 3 pen display has an anti-glare etched glass, which means there are minimal reflections, and you get to draw on a paper-like surface.

Performance

The Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) delivers a high-resolution surface for users to work on. Once you connect it to your laptop, you're basically using the pen display as an extra screen. The 1920x108p resolution means you're going to have a great experience while working on your art. The 200nits brightness is somewhat limited, so don't venture into the sunny outdoors.

Once you power up the display, the only thing you have to do is launch whatever drawing app you use, be it Photoshop, Krita, Infinite Painter, or even Microsoft Paint if you so desire.

Response time feels minimal, although it's actually 25ms, which is slower than the 15ms offered by other pen displays. You won't feel that too much, however, unless you want to draw super fast.

The pen's 60-degree tilt gives you the chance to do exactly what you want with your brush strokes, for instance. The 16K levels of pressure sensitivity also means that if you push harder on the pen, the mark you leave will be more pronounced. There's no battery in the pen, by the way, so no charging is required. The pen stand holds some extra nibs whenever you need to swap them out.

The driver that comes with the app lets you finetune your experience, starting with customizing the hotkeys and the two dials. One of the cool things you can do is have each button programmed for a specific keystroke combination. For instance, I was really eager to program one of them to Undo whatever I messed up.

You can also choose other actions, like running a program, pan scrolling, opening a quick menu, or fixing pressure sensitivity. This is also the place where you can customize the three side buttons on the pen.

Drawing with the Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) was a fun experience, and being able to increase or decrease the brush sizes by simply rotating the buttons was extremely useful. I'm not going to share my drawings because that's definitely not my forte (I prefer physical painting for a reason), but I did have a ton of fun coloring some printing-ready flower drawings I found online. Sure, they were probably meant for kids, but it is what it is.

Conclusion

Huion's Kamvas 13 (Gen 3) is a fantastic entry-to-mid-range pen display. While it lacks the brightness and resolution of higher-end models, its dual dials, etched glass surface, and fantastic pen sensitivity make up for it. Whether you're a budding illustrator or an experienced graphic designer, this device enhances creativity while keeping costs manageable.  

Pros:  

• Compact design and lightweight portability  
• Textured matte glass for a better drawing experience  
• Exceptional pressure sensitivity (16K) and tilt support  
• Dual dials and programmable hotkeys optimize workflow  

Cons:  

• 200 nits brightness may not be enough for some environments  
• Can feel slow if you move super fast while drawing