External Storage for Lightroom files - Need Recommendation?

mightmike

I have a old failing remote disk device.

What do you recommend for fast access remote device attached to my Mac Pro.
I have around 4 Terabytes, not much video.

Also once this is setup, what do you recommend for a cloud backup solution for this?

David_S85

Luckily, usb-c external drives are cheap and fast, including 5TB types. I can't recommend a brand, since I am only using an old 2TB Passport drive. USB-A, and it is somewhat slow.

Cloud gets expensive for the size of backups you're talking about. Smugmug has a solution for this, but again, cloud gets expensive when you add up the months. Compared to losing stuff, then no doubt necessary insurance. Then there's Apple Cloud, which, AFAIK, has a limit is 2TB at $9.99 / month. Local storage is probably faster if you backup all in one go, or two.

For RAWs, one practice that I once though was crazy, was to not reformat cards, and just keep them when they're almost full. Put them in their little plastic case, then in a small envelope with the date ranges and projects contained within. After losing multiple drives over the years, I began doing that, and it has saved my more recent files more than once. Expensive to do? Maybe. But compared with tearing your hair out and screaming about lost work, then notsomuch. Hopefully others will chime in with more cloud-based options.

EDIT: I just found out that Apple Time Machine still exists.

denisegoldberg

I use a Western Digital 4 TB Elements drive. Mine is a 4TB but it does come in 5TB as well.

Here's a link to the drive on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0713WPGLL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1