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- Best Portable Hard Drive For Photo Storage
- Best Portable Hard Drive For Photos
- Best Buy Portable Hard Drive
A conventional portable hard disk drive still offers the most bytes for your buck, but for top transfer speeds, a solid state drive (SSD) is a must. They’re also a fraction the size and weight of conventional hard disk drives, though such speed and portability still commands a hefty price premium over a hard drive. SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD. FixThePhoto editors’ choice. Capacity: 250 GB – 2 TB Interface. The LaCie Rugged TB USB-C Portable Hard Drive, as the name suggests, provides USB 3.1 Type-C connectivity along with a Firewire 800 port with Thunderbolt 2 protocol. It is this connectivity that makes it attractive, as it is compatible with the latest Windows-based computers while supporting the older Apple products which featured Thunderbolt 2.
Introduction
As photographers, we are heavy data consumers with special needs from an external hard drive, where our work requires both a combination of size and speed. And with the introduction of better and more advanced cameras, with higher resolutions than ever, the file demands are ever-increasing. But, with so many options on the market, how exactly do you find an option that’s best for your needs? Buying the right drive isn’t as simple as purchasing the most expensive one you can afford. In this post, we’ve put together a quick guide on what to look out for, and a list of the best options today.
What to look for in a hard drive?
Before we dive in, let’s cover a few essential aspects to considering when looking at a hard drive. In total, there are seven things to look for when shopping around.
Traditional Drive or SSD?
The biggest consideration here is that traditional hard drives use mechanical parts, making them more susceptible to damage when dropped. While SSDs (Solid-state Drives) have fewer moving parts making them more durable without needing bulky shock absorbers. And their simple construction also gives them faster speeds, giving you immediate access to your data. A bonus, since they lack any moving parts, accidentally bumping the drive during transfer won’t corrupt files.
Format
Most manufacturers pre-configure their drives to support either Mac, Windows, or both. While this is easy to change after that, it’s an important consideration if you want a drive optimized for cross-platform compatibility or just your specific system. The standard formats are Mac OS Journaled, NTFS, and ExFat.
Transfer Speeds
How fast of a drive do you need? Drives offer different transfer speeds that vary based on single or large batches transfers of files. Typical hard drives offer 100-200 MB/s read and write speeds while SSDs double that and provide 300 MB/s or more. This increased rate typically cuts transfer times in half from, say 5 minutes, down to 1-2 (sometimes even seconds). And in the real world, it’s a significant difference.
Note: USB-C equipped drives don’t necessarily offer faster speeds than their USB 3.0 counterparts. In most cases, the file transfer speed is limited by the disk speed, not the USB interface.
Best Portable Hard Drive For Photo Storage
Size
How much space do you need? Last voyage of the orlova beta mac os. A traditional drive will always give you more capacity for your dollar. And a comparable SSD can easily be double the price. So if you’re looking for a large SSD, expect to pay a premium. The best practice here is to buy the largest capacity you can currently afford.
Power Source
Not all hard drives provide bus power directly from the connected device. With that, some of the larger drives will have a separate power supply and will need wall power. If you want maximum portability, this will add extra cables and reduce the portability.
Portability
How often do you plan on taking the drive out into the field? Are you a traveling photographer who’s always on the road, looking to backup and store as you go? It would also be wise to pay attention to how rugged the drive in question is—some drives offer weather sealing (IP55, 67, or 68 ratings) and bumpers that absorb shock from falls. However, if pocketability is of no concern, then it’d make sense to get a bigger external drive for use at home.
Extras
Some drives offer extra features such as bundled software, complimentary cloud storage, and data encryption. Others even include additional ports, such as SD card slots, or added functionality such as Wi-Fi or a USB-C port for cleaner and faster connections. If these extra features are a must, then this will also help rule out options.
