As a video editor and photographer, you have to deal with some huge amount of data. This data may be an enormous collection of RAW images or some massive 4K Ultra HD videos. Therefore, obviously you will need some good amount of storage to keep all your data safe and secure. To make it easy for you, we have found some of the best SSD for video editing and photography.
Those days are long gone, when we used to carry some bulky hard drives. Nowadays, SSDs are almost completely replacing traditional hard drives. Whether you need to store your data, back up some UHD video projects, or edit some RAW images directly in Adobe, an SSD can prove to be a real life saver.
Best SSD for Video Editing and Photography in 2022
SSDs are not only portable and lightweight, but are much durable and faster as compared to the traditional hard drives. You will get up to 10 times faster data transfer speeds on SSDs as compared to the fastest hard drives. Furthermore, HDDs have a disk that is prone to getting damaged by any accidental bump. In SSDs you will have a complete reassurance and peace of mind for any such mishaps.
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After detailed research, analysis and practical experience of everyone, we have selected these best solid state drives for video editing and photography. You will also find a detailed buyer’s guide at the end which will help you in an easy and quick decision regarding buying SSD.
If you are in a hurry, here is a list of Top 5 SSDs along with their quick specifications:
Now let’s get to the detailed reviews of our top 12 SSDs for video editing and photography.
1. SanDisk 1TB Extreme PRO Portable – Best SSD For Video Editing
Key Specs:
- Design: Forged aluminum chassis-Silicon shell combo
- Data Transfer Speed: 2000MB/s read/write speeds
- Storage Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Protection: 2m drop, IP55 Water and dust resistance
- Compatibility: Desktop, Laptop, Mac, Android
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- Warranty: 5 Years
The Extreme Pro Portable SSD by SanDisk is one of the latest generation SSDs having some blazing data transfer speeds and durability. It is having all the features that make it the best SSD for video editing and photography.
Design
SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is having a portable and rugged design. You may easily carry it around for your outside travels or photography or VLogs endeavors. The forged aluminum chassis and silicon shell give this SSD a premium look and feel. Moreover, it also offers an exceptional added protection. Also, the handy carabineer loop helps in easily securing the drive, which is an extra peace of mind.
Performance
In terms of performance, these new generation SSDs are capable of providing much better speeds as compared to the older generation. The SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD is a powerful NVMe solid state drive, which will provide you with some amazing data transfer rates. You will have 2000MB/s read/write speeds, which is remarkable and helps a lot in saving time while storing or transferring data.
However, your laptop or PC must be compatible one having a USB 3.2 C type port. For other USB ports, you may not get these optimum speeds, however, still the transfer rates will be much faster than any other drive.
Also, the aluminum chassis acts as heat-sink and provide with constant optimum speeds even in extreme environments.
The SSD is available in three different sizes – 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. You may choose according to your requirements of SSD for video editing or photography.
Durability
As mentioned before, the Extreme Pro Portable SSD is crafted using a forged aluminum chassis and silicon shell. This combo provides the drive with extreme durability and ruggedness. Not only this combination provide the drive an eminent look but also offer toughness and sturdiness.
Here you will have drop protection of up to two meters. Also, the drive is IP55 water resistant as well as dust resistant. In short, this SSD is extremely durable and rugged and you may use it in rough environments easily.
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Other Features
Some other great features of this video editing SSD are universal compatibility and built-in data protection. The SSD may be used with any compatible laptop or desktop PC. Moreover, the SSD is having an in-built 256‐bit AES hardware encryption. This will help you in keeping your private and personal data password protected.
And finally, the best feature is its five year manufacturer’s limited warranty. Thus, you will have a real peace of mind in using this extreme SSD.
- Extreme faster performance
- Water and Dust resistance
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- Rugged & Durable
- No LED indicator
2. SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable – Best SSD For Photography
Key Specs:
- Design: Durable silicon shell
- Data Transfer Speed: 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds
- Storage Capacity: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- Protection: 2m drop, IP55 Water and dust resistance
- Compatibility: Desktop, Laptop, Mac, Android
- 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- Warranty: 5 Years
Another best SSD for video editing in our list is SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD. This SSD is also state of the art SSD with good transfer speeds, amazing performance and durability. It is a perfect SSD for content creators or video editors.
Design
When it comes to design, the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is quite sturdy and rugged. The durable silicon shell is used for construction of this tough SSD. This silicon shell gives the SSD a premium feel in addition to external protection to the body.
Also, the carabineer loop helps in securing the laptop to a backpack, belt loop or any other place for easy and secure retention. The overall design makes this SSD a quite portable one for any frequent travels for video editing or photography.
