If you’re looking for a way to store your photos and videos in one easy-to-access location, you’ll want to consider the Best NAS For Photographers. This guide will help you select the best NAS drive for a photographer and even show you the best prices. Before settling on a choice, ensure that you comprehend the concept of a NAS drive and its advantages. NAS drives can connect to your home network and the internet via a network connection, utilizing your router as a gateway. Furthermore, these drives contain a basic computer operating system, allowing users to view their files, pictures, and videos remotely.
When it comes to amateur or professional photographers, the need for NAS drives is often made clear when the restrictions of 3rd party cloud storage (e.g., Google, Apple, or DropBox) become evident. For them, using the best NAS manager is often the best option. The convenience of backing up your photo collections onto a free or low-cost cloud space is quite attractive.
The ease of transferring those photos from your phone is great, and it’s helpful to free up some space on your device – but this solution can become a problem in the long run. Those who may want to disconnect from the cloud will eventually need a place to store their growing collection of photos. A NAS drive can do much more than provide an internet-based hard drive – it’s the best NAS that can be a reliable backup of photos, a smart organization tool enforced with AI photo recognition, and an editor.
NAS technology has kept pace with improvements in camera technology, resulting in NAS devices that are just as good or better than the many cloud storage platforms available today, but with the advantage of you having total control over your photography. Here, I will discuss the five best NAS drives currently available for photographers, beginning with the best.
Five Best NAS for Photographers
Here you can find the best NAS for photographers listed below:
- Wd My Cloud Ex2 Ultra 4TB NAS
- Qnap TS-251+ 2-Bay Personal Cloud Tower NAS
- BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB 1-Bay NAS
- Zyxel Personal Cloud Storage [2-Bay]
- Asustor AS5304T – 4 Bay NAS
WD My Cloud Ex2 Ultra 4TB NAS
You are excited to photograph and save your favorite photographs in a safe place; then you are on the right page. My Cloud EX2 Ultra is the best nas storage for photographers that offers a unique blend of easy setup and advanced features. Boasting the same simple, user-friendly design as its other two NAS drives, it’s a great choice for users looking for a combination of big data of pictures, video convenience, and robust capabilities.
The model tested arrived with two WD Red drives, each providing 2TB of storage. It is pre-configured in RAID 1 and offers great read performance along with the My Cloud service for simple remote access.
My Cloud from Western Digital allows you to access the EX2 Ultra from far away. You must register each device using the EX2 Ultra’s user interface to get this capability on your smartphone or tablet. To do this, you should create a user account for anyone connecting remotely from their mobile device.
EX2 Ultra’s read and write speeds by copying a 1.5GB video clip to and from the NAS. Its read speed was the quickest from a two-bay prosumer NAS, and its write speed was also remarkably good. Thats why EX2 Ultra is the best nas for backup and streaming multimedia or other activities requiring you to access files quickly. Nevertheless, the WD My Cloud EX2 Ultra is suitable for those with a small business who need it to fulfill their requirements. So, in short, this storage device is not just for your system even. It’s the best nas for iPhone photo backup.
Specifications:
- Storage Capacity: 4TB
- Processor: Marvell ARMADA 385 1.3GHz dual-core
- Number Bays: 6 Bays
- Connectivity: Ethernet 6.0 Gb/s, USB 3.0
- Hard Drive Interface: SATA
- Ram: 1GB
- Cloud Backup Support: Yes
- Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
- This NAS has a well-thought-out, clean, and orderly design, making it simple to install.
- Remote access configuration option accessible through the My Cloud service.
- Extremely fast read speeds.
Cons:
- Don’t have a power button
- The average write speeds are not particularly impressive.
- Hard Drive not included.
Qnap TS-251+ 2-Bay Personal NAS
Best NAS for photography with two bays allowing up to 20TB of storage, this device is perfect for storing and sharing your photography or videos. You can even back up to the cloud, giving you extra peace of mind.
The device is powered by a 2.0GHz Intel Celeron J4005 dual-core processor and 2GB RAM, allowing you to access your photos and videos quickly. It also includes two USB 3.0 ports, allowing you to connect to many other devices for easy data transfer.
