With the prevalence of digital photography, most people now have thousands of photos and videos stored on their computers, phones, and other devices. As those collections grow larger, many look for ways to archive them or free up space on their main devices. External hard drives provide a simple solution for offloading and backing up massive photo and video libraries.
But not all external drives are created equal. When looking for the best hard drive for storing your irreplaceable photos, you need to consider factors like:
- Storage capacity
- File transfer speed
- Durability and portability
- Automatic backup features
- Security
We examined some of the top options across various price points to help you determine the best solution for storing your precious photo memories.
Quick summary: Western Digital My Passport is a top pick for photo backup
For an external hard drive tailored specifically for photos, the Western Digital My Passport line stands out. With its built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption, time machine compatibility, and reliable performance, it’s a smart choice for photo storage. Models are available from 1TB to 5TB.
How much storage capacity do you need?
The first question to consider is how much storage capacity you require. Photos and videos can quickly eat up hundreds of gigabytes without you even realizing it. Here are some rough guidelines for estimating needed capacity:
- 1TB (1,000GB) can hold about 250,000 photos taken on a 12MP camera, or around 100 hours of HD video
- 2TB can hold about 500,000 12MP photos or 200 hours of HD video
- 4TB can hold 1,000,000 photos or 400 hours of video
Keep in mind those numbers are just approximations. The file size for photos and video varies significantly depending on camera and video settings. Erring on the side of more capacity is usually wise.
Plan for future growth
When purchasing an external drive, it’s also smart to consider how quickly your storage needs are growing. The number of photos and videos most of us take tends to expand rapidly from year to year. If you anticipate your collection ballooning soon, get a drive with extra room to grow into rather than scraping by with the bare minimum capacity.
Watch out for formatting overhead
The entire usable capacity of a drive is also slightly less than the advertised amount. That’s because internal drive formatting consumes a small portion of storage space. For example, a “1TB” drive only has about 931GB of formatted capacity available for actual file storage. So be sure to factor that overhead into your calculations.
Transfer speed: why it matters
In addition to capacity, the data transfer speed of the external drive determines how quickly you can copy files to and from it. Faster transfer speeds mean less time spent waiting around to upload photos.
There are two main factors that determine drive transfer speed:
- Drive interface: The connection interface between the drive and computer/device. Common options are USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB-C, Thunderbolt 3, and more. Newer interfaces like USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 provide faster maximum speeds.
- Drive speed: This is affected by the drive’s internal components like the platter spin rate for traditional HDDs or flash memory chips for SSDs.
USB 2.0 vs USB 3.0
One of the biggest speed differences is between USB 2.0 and USB 3.0/3.1 interfaces. USB 2.0 has a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 480 megabits per second (Mbps). USB 3.0 is over 10 times faster with max speeds of 5,120Mbps on paper.
In real-world usage, USB 3.0 is about 3 to 4 times faster than USB 2.0. Exact speeds vary between drives. But upgrading from an old USB 2.0 drive to USB 3.0 can dramatically accelerate file transfers.
Thunderbolt 3 blazing fast speeds
Even faster than USB is Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. Thunderbolt 3 has theoretical maximum transfer speeds of 40,000 Mbps. That enables data rates 8 times higher than USB 3.0. External SSD drives with Thunderbolt connectors offer blazing fast performance for huge photo and video archives.
Solid state drives vs hard disk drives
SSD and HDD technologies also impact drive speed. SSDs with no moving parts can achieve faster read/write times versus traditional hard disk drives. But HDDs are more affordable at higher capacities. A speedy SSD or hybrid drive may be the way to go if transfer performance is your top priority.
Reliability and durability
Since we’re talking about your precious photo collection, reliability and durability should also rank high on your criteria list. Key factors to evaluate include:
- Sturdy case design: A metal or silicon shell that can withstand some bumps and drops without damage.
- No moving parts: SSDs are faster and less prone to failure versus HDDs with internal spinning disks.
- Dust and water resistance: Features like rubber gaskets or IP67 waterproof rating help protect drives in tough environments.
- Brand reputation: Stick with major brands known for reliable designs. Models like the LaCie Rugged offer sturdy construction.
- Shock resistance: Some drives include shock absorption or layers inside their casing to protect from drops.