5 – SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
SanDisk’s Extreme Portable SSD is another entry into the ultra-compact SSD market. Released in the spring of 2018, it’s a slim and thin profile that follows the design from their more expensive Extreme Pro SSD. And it’s a drive aimed at users wanting a rugged yet portable design. With that, it’s both water and dust resistant with an IP55 rating and can withstand a 2m drop without damage. And as an exFAT device, it also works with both Windows and Mac right out of the box. SanDisk offers four storage sizes of this drive, ranging from 250GB-2TB and a three-year warranty.
It uses a USB Type-C connector, which matches the fastest SSD drives around in speed. And it delivers over 500 MBps in read and write speeds. SanDisk has also provided their SecureAccess software so that you can create a password-protected folder with 128-bit AES encryption.
Overall, SanDisk’s Extreme Portable is easily one of the best SSDs on the market. And yet thin enough to slip into a back pocket and easily smaller than today’s smartphones. And with its high-end performance, rugged build, pocket-sized design, and low price, it’s quite the bargain.
4 – WD My Passport SSD
WD’s My Passport SSD is a drive that brings some fashion and appeal to hard drives with its part metal casing. Released in the summer of 2018, it’s WD’s first SSD, and one that’s sleek enough to fit into most pockets. They aim this drive at users looking for portability, with speed. And while it’s not IP68-rated for weather resistance, it can take a few drops and is shock-absorbant up to 2m. And the drive is also formatted as an exFat partition for cross-compatibility on Windows and Mac. WD offers four storage sizes for this drive, ranging from 256GB-2TB, with a three-year limited warranty.
It offers USB Type-C, and it’s 3.1 Gen 2 ready, which delivers blazing-fast read and write speeds of 540 MBps. And it’s also bus-powered, which removes the need for an external power supply. This drive also comes bundled with WD’s full suite of pre-loaded software apps. Namely, WD Backup to automatically backup files to the drive. And WD Security to encrypt your dating with 256-bit AES encryption.
Overall, WD’s My Passport SSD is a sleek and compact drive that melds style with functionality. And it provides excellent performance at a competitive price point.
3 – WD My Passport Wireless Pro
WD’s My Passport Wireless Pro aims to be the ideal all-in-one device. Released in the summer of 2016, it’s a drive aimed at users looking for functionality and streamlining their workflow, rather than portability. While it’s not weather resistant or shock-absorbant, it’s formatted for ExFat for easy cross-compatibility between Mac and Windows. And WD offers four storage sizes for this drive, which range from 1TB-4TB, with a two-year limited warranty.
The drive uses USB 3.0, which delivers a read and write speed of 120 Mbps, respectable for the class. But, it has several unique key selling features. Firstly, it offers an integrated SD card reader, which lets you immediately transfer photos or videos from your camera to the drive, a rare feature for this class. Secondly, the drive also doubles as a 6,400mAh power bank to charge your devices and use neat wire-free connections. And lastly, it has built-in Wi-Fi, so you can use it as a portable media server to wirelessly stream photos and videos to other devices with HD quality. And WD’s equipped the drive with WI-Fi password protection to secure your files and Drive Lock to prevent unauthorized USB access.
Overall, while not the fastest drive in this class, WD’s Wireless Pro offers unique functionality unmatched by rivals. And it creates a versatile all-in-one package for the photographer looking for more than a standard hard drive. It’s designed for a seamless workflow and fills an interesting gap between a variety of separate devices.
2 – WD My Passport Ultra 4TB
WD’s My Passport Ultra continues their popular long-standing Passport lineup. Released in the fall of 2018, it’s the latest generation in the series and their lightest mechanical drive to date. It now comes with a refreshed design, updated connections, and better software. This drive also comes pre-formatted for NTFS for use with Windows. Mac users will require a quick reformat before use. And WD offers this drive in four sizes, ranging from 1TB-5TB, with a three-year limited warranty.
The drive uses USB-C, which reaches read and write speeds of 120 MBps, respectable considering its a mechanical drive, not an SSD. WD also includes their WD Backup software, which allows you to automate your backup routine on an hourly, daily, or monthly schedule. And their WD Security, which keeps your file private with 256-bit AES Hardware Encryption.
