When it comes to choosing the best external hard drive for photographers, there are several key factors to consider:

1. Storage Capacity: Photographers will likely need a large storage capacity to store all their images and videos. I’d recommend an external hard drive with at least 2TB of storage, and one with 10TB+ as your main back up.

2. Speed: A fast transfer rate is essential for photographers as it allows them to quickly transfer large files from their camera to the external hard drive. The fastest transfer rate on this list in the SanDisk 4TH Extreme Pro with a speed of 550 MB/s.

3. Durability: Photographers often travel and take their hard drives with them, so a durable, shock-resistant drive can be very helpful if you do travel often.

4. Backup Features: Photographers should look for a drive with built-in backup features or software to ensure that their important files are protected.

5. Compatibility: Make sure the hard drive is compatible with your computer’s operating system before purchasing. Many drives are able to work with both Mac and Windows systems, but it’s always good to check.

6. Brand Reputation: Choose a well-established brand with a good reputation for quality is important because they are going to be the least likely to lose all your images and will have the best customer service in the case that something goes wrong.

For real estate photographers specifically, storage capacity and speed are easily the most important. You can always buy more external hard drives to serve as back ups, but you won’t be able to make your primary hard drive transfer files faster.

When you go to upload all of your images from the days shoots to your hard drive, having a lightning fast hard drive with lots of storage can save you tons of time. You’ll be able to upload, download, and access very quickly.

Here’s our list of the best external hard drives for photographers: