As a photographer, having reliable storage for all of your photos and videos is crucial. With image and video files taking up large amounts of storage space, most photographers need high capacity hard drives to store their work. But with so many hard drive options on the market, it can be tricky to determine which hard drive is the best choice for your photography needs.
In this guide, we’ll go over the key factors to consider when choosing the best hard drive for photographers. We’ll compare the top hard drive types like SSDs vs HDDs, portable vs desktop drives, and the most important specifications to look for. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to look for when selecting the ideal hard drive for storing your precious photo and video libraries.
Quick Summary – The Best Hard Drives for Photographers
If you don’t have time to read this full guide, here’s a quick overview of our top recommendations for hard drives for photographers:
- Best Overall: Samsung 870 QVO SATA III SSD
- Best Portable Drive: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
- Best External HDD: WD My Book Duo Desktop RAID External Hard Drive
- Best Internal HDD: Seagate BarraCuda Pro Desktop HDD
- Best Budget: WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD
Keep reading for an in-depth look at what makes these drives our top picks for photographers.
SSD vs HDD: Which is Better for Photographers?
The first decision to make when choosing a hard drive is whether you need a solid state drive (SSD) or traditional hard disk drive (HDD). Here’s a quick rundown of the key differences:
SSDs
- Faster read/write speeds – Up to 550+ MB/s read, 500+ MB/s write
- More reliable with no moving parts
- Higher cost per gigabyte
- Lower storage capacities available, typically 500GB to 4TB
HDDs
- Slower speeds – Up to 230MB/s read/write
- Mechanical parts make them less reliable
- Much cheaper per gigabyte
- Higher capacities available, up to 10+ TB
For most photographers, a fast and reliable SSD is worth the higher cost for your primary photo storage drive. The faster speeds will make editing and accessing your photos much quicker. An external SSD is great for transporting and editing photos in the field.
But for archival storage and keeping your entire photo library, a high capacity HDD can provide plentiful storage. Used as a backup or secondary drive, the slower speed of a HDD is acceptable.
Our recommendation is to use a fast SSD as your primary photo drive. Then use large high capacity HDDs for archiving old photos and as external backups.
Portable vs Desktop Hard Drives
The next choice is whether you need a portable external drive or a desktop drive:
Portable External Drives
- Small and compact size
- Typically USB powered
- Can be easily transported for on-location photo shoots
- Less storage space, maxing out at around 4TB
Desktop External Drives
- Larger physical size
- Need a power cable, not as portable
- Higher capacities available, up to 10TB+
- Faster speeds with some drives
Portable external drives are great for photographers who work on location a lot and need to transport their photos. The small size makes them easy to toss in a camera bag.
Desktop external drives are better suited for studio photographers who don’t need to move their storage around much. The large capacity and fast speeds of desktop drives make them ideal for storing huge photo libraries.
Having both a fast portable SSD and a high capacity desktop HDD combines the best of both worlds. Use the portable drive when out shooting and transfer photos to the desktop storage when you get back.
The Best External Hard Drives for Photographers
Best Overall: Samsung 870 QVO SATA III SSD
The Samsung 870 QVO is our pick for best overall external SSD for photographers. It offers an unbeatable mix of speed, reliability, and value.
With read/write speeds up to 560/530 MB/s, the Samsung 870 QVO is blazing fast. The SATA III interface makes it compatible with almost any computer.
It’s available in 1, 2, 4, and 8 TB sizes, giving you flexibility for your storage needs. The 8TB model can store over 2 million photos!
The durable design is shock and vibration resistant to handle transport. And it comes with a 5 year limited warranty for peace of mind.
While not as fast as an NVMe drive, the 870 QVO offers the best value by far in terms of price per gigabyte. For a high capacity external SSD, it can’t be beaten.
Best Portable Drive: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is ideal for photographers on the go. It delivers blazing fast speeds in a truly portable form factor.
Read speeds up to 1050MB/s and write speeds up to 1000MB/s mean you can edit photos directly from the drive. The rugged design is shock and vibration resistant.
The carabiner loop allows you to securely attach the drive to your belt or camera bag. At only 3.79 x 1.95 inches for the 1TB model, it’s tiny enough to take anywhere.
Available capacities range from 500GB to 4TB. While not cheap, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD offers elite performance in a portable size. For photographers who need speed and mobility, it’s the clear choice.
Best External HDD: WD My Book Duo Desktop RAID External Hard Drive
The WD My Book Duo is the best external HDD for photographers who need plenty of storage space. The two-bay enclosure supports up to 20TB storage with two 10TB HDDs.
It supports RAID-0 for maximum speed or RAID-1 for drive mirroring redundancy. Sequential read/write speeds up to 360MB/s are possible in RAID-0.
The My Book Duo works right out of the box with its included WD Discovery software for time machine compatibility. Optional 256-AES encryption helps keep your valuable photos protected.
Overall, the WD My Book Duo offers massive photo storage potential in a reliable external desktop enclosure. The huge capacity and fast speeds make it ideal for storing entire photo libraries.
Best Budget: WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD
If you’re looking for an affordable external SSD, the WD Blue 3D NAND SATA SSD is your best option. It delivers impressive read/write speeds up to 560/530 MB/s at a low cost.
The 1TB and 2TB models strike a nice balance of capacity and price. A durable and shock-resistant design handles storage on the go. And it works on both Windows and Mac right out of the box.
While not as blazing fast as more expensive models, the WD Blue still offers 4-5x the speeds of a HDD. For the money, it’s a great budget external SSD for cost-conscious photographers.
Best Internal HDD: Seagate BarraCuda Pro Desktop HDD
If you need mass storage for a desktop computer, the Seagate BarraCuda Pro HDD is the top choice. It offers enterprise-class reliability combined with huge capacities up to 14TB.