Overall, WD’s My Passport Ultra offers roomy portable storage at an attractive price. And compared to rivals, its key selling point is the price you pay per gigabyte. It’s an excellent all-around performer for a traditional drive and improves an already reliable product.
1 – Samsung Portable SSD T5
Samsung’s T5 SSD is a slick and compact drive, that’s arguably the most stylish drive around. Plus, at 51g and smaller than the average business card, it’s also one of the lightest. Released in the fall of 2017, it’s a drive aimed at users looking for maximum speed and portability. It comes formatted to exFat by default. But that allows it to support Windows, Mac, and now Android devices, a rare addition in this class. Samsung also offers the drive in four sizes, ranging from 250GB-2TB and bundles a 3-year limited warranty.
The drive uses USB-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2), which reaches speeds of 540 MBps, 4.9x faster than conventional HDDs. And it includes 256-bit AES encryption, so you can protect your files if needed. These speeds and security come bundled into a shock protected casing that allows it to survive drops from 2m without damage.
Overall, Samsung’s T5 is an excellent all-rounder for those who want to stay portable and carry large amounts of data. Samsung has a reputation for strong external drives, and this release inevitably follows suit. It builds on its predecessor’s popularity with even more impressive transfer speeds and a compact yet, rugged design. And it shows that big things can come in small packages. If you’re looking for the best all-round drive, this is certainly the drive for you.
- Value
5
Summary
We’ve put together a list of the best hard drives for photos and photographers.
What’s the best external hard drive for photos for photographers? An SSD (solid state drive) hard drive, of course. It’s an improvement version of the HDD (hard disk drive). Why do photographers should adopt this new SSD hard disk technology? The reason is simple: just like a memory stick, there are no moving parts within an SSD hard drive. So you’ve got both reliability and high performance for photo and video editing. I’ll go through some of the best portable SSD hard drives by looking into two main factors, speed and reliability. Top rated external SSD external hard drives for photographers should be:
- USB-C compatible for fast data transfer
- Shock, dust, and water resistant
- Small and lightweight
- Compatible with major operating systems like Mac, Windows, and Linux
A List of Top 10 Best Portable SSD Hard Drives for Travel Photographers (2021)
SanDisk Extreme 900 portable SSD
Top of the notch SSD hard drive from global brand SanDisk, the Extreme 900 portable SSD is unbeatable in term of speed. This is amazing. Photographers with high end DSLR camera love this kind of high-performance portable SSD hard drive. You don’t even need drivers when connecting your computer to the hard drive. The other important feature we should not overlook is temperature and impact resistant.
Pros
- Read up to 850 MB/s and write up to 850 MB/s, using USB 3.1 Gen 2
- Compatible with PC & Mac computers
Cons
Best Portable Hard Drive For Photos
- Speed not matched as mentioned
- Not for running operating system
Samsung T3 Portable SSD
Second after SanDisk, I’d recommend Samsung T3 Portable SSD. The Samsung SSD T3 works well with PC, Mac, and even Android operating system. It’s very compact and lightweight. This sleek SSD hard drive fits well in your pocket, so you can take all your photos with you anywhere you go.
Pros
- Read-write up to 450 MB/s
- Achieve the best performance with USB-C cable (make sure you have a USB-C cable support at least 5Gb/s transfer speed)
Cons
- Not friendly with Apple devices
VectoTech Rapid 2TB External SSD USB 3.0 Portable Solid State Drive
This portable SSD hard drive is a great addition to your storage needs. It’s easy to use; it’s plug and play. The SSD drive offers fast transfer speeds. Slick and lightweight is usually preferable by travel photographers. In addition, VectoTech Rapid Portable SSD is shock and vibration resistance, so it’s a plus when you move around a lot.
