Where do you save your photographs?

[Spidy]

I'm wondering where everyone else saves their large files of photographs. I have been putting mine on CD's, but now I hear they don't last very long :disgust: There was something on 20/20 or another show similar, and they were talking about CD's that were less than ten years old and turning rusty? They even had pictures of them. Kind of bumbed me out a little bit, so thought I would ask the "pro's" what they use :)

[Rudi]

Lately, external hard drives! I have some REALLY important files on DVDs, but my archive is on a series of external HDDs. One copy with me wherever I happen to go, one at home, and one offsite. Minimum! (I believe in backups :D).

I am waiting for the day when BluRay becomes common enough to use for backups - 25 to 50 GB per disk (single or dual-layer). Then I will backup to optical discs again (as well as my HDD solution :) ).

[Spidy]

Lately, external hard drives! I have some REALLY important files on DVDs, but my archive is on a series of external HDDs. One copy with me wherever I happen to go, one at home, and one offsite. Minimum! (I believe in backups :D).

I am waiting for the day when BluRay becomes common enough to use for backups - 25 to 50 GB per disk (single or dual-layer). Then I will backup to optical discs again (as well as my HDD solution :) ).

Thanks Rudi, I've thought about doing that. I'm in need of a new computer anyway, so I think when I get one I will use my old hard drive as a backup.

Geez .. if you think about it, old computers are a dime a dozen anymore. Why couldn't a person just pick up a few used hard drives that way, reformat, and have yourself a nice very large backups system? :brows:

I wonder if BluRay is going to take off like they are hoping for. It kind of reminds me of way back when ... with the 8 tracks and the cassetts. Now both are obsolete (almost).

[MiriamJ]

External Hard Drive, 2 sets of DVDs and keep my fingers crossed. :)

[David Cramer]

External hard drives (two) and archival gold DVDs. Best we have at the moment. Times will change.

[Robert]

I maintain backup on hardrives, both internal and external. When a hardrive is about 70% full, I delete anything on it that I don't wish to keep then I remove the HD, label it and the contents in detail and store it in a fire safe. I also backup all files onto DVD's.
There is need for caution with hardrives though. First, all HD's will eventually fail...they're mechanical and therefore susceptible to breakdown. That's why backup onto DVD/CD is important. But keep in mind that a hardive that just sits, especially in hotter more humid climates, often fail to spin up because the platter becomes ceased. So, I routinely unwrap the drives and spin them up for awhile. Old hardrives are not a good idea imho because they may have a considerable amount of wear and tear...perhaps close to breakdown.
I'm considering a third backup to an internet backup service.

[Harv]

I'm not a professional and I'm getting old so I don't worry about 20 or 30 year life on backups. I figure my backups will outlive me. I keep all the originals on my internal hard drive and backup to an external.

If I lose any images, it gives me a reason to go out and re-shoot. :biggrin:

[Josée]

Hi all,

I took a beginner's course through Henry's recently, and the teacher told us never to use DVD,s only CDs when backing up images...what's everyone's take on that?

[Rudi]

Hi all,

I took a beginner's course through Henry's recently, and the teacher told us never to use DVD,s only CDs when backing up images...what's everyone's take on that?

The guy's a dinosaur. Teaching information that is at least 10 years out of date. There is no inherent reliability advantage to CDs over DVDs for backup. Either will have the occasional problem with some machines not being able to read some types of media. As far as aging, the problems of optical storage media has been well documented - they are not as archival as at first thought (or claimed by the manufacturers).

[GoGo]

http://www.buffalotech.com/products/network-storage/terastation/terastation-pro-ii/

This is what I use, plus DVD's that i burn raws to.

[David R]

I use internal and external drives as well as CD/DVD of very important stuff. (family vacations etc haha). I have been considering a Drobo type device for the near future.

[Ron Lacey]

Strictly hard drives, important stuff backed up on separate drives. I archive only RAW files with processing instructions either embedded in DNGs or sidecar XMP files for CR2s. CDs are pretty much out of the questions, I'd need an army of them and DVDs are a PITA to burn and store.

Though more expensive I use external laptop (2.5") hard drives, they're more portable and they don't require a power supply.

Ron

[Josée]

For those of you usign external HDs and Macs, do you use Time Capsule, or is there something else, maybe more portable?

[Igor]

Another vote for external HD's.
I have four hard disks and back up important files there.
However I really doubt I'll use these back-uped photos ever :)

[Roger]

I burn my 4gb memory cards to dvd's copy my images to a large drive, and back that large drive up monthly to a external hard drive.

[Roger]

After some thought, if you want the best way to backup your pictures.

Purchase a Network Attached Storage Device, with a raid 5 configuration, with one extra hot spare drive ( six total) all hot swappable drives, and these are scalable, meaning you can add more larger drives and boom, you have a extra storage space.

http://www-03.ibm.com/systems/storage/disk/ds3000/ds3300/index.html

http://www.inlinecorp.com/products_san_tei240.htm

two examples above.

Most run 5-8k, but you can put extended warranty's on most as long as you want to, and you're guaranteed your data.


If you have a large amount of money in camera's and in lens, I can't see why you wouldn't want something like this.

I am not at the point yet, but I would get something like this if this was for my business.

And we use close models to above at my work, ( since I am an IT Admin )

[Rudi]

I'll have to disagree. RAID arrays are unnecessarily complicated. Get a Drobo and a Droboshare to turn it into a network storage, and you're set. Put in any combination of hard drives for total redundancy (you don't have to buy the same size HDDs, just replace the smallest one every time your storage gets full, that way you can move up seamlessly as HDDs get bigger and cheaper).

[beaucamera]

I'll have to disagree. RAID arrays are unnecessarily complicated. Get a Drobo and a Droboshare to turn it into a network storage, and you're set. Put in any combination of hard drives for total redundancy (you don't have to buy the same size HDDs, just replace the smallest one every time your storage gets full, that way you can move up seamlessly as HDDs get bigger and cheaper).


So, Rudi, did you finally pop for a Drobo?
:coo3l:

Virginia
aka beaucamera

[Rudi]

So, Rudi, did you finally pop for a Drobo?
:coo3l:

Virginia
aka beaucamera

Not yet, Virginia. Problem is, to have complete redundancy I actually need TWO Drobos in separate locations. :)

[Roger]

your talking about enterprise business class product vs a home product.

you can't really compare them apple to apple, I was thinking that a lot of your Array's also offer block level backup options.

BTW, in most raid's, you can also put in larger drives, one at a time, and they will rebuild.
You can then re size or so on. Plus if you are needing 5 TB plus of storage, it's your only option.

[Kevin]

I started off with CDs, then DVDs, and now use Portable Hard Drives (2 of them at present). I'm long overdue with backing up.

[Rudi]

your talking about enterprise business class product vs a home product.

you can't really compare them apple to apple, I was thinking that a lot of your Array's also offer block level backup options.

BTW, in most raid's, you can also put in larger drives, one at a time, and they will rebuild.
You can then re size or so on. Plus if you are needing 5 TB plus of storage, it's your only option.

You're looking at $5k vs $700. The current Drobo firmware will happily take you up to 16TB (four 4TB drives), with about 12TB available (some lost due to redundancy, same as RAID drive).

I can tell you what most pro photogs will be buying...