Performance
Performance wise, this SSD provides with some amazing data transfer rates. You will have up to 1050MB/s read and up to 1000MB/s write speeds. Moreover, this solid state drive is available in different storage capacity variants. These are 250GB, 500GB, 1TB and 2TB. Thus you will have a combination of high-capacity storage along with excellent transfer speeds.
As mentioned before, the speed and performance of an SSD greatly depends on the compatibility. This SSD is compatible with USB type C, USB 3.2 Gen 2. Any device equipped with any of these ports will provide you with optimum speed performance for this SSD.
Durability
This Extreme SSD is an extremely durable and strong storage drive. The durable silicon shell provides the body of SSD with some premium and matchless protection. This tough drive is capable to survive some tough environmental conditions and effects. You will get drop protection of up to 2 meters in addition to IP55 water and dust resistance.
Moreover, the carabineer loop will assist you in securing your drive perfectly. Therefore, if you are moving around for photography or video editing, you will never lose it.
Other Features
One of the premium features of this SanDisk rugged SSD is the built-in 256‐bit AES hardware encryption. Using this feature you can password protect all your private data without any hassle. Moreover, the SSD is compatible with mobile phones having type C port. Therefore, in case you want to back up your mobile, you can do it easily on the go with this SanDisk SSD.
The most amazing part is this SSD is trusted and hailed by the professional photographers worldwide. So you can invest in this blindly, without any fear and hesitation.
Also, for greater peace of mind the manufacturer provides 5 years limited warranty. So, you may travel around without any worries of damaging or corrupting this drive.
- Excellent Read/ Write Speeds
- Water and dust resistance
- 256 Bit AES hardware encryption
- Rugged & durable
- Does not support Apple’s APFS
3. LaCie Rugged Solid State Drive – Best Rugged SSD
Key Specs:
- Performance: up to 1050MB/s data transfer speeds
- Storage: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 5TB
- Styles: SSD Pro, SSD, Boss SSD and HDD
- Protection: Extreme IP-67 water/ dust resistance, 3m drop protection, 2Ton car crush resistance
- Data protection with Seagate secure Self-Encrypting technology
- Warranty: 5 years plus Rescue Data Recovery services
Whether it is a 4K footage or some adventurous photography HDR photos, the LaCie Rugged Portable 1TB SSD is all you need. Its speed and protection features are matchless and premium for your every venture.
Design
The LaCie rugged portable drive is a rugged and tough SSD which is available in number of styles. These are SSD Pro, SSD, Boss SSD and HDD. Every style is having a premium design and quality protection.
Performance
In terms of performance, the LaCie rugged portable SSD is really tremendous. On the inside, it is having a Seagate FireCuda NVMe. Due to this, you will get bolstered speeds of up to 1050MB/s. Thus even a 4K footage will be transferred in no time.
This highly durable and rugged SSD for video editing is available in five different storage variants. The storage capacities are 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 5TB. So, if you are an editor or photographer with huge amount of data, you can pick the 5TB variant of this rugged SSD.
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Durability
As mentioned before, the durability and ruggedness of SSDs of LaCie are remarkable. Whether it is on the inside, or the outside, the covering and protection is a premium one.
For this SSD, you will have an optimum and extreme IP67-rated water as well as dust resistance. Also, the SSD is capable to tackle any drop of up to three meters. It is also advertised with confidence that LaCie Rugged SSD can also undergo a two-ton car crush resistance without any damage.
Looking at all these features, it is quite evident that the durability and sturdiness of this SSD are unquestionable.
Other Features
One of the quality feature of LaCie rugged SSD is the built-in encryption technology. You may easily protect all your personal data from any unauthorized access using the Seagate secure Self-Encrypting technology.
As a photographer and video editor, this SSD is quite valuable, as it provides an advantage of a one-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud (All Apps Plan). Therefore, you may access all the premium versions of the amazing Adobe Creative Cloud photo and video editing applications.
Moreover, for a greater peace of mind, you will get a five-year limited protection plan along with Rescue Data Recovery services for free.
- Amazing data transfer speeds
- Many storage options
- Extreme IP-67 water/ dust resistance
- Secure self encryption
- A bit expensive
4. Sabrent Rocket Nano Rugged – Best Portable SSD
Key Specs:
- Performance: up to 1000MB/s data transfer speeds
- Storage: 512GB, 1TB and 2TB
- Compatibility: All USB 3.2 type-C devices
- Protection: Extreme IP-67 water/ dust resistance, 1m drop protection
- Upgradeable firmware
- Warranty: 1 year limited/ 5 years after registration at Sabrent.com
The Sabrent Rocket Nano Rugged, as the name suggests is a highly portable and top-notch rugged solid state drive. This powerful mini SSD is easy to carry around and will provide with the durability and performance, you always wanted.
Design
Sabrent Rocket Nano is perfect SSD for any video makers or photographers on the move. For its construction, a high-grade Aerospace Aluminum alloy is used. It is crafted using CNC machines, which increases its rigidity and durability to extreme levels.
The shell of this Nano SSD is designed using an ultra slim aluminum alloy which is sandblasted for premium smooth texture. As a result the SSD is not only sleek and ultra-slim but also durable and convenient for travelling.
Furthermore, with 2.75″ height and weight of just 2 ounces, this smallest SSD can fit in your smallest pocket easily.
Performance
Not only the Sabrent Rocket Nano is having an aesthetic and crafty design, but the performance is equally a remarkable one. The SSD is compatible with all devices and gadgets having a USB 3.2 support and can provide with optimum transfer speeds of up to 1000MB/s. Thus, you will get 9-10x faster data transfer rates as compared to the traditional portable HDDs.
So, even if it is your 4k files that you want to transfer for video editing or some heavy RAW images, everything will be in just a blink of an eye.
Amazingly, this highly portable and rugged SSD is available in three different storage capacities. You may choose from 512GB, 1TB and 2TB storage variants according to your requirements.
Durability
As mentioned above, this smallest ever portable SSD is crafted using a high grade aerospace aluminum alloy. So, the rigidity and durability of this SSD are certainly guaranteed. Its enclosure is designed inn such a way as to absorb the heat and provide optimum protection against overheating. Thus, even in extreme environments your drive can perform with optimum levels. Also, this greatly improves and increase the overall life expectancy of an SSD.
The rugged design of Sabrent Rocket Nano is fully sealed and protected against dust. You will have the optimum IP-67 dust and water resistance along with up to 1 meter drop protection.
Other Features
Inside the box you will also get a 8″ Type-C to Type-C Cable and a 12″ Type-A to Type-C Cable. Moreover, the firmware of this portable SSD is also upgradeable and you may update it easily. For greater comfort of mind, you will get 1 year limited warranty. However, you may register your device at Sabrent.com to get an extended 5 years limited warranty.
- Excellent performance
- Extreme IP-67 water/ dust protection
- Upgradeable firmware
- Rugged and durable
- Becomes hot on extensive usage
5. VectoTech Rapid 4TB External SSD – Best Overheating Protection
Key Specs:
- Performance: up to 540MB/s data transfer speeds
- Storage: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB
- Compatibility: All USB 3.2 type-C, USB 3.0/2.0 devices
- Protection: Scratch/ Shock/ Vibration resistant, 6m drop protection
- Ideal heat dissipation
- Warranty: 3 years limited warranty
VectoTech Rapid External SSD is a super speed SSD which is perfect for copying your photos, videos, documents, music, or any other data. Thus whether you are a gamer, videographer, photographer, or any other PC user, this SSD will be your ultimate choice.
Design
The VectoTech Rapid SSD is designed as well as assembled in California USA. It is crafted with aluminum 1050 grade material. Due to this material the SSD is having a premium feel and scratches resistance. Similarly, it also helps a lot in dissipating heat. Therefore, even in extreme environments, you will still get the optimum performance from this solid state drive.
The aluminum material is connected with ABS plastic as well. Therefore, the solid state drive is having a lightweight design.
At the bottom of drive, there are rubber strips that provides protection against slipping from slippery surfaces. As a result, you will have an aesthetic and durable design.
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Performance
Performance wise, this portable SSD is equally an awe-inspiring one. You will have ultra-fast data transfer with read/ write speeds of up to 540MB/s. Thus, even if it is a 1080p or 4K videos, or some UHD quality photos, everything will be transferred without any hassle.
The SSD is having support for USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C connections. Moreover, due to the internal NAND technology, you will get much faster data transfer speeds as compared to the classic HDDs.
VectoTech Rapid External SSD is compatible with both PCs as well Macs. Moreover, it is also fully compatible with XBOX, PS4, Android phones and all other systems with USB Type C ports. The device is also compatible with USB 3.0/2.0 devices due to a reversible USB-C port with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 interface.
There are four different storage variants that you can choose from. These are 1TB, 2TB, 4TB and 8TB storage capacity variants of this Solid State Drive.
Durability
As mentioned above, the design of this solid drive is accomplished using a durable aluminum material. This material not only make the whole drive as scratch resistant but also aids in dissipating all the heat.
Moreover, the drive is shock and vibration resistant up to 1500g at 0.5m/sec. This means the drive can survive drop up to 6 meters. Also, the SSD can perform with optimum performance in temperature range from -13ºf (-25ºc) to 185ºf (85 ºc).
Other Features
For greater peace of mind, you will have a 3 years limited manufacturer warranty. You will also get a full technical support in case of any issues or malfunctions.
Best SSD For Photography and Video Editing – Ultimate Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to speed, performance and durability, SSDs are much faster and better as compared to traditional HDD. Especially for jobs like video editing and photography, there is always a huge pile stack of data and we want to do some quick transfer, backup or editing.
However, with so many options out there in market, a person gets really confused, as which SSD to go for. That is why after practical experience and analysis, we have compiled this list of most recommended SSDs for video editing and photography. But still, if you want to go for some other option, then you need to study this detailed buyer’s guide, to make a final choice of external SSD easier for you.
If you are in a hurry, check this detailed infographics to make a quick buying decision.
Some of the main features of an external SSD for video editing and photography are:
Budget
Budget and cost is one of the most important aspect to keep in mind before investing into SSD. An SSD, though much faster and durable, is a bit costly as compared to HDD. Moreover, some SSDs are of premium quality and are provided with some extra protection features, so these are definitely going to cost you some extra bucks.
Also, with high storage capacity, the cost is going to increase. But if you are a video editor or photographer having a huge amount of RAW images or video projects, then always go for higher storage. Similarly, if you are always travelling for videography or camerawork, then invest in some SSD with premium protection features. In this way you will have a greater comfort peace of mind regarding life span of your SSD.
Durability
SSDs do not have any moving parts like traditional HDD. That is why these are much durable and safer as compared to a HDD. A classic HDD has greater chances of going defective in case of any bumps or drops. Whereas, in case of SSD, any small accidental bump or drop is not going to damage it.
Similarly, the external SSDs that are rugged in nature are more durable. Always look for protection features of an SSD. This means if your SSD will drop or fall from certain height, then your internal data will remain safe and overall storage will not be damaged.
Performance
As in both videography and photography, we have to deal with 4K videos and RAW images, so it becomes really annoying if each task takes a lot of time. In SSD, you will not face any performance issues. In the above list, you may observe that each SSD is having sequential read/ write speeds from 400MB/s to as high as 1100MB/s.
It means that SSDs are up to 10 times faster as compared to the classic HDDs. Moreover, in SSDs you must go for the latest generation SSDs to enjoy the optimum speed and performance levels.
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Storage
Storage capacity greatly depends on the requirements of each user. If you are a video editor with number of project files and data, then do not go for any drive below 1TB. This higher storage will benefit you in longer run, once your data has increased to an immense amount.
If you don’t want to keep on changing your SSDs because your previous ones are getting full, then invest one time in some higher storage capacity. However, one must keep in mind that with greater storage, the cost is definitely going to increase. So, decide according to your budget and requirements.
Compatibility
All the latest SSDs are released with a Type C USB interface. The reason for this interface is optimum performance and universal compatibility. Most of the SSDs are also compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0 Type A USB ports in a reversible manner.
If you are having a laptop or Mac with a Type C port, then you may go for any SSD with Type C interface. However, in case your laptop doesn’t have a Type C port, you may still connect any SSD using a Type C to Type A USB cable. But you will always get the optimum speeds and performance levels of each SSD on a USB 3.1 or 3.2 Type C ports.
Form Factor/ Portability
The weight and size of an SSD matters a lot, especially for video editors and photographers. SSD having smaller dimensions and weight are easy to carry around. Some of the drives are also equipped with a carabineer loop that makes it more portable.
Some of the most rugged SSDs are a bit on heavy side. However, the weight factor is almost negligible, once it comes to the ruggedness and premium protection.
Security Features
Most of the SSDs manufacturers provides a built-in protection feature with SSD. This feature enables you to encrypt or protect your personal and private data in a hassle free manner. If your data is of private nature, then you must look for this additional feature as well.
In some cases, if there is no built-in protection, then check if it is compatible with the Windows BitLocker and Apple’s File Vault. If yes, then you may also opt for these as you will get an ultimate file protection using your own OS.
Editor’s Choice SSD For Photography and Video Editing
After detailed analysis and looking at all the premium features and practical users’ experiences, we have selected SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD as our most recommended and best SSD for video editing and photography.
Position wise list of SSDs is given below.
Best SSD For Photography and Video Editing – Final Conclusion
As a photographer, videographer, video editor, vlogger or any other field associated with photos and videos, you must have an external SSD. In this way you will transfer, store, backup and edit each and everything in a swift and easy manner.
We have provided you with 12+ Video editing and Photography SSDs options. You may consider any of these SSDs or choose one after reading our detailed buyer’s guide.
We’d love to hear your experience with these or another SSD in the comments section.
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