Pros
- Super fast Read/Write speeds up to 450Mb/s
- Shock and vibration resistant
- 2-year manufacturer warranty
Best Buy Portable Hard Drive
Cons
- Need driver installation with Mac OS powered devices
PNY Elite Portable SSD
This external Solid State Drive is ideal for photographers, videographers, graphic designers who needs to back-up or transfer large files. It was built with performance and reliability in mind. It’s also probably one of the most compact SSD hard drives in portable SSD class. It works on MAC and Windows out of box. Plug and play. The down size is storage capacity available, unlike the above reviewed portable SSD hard drives, which offer more capacity.
- Read up to 430 MB/s and write up to 400 MB/s
- Great look, feel and quality of materials
WD 2TB My Passport SSD Portable Storage – USB 3.1
What I really love about this WD My Passport SSD hard disk is its shock-resistance, compact storage in a durable design. The automatic backup feature is useful for most photographers. Overall, it’s the best SSD portable hard drive for Macs.
- Read speeds up to 540 MB/s
- USB Type-C and USB 3.1
U32 Shadow External 2TB USB-C (3.1 Gen 2) Portable Solid State Drive SSD
The Thunderbolt 3 compatibility makes the U32 Shadow External SSD drive outstanding for its speed and performance. On the other hand, this SSD hard disk is quite portable, which makes it easy to pack and travel.
- Compatible with USB 3.1/3.0 and Thunderbolt 3
- Durable build and design with aluminum housing
LaCie Rugged 1TB Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 SSD Portable Hard Drive
If you travel a lot for photography purpose, LaCie Rugged Portable Hard Drive will survive extreme data security in most circumstances.
- Shock, dust, and water resistant for all-terrain use
- Speeds of up to 387 MB/s
Seagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive USB 3.0
Seagate has been popular for years as a hard drive maker. This external SSD hard drive is quite affordable for most photographers. What’s more? You won’t sacrifice the reliability with this Seagate brand. Overall, it’s the best cheap external SSD hard drive everyone can buy.
- Lightweight and compact design
- Plastic top cover
- Mac compatibility
Samsung T5 Portable SSD
With read and write speeds up to 540 MB/s, it’s a great travel hard drive for photographers. It’s compact and lightweight.
- Compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Android devices
- Metal design
- Read-Write speeds of up to 540 MB/s
- Comes with USB Type C to C and USB Type C to A cables
SanDisk Extreme 500GB Portable SSD: The Best Waterproof
If your ultimate choice is the best water-resistant external SSD hard disk, you should not look further. The SanDisk Extreme 500GB is my favorite.
- Up to 550MB/s read speeds
- IP55 for water and dust resistance
- Shock-resistant (Shock-resistant (up to 1500G)
- Vibration-resistant (5g RMS, 10-2000 HZ)
- Non-operating temperature
- For PC and Mac users
Toshiba Canvio Advance 2TB Portable External Hard Drive USB 3.0
Compatible with Mac and Windows, the Toshiba Canvio is a USB 3 portable hard disk made for storing photographs. It’s quite easy to use with a MacBook laptop to backup photos. Overall, it’s very reliable.
For those photographers with a massive collection of photographs, I’d recommend that you should either buy a few of the Toshiba Canvio external hard drives or get the 4TB capacity.
- Slim design
- Toshiba Storage Backup Software (downloadable)
- Automatic backup and password protection
Good to Know
Of all the digital storage, the SSD technology is a good investment. For most travel photographers, what we need most is digital storage to keep all their photographs. Having the best SSD hard drive is essential for most of us. I chose the to best portable SSD hard drives over normal external hard drives because of these two factors: reliability and speed.
These features are what we need to pay attention to before buying an external hard drive to store and backup our photos. The top rated external hard drives will make photographers and videographers easier for use in the home studio or travel, especially for backup large photo files. There are times we our normal external hard disks are having issues due to its old technology. With the best portable SSD hard drives you’ll feel more comfortable storing your valuable photos.
What’s else? If you’re looking for a gift idea for your friend who’s a passion photographer, giving the best external SSD hard disk is a great choice. The list above gives you a variety of options for either Windows or Mac users.