When you’ve a lot of photos on your Mac. It’s inevitable that you’ll get to the point where you need to free up space on your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iMac.
And as a keen photographer who doesn’t want all their photos up in the cloud.
You’ll need an external hard drive to go onto your Mac.
So you can store more of your photos.
And after hours of research, looking closely at over 20 models of external hard drives. Here is your top 4 best external hard drives for Mac photographers.
The Best External Hard Drives For Mac Photographers
1. WD My Passport for Mac External Hard Drive
2. WD Elements Portable External Hard Drive
3. Samsung T5 Portable External SSD
4. Silicon Power A85M For Mac Rugged Military-Grade Portable External Hard Drive
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Your Overall Winner of Best External Hard Drive for Storing Photos on Mac Is …
Recommended Drive: WD My Passport for Mac
You have here the ease of a HFS+ formatted external drive. Which means you can plug your WD My Passport external hard drive straight into your Mac.
And there is no need to format first.
Smooth on one half of the outer casing and a molded diagonal pattern on the other. Makes it more sophisticated looking than many other external hard drives.
You get in the box a USB-C cable. All ready for you to connect into your Mac with a USB C port.
And reliability with a Mac. Makes the WD My Passport for Mac the over all winner as the best external hard drive for Mac for photographers.
You’ll find below quick reviews on each of the best external hard drives for your Mac to store photos.
1. WD My Passport For Mac: Quick Review
MacTakeAwayData Rating: 9/10
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WD My Passport For Mac
Your ideal external hard drive for your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iMac photos
Why You’d Want A WD My Passport For Mac
Why You’d Pass On A WD My Passport For Mac
WD My Passport For Mac Verdict
When you want a drive you can put on your Mac without thinking too much about it. Then that’s what you’ve got in your WD My Passport for Mac.
You can download Western Digital’s software. Then use it to import your photos from your social media accounts. And from your cloud storage. This means that you can easily keep a copy of your selfies. Just in case your social media account gets compromised.
Your WD My Passport For Mac At A Glance
- Default drive format: HFS+ – Plug right into your Mac
- Drive Type: USB 3.2 Gen 1 – A nice fast drive
- Capacities: 2TB, 4TB, 5TB – Plenty of space for you to save your photos
- Size: 2TB – 4.22 inches by 2.95 inches by 0.44 inches
- 4TB and 5TB – 4.22 in by 2.95 in by 0.75 in
- Weight: 2TB – 0.27 lbs.
- 4TB and 5TB – 0.45 lbs.
- A size and weight you can easily put in your purse or case.
- Warranty: 3 Years – Longer protection for your external hard drive.
View Of The WD My Passport For Mac For Your Photos
Buy this when you’re a normal everyday Mac user. And when you need a place to put all those photos from on your social media or cloud storage.
2. WD Elements Portable: Quick Review
MacTakeAwayData Rating: 8/10
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WD Elements Portable External Hard Drive
When you need an external drive for your Mac photos and you’re on a budget. You’ll find the WD Elements Portable hits the spot. Both for variety of drive sizes and for the price you pay.
Why You’d Want A WD Elements Portable
Why You’d Pass On A WD Elements Portable
WD Elements Verdict
When your budget is tight for an external hard drive on your MacBook.
And I wouldn’t blame you considering a WD Elements Portable even without a tight budget.
You’re can go for one or two. One as a backup for the other for storing your photos on. You won’t go far wrong with this best seller.
You’ll need to format your WD Elements Portable before putting on your photos or videos from your Mac.
It’s easily done and will only take a few minutes to do.
The WD Elements Portable has the shortest warranty of the drives here at 2 years.
WD Elements Portable YouTube Video
Would you like to see the WD Elements Portable? Why not have a look at this quick to watch 42 second video.
WD Elements Portable | Official Product Overview
Video Credit: WD
WD Elements At A Glance
- Default drive format: NTFS – Easily reformat from NTFS for your Mac and your photos will be grateful.
- Drive Type: USB 3.0 – Fine for when you want somewhere to keep your photos safe. And you don’t need the fastest drive around. Though you’ll get reasonable performance for an external hard drive.
- Capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB and 5TB – Plenty of choice for the photos and videos in your library.
- Size: 1TB and 2TB – 4.35 in by 3.2 in by 0.6 in.
- 3TB and 4TB – 4.4 in by 3.3 in by 0.83 in.
- Weight: 1TB and 2TB – 0.29 lbs.