The TS-251+ also includes its operating system, QTS 4.3, which allows users to access their files from anywhere with an internet connection. You can also use the device to stream media or access applications from the built-in app store. You can create your websites and manage them with the integrated web server.
This best nas photo manager also has advanced security features, such as 256-bit AES encryption, to protect your data. You can also set up multiple user accounts to control who has access to your data.
Overall, the QNAP TS-251+ is a great choice for any photographer looking for an affordable, reliable way to store, share, and back up their files. This QNAP NAS for photographers is simple; it offers a wealth of options and has strong security protocols. The only downside is the plastic casing, which may not be as durable as some other models.
Specifications:
- Storage Capacity: 4TB
- Processor: Celeron Quad-core 64-bit Intelqnap nas for photographers
- Number Bays: 2 Bays
- Connectivity: Ethernet,rj-45 HDMI
- Hard Drive Interface: Raid
- Ram: 8GB
- Cloud Backup Support: No
Pros:
- Two-bay NAS includes being a top performer for reads and writing,
- Recovery via RAID
- Remote access that is simple to utilize
- Powerful virtualization capabilities
- A price point– that is budget-friendly for its advanced feature set.
Cons:
- A slow rate of restoring the RAID mirror.
- The design of this product is flat to rapid deterioration.
BUFFALO LinkStation 210 2TB 1-Bay NAS
The LinkStation 210 from Buffalo offers budget-friendly, top-notch network-attached storage with a single drive. The device permits you to keep your delicate data in a centralized location, allowing you to access it in your home or remotely. Setting up the Buffalo LinkStation 210 NAS is a breeze; it doesn’t require a computer. Insert the item into your WiFi router, and it is all setup. Furthermore, you can access the shared data from all the devices that are connected to it simultaneously.
This Buffalo NAS server is designed with ease of use in mind. It offers an organized and centralized storage solution for your sensitive information, granting you easy access to your data from anywhere with an Internet connection.
The Buffalo LinkStation 210 provides a safeguarded method of keeping your computer and device information secure. Folders can be personalized to provide individual access or shared among multiple family members with group access. Overall, it’s one of the best network attached storage pictures for users who want to show their portfolios to clients.
Specifications:
- Storage Capacity: 2TB
- Processor: Hexa-Core, Hybrid Cloud
- Number Bays: 1 Bay
- Connectivity: Ethernet 1Gbe
- Hard Drive Interface: Serial ATA
- Ram: 256MB
- Cloud Backup Support: No
- Warranty: 2 years
Pros:
- It supports up to 2TB of storage
- Making it capable of storing large amounts of data.
- It also has built-in RAID protection.
- Additionally, it has a Gigabit Ethernet port, making it easy to connect to your network.
Cons:
- Limited to one drive bay, it won’t be able to hold multiple drives.
- It doesn’t have any USB ports, which limits its expandability.
Zyxel Personal Cloud Storage 2-Bay
Its dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM provide blazing-fast performance that can handle multiple tasks simultaneously. It is also equipped with two hot-swappable bays for hard drives, allowing you to expand your storage capacity easily. The ZyXEL NAS326 also supports the latest USB 3.0 for speedy data transfer.
The ZyXEL NAS326 is a great choice for photographers. With its intuitive Zyxel Apps suite, you can quickly backup your images, watch and distribute your videos and images, or stream videos to your Smart TV, FireTV, or Apple TV. It also supports Apple Time Machine, making it easier for photographers to create backups of their precious images. ZyXEL’s MyMovies app lets you share your videos and images with friends and family, granting them remote access to their storage.
The ZyXEL NAS326 is also highly secure. It has an easy-to-use firewall and advanced access control, so you can keep your data safe and secure. With this best nas drive for media streaming, you can also set up private cloud storage to access your data anywhere.
Moreover, ZyXEL NAS326 is the perfect storage solution for photographers. Its powerful processor, intuitive apps suite, and comprehensive security features make backing up and sharing your images easier. You can show your network attached storage images whenever someone asks you for the portfolio.
