However, if you use a laptop, there’s not much room for storage expansion, so buying an external hard drive becomes a necessity for everyone. That being said, we have chosen a few good external hard drive options from the market, all from the top brands, so that you can easily pick a viable option for yourself. But, before you make your choice, make sure to consider a few things like:
Storage Space: While buying a new external hard drive, you must know that there are hundreds of options to choose from. However, if you are clear about how much storage space you need, like 2TB, 4TB, 5TB, etc., things can go a little bit easier and it won’t take much time to find the best option. Connectivity: Considering the connectivity options is quite important as well. As you might know, most laptops these days come with USB 3.0/3.1 ports. So, if you choose a hard drive that’s compatible with USB 3.0/3.1, you’ll be able to transfer your data at much faster speeds as compared to USB 2.0 ports. Hence, your priority should be looking for HDDs that use USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 connectivity. Transfer Speed: Although transfer speeds are not what hard drives are usually appreciated for, still, they have evolved a lot over time, and can deliver decent enough transfer speeds. So, while you compare the hard drive options, don’t forget to compare them on the basis of their transfer speeds, and choose the one with better speeds always.
Just like these few things, if you are buying an external hard drive for the first time, there’s a lot more that you should know. That is why we have included a detailed buying guide later in this article so that you can make your choice wisely and pick the best hard drive option for yourself. Hence, if you need any help to buy the best hard drive option from the list, the “Buying Guide” has all the important information that you might need. For now, let’s quickly check out the list and see what features do these modern hard drives offer!
Best External Hard Drive for Photographers
Best External Hard Drive for Photographers Reviews
1. Seagate External Hard Drive
If you have ever looked into the market to buy a hard drive before, you must have come across options from Seagate as it’s one of the top-tier brands that makes highly reliable hard drive options. Speaking of the STGX5000400 model, it’s a 5TB portable hard drive from Seagate which comes in highly attractive housing with a black color finish. The drive is conveniently portable, thanks to its slim and compact size. Moreover, since it’s ready to use with both Windows and Mac systems, you can simply plug it into your computer and drag your files on it. If we talk about its connectivity, it comes with an 18 inches long USB 3.0 cable that allows you to seamlessly connect to any PC, and delivers fast transfer speeds of up to 120MB/s which is great. In addition, this highly reliable and durable hard drive from Seagate also comes with a 3-year long warranty as well. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 5 TB Data Transfer rates up to 120 MB/s Compatible with USB 3.0 interface Compatible with both Mac, Windows, and Linux systems Comes with a 3-year warranty
Pros:
The storage-price ratio is very good Also compatible with gaming consoles Very compact and handy
Cons:
Doesn’t have hardware encryption
2. Western Digital External Hard Drive
Coming up next, Western Digital is one of the most popular and well-known brands out there that specifically makes storage options for PCs. Compared to the previous one, it’s slightly cheaper in terms of pricing, however, you won’t find any difference in the build quality as it’s built like a tank too. In fact, it’s quite stylish and compact, so you won’t find it difficult to carry while traveling either. If we talk about its specs, it offers you a whopping storage space of 5TB which should be good enough for any photographer out there. On the other hand, it works with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, however, the transfer speeds may vary. With a USB 3.0 connection, it can transfer data as fast as 5Gbps which is quite amazing. No matter if you have a Windows PC, or a Mac system, it’s widely compatible with all of them, just requires a little bit of reformatting though. Apart from that, WD also offers a 2-year warranty on all of its hard drive options. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 5 TB Data Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s Compatible with USB 3.0 interface Compatible with both Mac, Windows, and Linux systems Comes with a 2-year warranty
Pros:
Plug-and-play storage Quiet operation Very sleek and travel-friendly
Cons:
No password protection is available
3. Toshiba External Hard Drive
In case you are looking for some flashy and colorful options, Toshiba is really good at making such hard drives that perform well too! With that said, you can check out the Toshiba Canvio Advance Portable External Hard Drive as it features a storage space of 4 terabytes. It’s quite handy, and stylish as it comes in multiple colors and has a textured design on top which looks quite premium. Apart from that, this hard drive can be programmed for automatic backup, and also has support for Toshiba’s password protection software also. In terms of performance, this hard drive from Toshiba delivers read and write speeds up to 150MBps which is quite decent as well. Moreover, it can work with both Mac and Windows systems and is compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 connections. As far as the warranty is concerned, Toshiba offers a 2-year warranty for its hard drive options. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 4 TB Data Transfer rates up to 150 MB/s Compatible with USB 3.0 interface Compatible with both Mac, Windows, and Linux systems Comes with a 2-year warranty