- 3TB, 4TB and 5TB – 0.52 lbs.
- You can carry along with your MacBook in your briefcase or backpack.
- Warranty: 2 Years. You’ll find this average for a basic portable external hard drive.
View Of The WD Elements Portable
Buy this when you just need photo or video storage. And reasonable performance is fine.
Use the WD Elements Portable to off load all those photos on your SLR camera.
Would you like to read a comparison on between the WD My Passport and the WD Elements drive? Check out this article.
3. Samsung T5 Portable SSD: Quick Review
MacTakeAwayData Ranking 8/10
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Samsung T5 Portable SSD
When you want a fast drive to store your photographs on.
You’ve plenty to spend. And you want a quick external drive. Because you’ve seriously large photos or videos and you need serious performance.
Why You’d Want A Samsung T5
Why You’d Pass On A Samsung T5
Samsung T5 Verdict
When you’ve a generous budget for storing your photos and videos. And you need an external drive that’s fast. Then the Samsung T5 will do for your picture collection.
You’ll have an external drive that’s the ultimate portable size. You’ll find it’s the smallest and lightest of the drives on the list.
And though you’ll find the Samsung T5 SSD external drive is not a rugged drive. Samsung has tested it to take up to a six and a half foot drop. And that’s impressive for a non rugged drive.
Samsung T5 At A Glance
- Default drive format: ExFAT – You can share your photos and videos on your ExFAT format Samsung T5 with a Windows PC. And without reformatting your external drive.
- Drive Type: USB 3.1 Gen 2 – For when you want a fast drive for your MacBook.
- Capacities: 250GB, 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
- You won’t find large drive sizes here. But when you’ve a smaller photo collection. Or are happy to spread your collection out over several drives, this could do you. Don’t forget to have backups of your photos on more than one drive just in case.
- Weight: 1.8 oz
- Size: 2.26 inches by 2.91 inches by 0.41 inches
- Yes, you’ve a nice compact external drive here for all your pictures.
- It’s small enough to carry with you in your breast pocket.
- Warranty: 3 Years – A nice length for your external drive’s warranty.
View Of The Samsung T5 For Your iPhone Camera Shots
When you like the idea of an external drive without the moving parts inside.
And when you’ve large sized digital photos you need to access fast. Then a Solid State drive is for you. You’ll find your Samsung T5 looks good, works better and is oh so fast.
4. Silicon Power Armor A85M for Mac Military-Grade: Quick Review
MacTakeAwayData Rating: 8/10
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Silicon Power Armor A85M for Mac
When you want the drive that stores your photos rugged.
Drop tested, water proof, dust proof and designed to go on your Mac.
Because where you’re using it is tough. And most external hard drives just won’t cut it
Why You’d Want A Silicon Power A85M For Mac
Why You’d Pass On A Silicon Power A85M For Mac
Silicon Power A85M For Mac Verdict
You’ll find here a great rugged drive that ticks a lot of boxes. When you need a go anywhere external hard drive. Because you’re photographing in the field. And you need a drive you can take to the rough with you.
Formatted in HFS+ means you can plug straight into your Mac and start your downloads.
Silicon Power A85M For Mac YouTube Video
This video is in German. Put on mute and just watch what they do to this external hard drive for 2 minutes 32 seconds. It is a blast.
SP A85 Torture Test – it’s a Beast!
Video Credit: Silicon Power
Silicon Power A85M At A Glance
- Default drive format: HFS+ – All ready for you to put on your MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iMac
- Drive Type: USB 3.0 – Not the fastest of drive interfaces. But when you need something tough to store your photos and videos. And speed is not as important to you.
- Capacities: 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 5TB
- Size: 5.2 in x 3.63 in x 1.01 in
- Weight: 10.51 oz to 12.8 oz – Depending on the number of TB’s in your Silicon Power A85M for Mac
- Warranty: 3 Years – Nice.
View Of The Silicon Power A85M For Mac
When you have to have an external hard drive to store your photos and you’re out in the wet and cold. You don’t want to be worrying about your external hard drive.
Not when you’ve enough to worry about with your camera, your Mac, iPhone or iPad.
You’ve here a go anywhere drive when you just love taking photographs.
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Final Comments
Thank you for reading my article on the best external hard drive for Mac photographers.
When you choose one of these 4 external hard drives you’ll be freeing up space on your MacBook or iMac. Even your cloud storage.
And securing your important moments.
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