SATA 6Gb/s interface delivers maximal burst rates up to 210MB/s. Multi-tier caching technology further optimizes performance. And multi-drive vibration resistance keeps things running smoothly.
The 7200RPM drive speed provides performance for editing and accessing large photo libraries. Or use it as a secondary drive just for backups and archives. With rock solid reliability and huge capacity, the Seagate BarraCuda Pro is ideal for photographers storing mountains of images.
External Hard Drive Buying Guide for Photographers
When choosing the best external hard drive for your photography needs, there are several factors you’ll want to consider:
Storage Capacity
As a photographer, you likely take tons of high-resolution images and video. Those large files quickly add up and eat through storage space. Here are some estimates on storage needs:
- RAW images from a 20MP camera are around 20-30 MB per file
- JPEG images are smaller, typically 10-15 MB each
- 1 minute of 4K video is around 400 MB
So for example, 1,000 RAW images would take up roughly 20-30GB. Just a few 4K clips could eat up multiple gigabytes.
Ideally you want enough capacity to hold your entire library with room to grow. For maximum future-proofing, choose the largest capacity you can afford. External HDDs now go up to 10-14TB for colossal storage.
Speed
The speed of a hard drive is measured by the rate it can read and write data. This is labeled as MB/s (megabytes per second) or GB/s (gigabytes per second).
Faster drives allow you to import, edit, and access your photos quicker. SSDs have much faster speeds than HDDs. Here are the speed differences:
- Portable SSDs – Up to 1050MB/s read, 1000MB/s write
- Desktop SSDs – Up to 550MB/s read, 500MB/s write
- Portable HDDs – Up to 130MB/s for both read/write
- Desktop HDDs – Up to 210MB/s read, 150MB/s write
If you frequently edit photos, a faster SSD will save you time. HDDs work fine for simply archiving photos and video.
Drive Type
There are a few main types of hard drives to choose from:
- Portable external SSD or HDD
- Desktop external SSD or HDD
- Internal SSD or HDD for desktop PC
Portable drives allow you to easily transport your files and connect via USB almost anywhere. Desktop drives offer larger capacities and faster speeds but less portability.
For a permanent storage solution, an internal drive installed in a desktop computer provides fast access and large capacities. You can also install multiple internal drives if needed.
Reliability
Since your photos are irreplaceable, reliability is a key factor when choosing a hard drive. SSDs have no moving parts and better withstand shock, vibration, and drops. HDDs with traditional spinning disks are more prone to failure over time.
For professional use, look for drives designed to handle constant use and transport. Rugged, shockproof designs provide extra protection.
RAID support allows drives to be mirrored in case one fails. And multi-year warranties guarantee drive replacement if issues occur.
Always use multiple backups with any hard drive, as no single storage device is completely fail-proof. But choosing a reliable, well-built drive reduces your risk of losing precious photos.
Drive Interface
The interface is how the hard drive connects to your computer. Faster interfaces mean faster data transfer speeds:
- USB 3.2 Gen2x2/USB 3.2 Gen2/USB 3.0 – External USB ports on laptops and desktops. Offers speeds up to 10Gbps (Gen2x2), 625MB/s (Gen2), and 625MB/s (Gen3).
- USB-C – Reversible USB cable. Supports USB 3.2 Gen2x2 speeds up to 10Gbps.
- Thunderbolt 3 – Blazing fast interface up to 40Gbps. Requires compatible Thunderbolt 3 port.
- SATA III – Internal computer connections. Up to 600MB/s data rates.
Faster USB and Thunderbolt interfaces allow you to take advantage of the full speed potential of SSDs. SATA III works well for internal HDDs and SSDs where rapid transfers aren’t as critical.
Security
Photos on hard drives can be secured against unauthorized access in several ways:
- Encryption – Encrypts all data on the disk requiring a password or key to access.
- Private folders – Password protect certain folders on the drive.
- Read-only access – Block writing to prevent files being changed or deleted.
- Auto-backup – Software automatically backs up photos from the drive to cloud or external storage.
For maximum security, use drives with 256-AES encryption. This military-grade encryption prevents data access without the correct credentials.
Private folders add an extra layer of protection for your most important photos. And auto-backup ensures copies exist in case your drive is damaged, lost, or stolen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should photographers use SSD or HDD?
SSDs are recommended over HDDs for most photographers due to their faster speeds, smaller size, and reliability. Use an SSD as your primary working drive, then store archives and backups on large capacity HDDs.
What size hard drive do photographers need?
Most photographers need at least 1-2TB of storage to start. Heavy shooters may require 4TB or more. Gear toward the largest capacities you can afford for maximum future proofing.
How long do external hard drives last?
With proper care, an external hard drive can last 3-5 years on average. Portable drives fail faster from transport and drops. Always keep backups as all drives eventually fail.
Do photographers need a portable or desktop hard drive?
Having both a portable and desktop drive is ideal. Use a portable SSD for working in the field, then transfer photos to a high capacity desktop drive for main storage and backup.
Should you store photos on external or internal hard drive?
For most photographers, storing photo libraries on an external drive allows you to easily access them from any computer. Internals drives are good for backups or expanding capacity of desktop PCs.
Final Recommendations
Choosing the best hard drive for your photography needs comes down to your budget, portability needs, and storage requirements. Any of the drives in our top picks will work great for most photographers.
For a high-performance external SSD, the Samsung 870 QVO is perfect for studio and field work. If you need maximum portability, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD delivers. And the WD My Book Duo Desktop RAID drive offers expansive storage for huge photo libraries.
Pair a fast external SSD with a high capacity desktop HDD, and you’ve got a great storage solution for photography. Always keep redundant backups of your work on multiple drives. With the right storage plan, you can keep every one of your irreplaceable photos protected and accessible for years to come.