For frequent travelers who want to store photos while on the go, rugged design and reliability is a must. Desktop drives that rarely move can get by with less heavy-duty construction.
Portability and size
If you only plan to set your external drive on a desk and leave it plugged in, portability is less of a concern. But for photographers who move around a lot, slim and lightweight designs are preferred.
Key factors for portable drives include:
- Compact dimensions: Thinner than 1 inch thick is ideal for slipping into bags.
- Lightweight: Drives under 8 ounces are easily pocketable.
- Small footprint: Some come in tiny cubes or rectangular forms.
- Integrated cable: No dangling cable to forget or get damaged.
- Solid state drives (SSDs): With no moving parts, tend to be smaller and better built for travel.
The Western Digital My Passport SSD is a highly portable external SSD drive in a sleek form factor. But there are plenty of compact HDD options too like the Seagate Backup Plus Slim.
Backup software
We should be regularly backing up our photo collections anyway to guard against drive failures, device loss, or accidents. Some external drives include backup software that runs automatically in the background after the initial setup. This makes the process of ensuring redundancy a breeze.
Useful backup features to look for include:
- Schedule backup: Automatically back up photos on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
- Incremental backup: Only copies new files since last backup to save time.
- Image mirroring: Makes an exact replica of your entire storage for redundancy.
- Versioning: Lets you restore previous versions of edited images easily.
- Photo management apps: Provides tools for organizing, editing, sharing photos.
Drives like the WD My Passport come bundled with WD’s backup software for walk-you-through photo archiving. The WD Discovery suite also offers handy media management tools.
Drive security features
Losing those years of precious memories to theft or hacking could be a disaster. That’s why security is a key consideration for the best photo backup drives. Drive security features include:
- Password protection: Adds a password requirement to access drive contents.
- Automatic locking: Locks up drive after set period of inactivity.
- Data encryption: Encrypts all data stored on drive using AES or similar standards.
- Secure erasure: Option to permanently erase contents with multiple overwrite passes.
- No Internet connectivity: Lacks WiFi connectivity that could expose data to hackers.
The WD My Passport mentioned above offers 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro drive provides password protection and AES-256 encryption.
Our top picks for the best portable photo storage
With so many factors to balance, which external drive models make the best fits for photographers? Based on expert reviews and customer experiences, we recommend considering the following options across a range of storage needs and budgets:
| Drive | Key Specs | Benefits |
|---|---|---|
| WD My Passport Portable SSD 1TB | 1TB capacity USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface Up to 1GB/s speed 256-bit AES encryption |
Trusted brand Fast SSD speeds Sleek, compact form Strong encryption |
| LaCie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 | Up to 5TB capacity 130MB/s speeds Small rugged form Drop resistance up to 4′ |
Great portability Shock and drop protection Fast speeds Time Machine compatibility |
| SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD | Up to 2TB capacity USB 3.1 Gen 2 Up to 550MB/s read speed |
Great performance Compact and lightweight Resists shocks and vibration |
| Seagate Backup Plus Hub | Up to 14TB capacity 160 MB/s speed 2 front USB ports |
Huge storage capacity Good speeds Integrated USB hub |
Those represent just a sample of the many excellent portable external drive options for storing photos. We recommend reading plenty of customer reviews to learn about real-world performance before purchasing.
Conclusion
Choosing the ideal external drive for your growing photo library comes down to storage needs, speed, reliability, portability, and security features. Any of the models highlighted above from trusted brands like Western Digital, LaCie, SanDisk, or Seagate are smart choices to protect your memories.
A portable SSD like the WD My Passport provides fast performance and robust security through AES encryption. But if you need copious amounts of storage, an HDD like the Seagate Backup Plus Hub packs in the extra space. Take time to weigh the factors most important for your needs before buying.
By transferring your picture collection to a dedicated photo backup drive, you can free up precious space on your main computer. More importantly, you ensure those irreplaceable images and videos remain protected if anything ever happens to your primary devices. Redundancy is essential.
So don’t put it off any longer. With vast capacity drives and fast transfer speeds, it’s now easier than ever to implement a rock-solid photo backup plan. Your future self will thank you for taking the time to properly archive all those cherished moments today.