Pros:
Unique textured design Superior build quality Read and Write speeds are very impressive
Cons:
The storage-price ratio is more than other brands
4. LaCie External Hard Drive
If you travel a lot frequently, then you should definitely have a rugged portable hard drive in your bag, and LaCie is one of the best brands that can provide you with such a product. The Rugged Mini hard drive from LaCie is one of the most-selling products available out there since its build quality is far superior to the competition. It comes in with rock-solid outer housing which keeps it protected from Shock, rain, and any external pressure. In fact, it has even been tested to survive drops from 4ft. height. Hence, it’s absolutely rugged and good enough for outdoor usage. Coming over to its performance, it’s compatible with all operating systems, and connects via a USB 3.0 port. In fact, it’s backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports as well, so you can almost use it with any PC. Apart from that, the data transfer speeds offered by this hard drive are about 130 MBps which is great. However, unlike other brands, the warranty on this hard drive is 1 year only despite being more expensive than other options. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 4 TB Data Transfer rates up to 130 MB/s Compatible with USB 3.0 interface Compatible with both Mac and Windows systems Comes with a 1-year warranty
Pros:
Shock, rain, and pressure-resistant Rugged design Premium build quality
Cons:
A little expensive
5. ADATA External Hard Drive
Coming up next, we have another rugged hard drive option from one of the best hard drive brands on the market, the ADATA HD710 Pro is quite an amazing option to check out. What’s so special about this hard drive is that it comes with a very unique outer housing, which is basically provided for rigidity. This hard drive is unique as it features an IP68 Waterproof rating, IP6X dust proof rating, and IP68 Military-Grade Shockproof MIL-STD-810G 516.6 build quality. Basically, Adata has left no room for us to complain regarding its build quality. Speaking about its performance, this hard drive from Adata functions using a USB 3.1 interface and is compatible with PC, Mac, Linux, and all other operating systems as well. On top of that, there’s a total of 4 terabytes of storage space on this hard disk, and offers reading speeds up to 90 MBps which is insane! Not only that but it is also covered under a 3-year warranty from Adata. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 4 TB Data Transfer rates up to 90 MB/s Compatible with USB 3.1 interface IP6X dust proof rating IP68 Waterproof rating Compatible with both Mac, Windows, and Linux systems Comes with a 3-year warranty
Pros:
Highly durable and rugged Fast data transfer rates Comes in a variety of colors also
Cons:
Bulky design
6. Transcend External Hard Drive
Transcend is yet another good brand choice if you are looking out for a reliable hard drive option since the brand is quite popular and has been serving in the industry for a long time. Like the previous few rugged hard drive options we discussed, this one has also passed the MIL-STD-810G US military transit drop test, thanks to the three-stage shock protection system that protects it from all sorts of damages. On top of that, you also get a One-touch auto-backup Button on this hard drive that can come in handy for some people. Taking a look at the other specifications, you can conveniently store up to 4 TB of your personal data on this hard drive. That too with lightning fast transfer speeds up to 5Gbps since it features a USB 3.1 Gen 1 interface. Apart from that, it’s compatible with both Mac and Windows PCs, and also works with Transcend Elite software to provide exclusive security functions and disk lock. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 4 TB Data Transfer rates up to 5Gb/s Compatible with USB 3.1 interface Comes with a One-touch auto-backup button Compatible with both Mac and Windows systems Comes with a 3-year warranty
Pros:
Excellent anti-shock protection Compact size Works with Transcend Elite data management software
Cons:
A little pricey
7. BUFFALO External Hard Drive
Buffalo is an amazing brand that takes care of its customers with the Mac system, that’s why its hard drive options are extra premium and superior in specifications to other options. This external hard drive offers high-speed USB 3.0 portable storage offers universal connectivity for PC and Mac computers. With its plug-and-play setup, the drive is easy to use storage and backup. However, it is one of the most unique and powerful options on this list as it can deliver transfer speeds up to 5 Gbps. Looking at its design, the black color scheme looks quite elegant, and it’s even portable due to its compact size. It is featured with schedule automatic backups for PCs with its backup utility, eco manager, Turbo PC, TurboCopy, and SecureLock data encryption software. Yet the storage space on this hard drive is only 1 TB which is quite disappointing as we compare it to other options. The manufacturer offers a 2-year warranty on the product against its manufacturing defects. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 1 TB Data transfer rates up to 5 Gbps Compatible with USB 3.0 interface Supports both Mac and Windows systems Comes with a 2-year warranty
Pros:
Compact size Premium design and finish Easy to use storage and backup Turbo PC and Turbo copy to enhance the performance of file transfer
Cons:
Expensive
8. Samsung External Hard Drive
Samsung is a popular brand that manufactures various products with amazing features at a reasonable price range. This T7 shield external SSD from Samsung is a great option with a rugged design that offers fast, compact, tough, and durable, thanks to its IP65 rating for its water and dust resistance along with drop resistance (up to 3 meters). You can transfer massive files within seconds with its USB 3.2 Gen 2 and PCle NVMe. It achieves a write/read speed of up to 1000/1050 Mbps that let you directly edit from the drive. Its dynamic thermal guard with rubber exterior makes it perform well even for giant projects. It is compatible with Mac, PC, Android devices, gaming consoles, and others. You will get USB Type C – C and Type C – A cables for convenient usage. In addition, its stylish and durable rubberized grip will stay in place without slipping, delivers high-end performance, and let you carry it around easily. Looking at its design, the black color looks quite elegant, and it’s even portable. However, the storage space on this external hard drive is only 1 TB which is quite disappointing compared to other options. Samsung offers a 3-year long warranty on the product against manufacturing defects. Best Features:
Offers storage space up to 1 TB Compatible with USB 3.0 & USB 2.0 Data transfer rates up to 1000/1050 Mbps Compatible with Mac, PC, Android, tablets, and gaming consoles Stylish and durable rubberized grip IP65-rated water & dust resistant and drop resistant (up to 9.8 feet). Backed by a 3-year long warranty
Pros:
Compact, lightweight, portable, stylish yet durable design Rugged design with rubberized grip Available in different colors and sizes. Ideal for photographers, gaming, and content creators. Supports password protection and UASP sleep mode. Reads up to 1050 Mbps and writes up to 1000 Mbps speeds.
Cons:
A bit expensive model compared to other options for 1TB. Not compatible with most smart TVs.
Buying Guide for the Best External Hard Drive for Photographers
Having an external hard drive in your bag is such a huge convenience, especially when you need to transfer data across your devices frequently, and there’s a shortage of storage space on your laptop. That being said, photographers are the ones that usually need external hard drives the most. Well, keeping that in mind, we have picked up some of the best external hard drive options from the market and have already mentioned them in the list above so you all can check out. However, as simple as it seems to pick one, it isn’t as most people usually forget to check the major details about the hard drive and end up picking the wrong product most of the time. Since we don’t want anything like that to happen with our readers, this buying guide is a complete solution for anyone who wants to buy a new hard drive from the market. It contains all the important information that everyone should consider before buying, so don’t forget to read it until the end!
1. Storage Space
Starting with the most major concern why people buy such external hard drives, is simply because of the storage space. However, do you know that external hard drives do come in various configurations, and vary in terms of storage space as well? That’s something everyone should know about and prepare for a budget accordingly. The more spacious the hard drive you want to buy, the more expensive it’ll be, obviously! Hence, you need to be sure about how much storage space you actually need. There are hard drive options in the market starting from 1TB to 12TB, and even more. However, you should not purchase a high storage capacity hard drive until you are sure that you’ll be needing that much space. Well, paying for an extra amount of storage space that you are never going to use is just a waste of your hard-earned money. So, make an estimate of your usage, and see if a 4TB or 5TB is going to be good enough or not. If not, then you can go with the larger capacity options, that’ll be fine.
2. Connectivity Options
The next thing you should know about external hard drives is how you are going to use them. For that, you will have to check for the connectivity options available on the hard drive. For most cases, external hard drives connect to the computer or laptop via the USB port. However, USB ports do come in their own various types such as USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and USB 3.1, etc. That being said, the USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 ports are far more superior to USB 2.0 as they offer much better transfer speeds and have better connection stability as well. So, whenever you are buying a new hard drive, make sure that it supports either USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 connectivity so that you can use the hard drive conveniently, and share data at faster speeds.
3. Compatibility
Next up, checking the compatibility of a hard drive is extremely important, and it’s one of those things that most people usually neglect to check. Well, there’s one good reason behind it. Most people out there use Windows laptops, and generally, all the external hard drive brands know that already, so they make their hard drives compatible with all Windows systems. However, the problem arises when you have a Mac, and you accidentally buy a Windows-compatible hard drive. So, to avoid making such mistakes, you should always confirm it beforehand and check if the hard drive is compatible with your system or not. However, if you are going to pick a hard drive option from our list, you won’t have to think much about it as most of the options that we have mentioned are compatible with both Mac and Windows systems.
4. Data Transfer Speed
There’s no doubt that everyone wants a hard drive that can help them transfer their data on the go, quickly! Looking at the list, you can see that while some hard drives are only capable of transferring data at 120MBps, some brands claim that their hard drives can transfer data at a whopping 5Gbps, which in reality, equals to 625MBps. However, there’s still quite a big difference between 625 and 120MBps, right? These are the facts that you’ll find mentioned on papers generally, but the real-time results sometimes vary drastically. So, it’s better that you do thorough research about every hard drive and also check for real-time performance before buying one. Hence, you can easily compare the hard drives on the basis of their read and write speeds, and choose a faster-performing one for yourself.
5. Hardware Encryption
In case you care for privacy and want to keep your data safe, and don’t want anyone else to access it, you should choose a hard drive that comes with hardware encryption. Hardware encryption basically means locking the contents stored on the hard drive that is done by a dedicated hardware chip present on the hard drive. Although you can lock the content on any hard drive using software encryption processes, using hardware encryption is much safer as it’s handled by a separate chipset, that’s not connected to any other computer. So, in a way, it’s safer and much more reliable.
6. Portability
One of the biggest reasons why people go for external hard drives is that they are portable. Well, yes, they are portable and generally small in size, but that doesn’t mean they weigh less. Some hard drives can be really heavy which can be really upsetting sometimes, especially when you are already carrying a lot of equipment with you. That being said, make sure to check the weight and size of the hard drive beforehand and choose the one that’s neither too heavy, nor too bulky, or large-sized.
7. Warranty
As you might already know, hard drives include a spinning disk on the insides that constantly rotates as you use the hard drive for transferring data. As moving parts are involved, gradual wear and tear are obvious with time. That’s the reason most hard drives lose their performance after a few years of usage. Normally, a hard drive lasts for about 3-5 years, so it’s better to buy one that’s covered under a warranty from the brand. Most brands out there usually offer 1-3 year long warranties on their hard drives, so you can get a replacement easily. However, the life of the hard drive also depends on how extensively you use it, so if you use it with care, they might last even longer as well.
Conclusion
Looking at all the options that we have listed in this article for you, it doesn’t seem like a hard task to pick the best one for yourself. Well, it’s because we have already provided you with all the important information about each hard drive option, and also you have a well-detailed buying guide in hand as well.With that said, you can simply go through the specs of each hard drive, and compare them to find which option suits you best according to your requirements. In case you are not able to make your final decision, choosing the best hard drive from the list is becoming confusing for you. Don’t worry at all, you can pick one from our personal recommendations as we have personally hand-picked the best hard drives from the list for you, let’s have a look!
In this list of hard drives, we actually like the Seagate External Hard Drive very much as it offers an ample amount of storage space, for really fair pricing. In fact, it’s compatible with all operating systems, and also comes with the support for USB 3.0 connectivity which makes it one of the best options available in the market. On top of that, the 3-year warranty offered by the brand is just icing on the cake! On the other hand, if you are looking out for a rugged hard drive option, there’s no better hard drive than the ADATA External Hard Drive as it comes with MIL-STD-810G 516.6 military-grade construction, and also features IP68 Waterproof, and IP6X dust-proof ratings as well. Also, it offers 4 TB storage space and delivers up to 90 MBps speed also. Apart from that, it is also covered under a 3-year warranty as well In case you want to spend your money on a fast hard drive, Western Digital External Hard Drive, as it offers a whopping storage space of 5TB and delivers a fantastic data transfer speed of 5 Gbps. Apart from that, this compact, portable, sleek, and lightweight external hard drive is widely compatible and the manufacturer offers 2 years warranty on this product.
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