After testing five external solid-state drives in 2019, we found that the Samsung T5 Portable SSD has the best balance of speed, size, price, and reliability. Typically, once I'm done editing photos, I move the images off my internal hard drive and into an external storage system. I'm having trouble figuring out if it makes more sense to get a fast RAID 0 external drive or an SSD external drive for this purpose. Digital photo storage devices for the film maker/videographer. If like me, you now shoot video too, you are going to need bigger drives. You may still be shooting in HD which is fairly easy to work with and doesn't take up too much space. However, the benefits of 4K are widely becoming recognised and people are starting to switch and shoot 4K. The Best Portable Photo Storage Devices for Traveling By Nicholas Donner Taking photos while traveling can be a lot of fun and a great way to bring home very special and personal souvenirs. One of the Most Portable Tablets for Photo Editing and Photoshop HP Pro 608 G1 7.86 inch The HP Pro 608 G1 comes with a 1.44 GHz Intel Atom x5 Z8550 processor, 4 GB 1600 MHz RAM, 64 GB eMMC SSD storage capacity, Windows 10 Home 64-bit, 7.86-inch display screen with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels and weighs only 0.79 pounds.
Taking photos while traveling can be a lot of fun and a great way to bring home very special and personal souvenirs. As digital cameras shoot larger and larger files — especially for those of us who like to shoot RAW — finding a way to store all of our photography can be challenging.
There are a few options to choose from and none of them are quite perfect for every situation. Over time, I'm sure the solutions will get smaller and faster. Until then, here are what I think are the best portable photo storage devices to use while on the road.
Laptop computer
The fastest and simplest way to store photos is to bring a laptop computer with you. Newer laptops usually have large enough hard drives to store all of your photos and some even have card readers built in. Another advantage to a laptop is being able to edit photos right away and potentially upload them to a storage site or social media. The downsides to using a laptop while traveling are the size, weight and the potential of a thief targeting your computer.
Cloud storage
If you have a device that can connect to a reliable and fast internet connection, like a laptop, netbook or tablet, you can upload your image files to the cloud. Services like iCloud or Dropbox let you store lots of data pretty affordably. Also, photo proofing sites like Smugmug allow you to upload JPEG files for storage. If you don't use the cloud for file storage, you can also use it as a backup in the event your physical storage gets lost or stolen while traveling.
Hotel computer
If you know that you will be in a place where you have access to a computer, you can slim down your luggage by bringing only a card reader and a portable hard drive or USB drive. For a few days of photo storage, a USB flash drive should be enough. For a week or more, a 500 GB G-Drive should be more than enough and still affordable.
Backup storage device
Several companies make card-reading backup storage devices. These machines allow you to take your CF or SD cards and dump them onto the device. Some of them allow you to preview the files—even RAW files. Unfortunately, most of these devices have mixed reviews. Some people have great luck with them and others have terrible luck. I hope that a reliable and affordable device comes to market soon.
Lots of memory cards
Memory cards, in particular SD cards, continue to get cheaper. Because of this, they are quickly becoming a viable option for photo storage. It may be less expensive to buy a handful of 32 GB cards for your month-long vacation than to get a laptop, an external hard drive, or another storage device. Even if you shoot on CF cards, it may be more affordable to transfer photos to SD cards than to an external hard drive, depending on the space you need. Another option is the Eye-Fi card that wirelessly transfers photos, if you have a device that can store them all.
iPad or tablet
Using an iPad can be a good, lightweight option for photo storage, but it does have limitations. You can buy a card reader specifically for the iPad to dump photos, which can then be uploaded to the cloud or edited via the Adobe Lightroom app. The big limitation is the relatively small hard drive space of the iPad. Typically, the 5 – 8 GB I have free on my iPad is not enough to download more than a day's worth of photos from a trip. Ideally, there will be a solution that allows you to quickly transfer photos to an external hard drive, through your iPad. Or tablets will increased their storage space while remaining small.
Best adobe photoshop app. For now, I'll keep hauling a laptop around while traveling until a smaller, faster and more convenient solution pops up.
How do you store your photos while traveling? Anyone have a new way of doing things?
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 in 2020
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
- 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
Portable Photo Storage Device Reviews
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
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
Pros
- Super fast Read/Write speeds up to 450Mb/s
- Shock and vibration resistant
- 2-year manufacturer warranty
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.
Best Portable Storage For 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.