Specifications:
- Storage Capacity: 32TB
- Processor: ZyXEL NAS326
- Number Bays: 2 Bays
- Connectivity: Ethernet 1Gbe
- Hard Drive Interface: ATA-4
- Cloud Backup Support: Yes
Pros:
- Easy to set up and use
- Flexible storage capacity options
- Supports multiple users
- Supports encrypted cloud storage
- Supports multiple devices
- Remote access and sharing options
Cons:
- Limited mobile app support
- Customer Support Options
- Limited third-party app integrations
Asustor AS5304T – 4 Bay NAS
This Asustor AS5304T four-bay NAS device is perfect nas for photographers if you want to store multimedia files such as audio and video. For photography, you get amazing hardware like two 2.5-gigabit LAN ports with link aggregation, 4K video decoding, and a quad-core processor.
Installing the AS5304T is a breeze due to its tool-free drive sleds, making it a great choice for users looking for a powerful multi-bay best NAS for an iPhone photo backup device. This device presents apps like a media server, backup solution, IP camera surveillance station, web server, and much more. Not only that, but it also provides fast file-transfer performance, which is why it is our photographers’ Choice.
Furthermore, This Asustor nas for photographers is ideal for storing multimedia files like audio and video. With its 4K video decoding, photographers can easily store and play back high-resolution videos. Its quad-core processor and 2.5-gigabit LAN ports with link aggregation allow for faster data transfers. Photographers no longer worry about long waits to transfer and store multimedia files.
Specifications:
- Storage Capacity: 72TB
- Processor: Intel Celeron Quad-Core 2 2.5GbE
- Number Bays: 4 Bay
- Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet 2.5GbE
- RAM: 4GB DDR4
- Hard Drive Interface: SSD
- Cloud Backup Support: Yes
- Warranty: 3-years
Pros:
- Powerful Intel Celeron processor
- Advanced features such as backup and recovery, cloud storage, and media streaming
- Easy to set up and use
Cons:
- Expensive compared to other 4-Bay NAS options
- No 10GbE ports
- Limited drive capacity of up to 40TB with four 10TB drives
Buyers Guide
When buying the best NAS for photographers, it is important to consider a few key precautions:
- Storage Capacity: First, ensure the storage capacity is sufficient for your needs.
- Compatible Features: Check if the NAS has compatible features with your photography workflow.
- Good reputation: Finally, check to see if the NAS has a good reputation regarding reliability and customer support.
Taking these precautions will help ensure that you have a positive experience with your purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Should photographers use a NAS?
Yes, photographers can benefit from using a Network attached storage picture. A NAS offers several advantages, such as increased storage space, secure remote access, and enhanced data protection.
What is NAS in photography?
NAS is a storage device that allows photographers to store, access, and share digital files over a network. It is a great way to store large amounts of digital photography files and makes it easy to access them from any computer on the network.
Is Synology better than QNAP?
Although it’s a long debate, Is Synology better than QNAP? It ends with personal preference that both NAS brands have their own perks and downside. So rather than debating, it’s better to finalize your requirement and then pick the NAS that follows under it.
What is the disadvantage of NAS?
One major disadvantage of using Network Attached Storage (NAS) is the cost and effort associated with rolling it out and keeping it operational. Additionally, it may be challenging to expand the system as needed.
Is NAS better than DropBox?
DropBox is undoubtedly the best cloud storage, and you don’t need to buy any equipment, but there is a downside dropbox has limited storage which makes it not an ideal choice for those with a large amount of data, such as photographers.
Is a personal NAS worth it?
That depends on your individual needs. If you’re looking for a way to securely store large amounts of data, or if you want to access your files remotely, then a personal NAS might be worth it.
Conclusion
NAS is best for photographers to secure big files of photos and videos. Photographers can easily send photos and other large data with internet access at any time and place. These NAS drives fulfill your photography needs and easily transfer data with other devices. I hope it will be helpful to choose your best NAS for photography according to your needs. Good Luck!