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Kingston workflow station, KC3000 NVMe SSD, XS2000 Portable SSD, SD and microSD memory cards on a desk with photography equipment

The best storage options for creatives and when to use them

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Dec 2021
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There are many great storage options available for creatives. Whether you’re a photographer on location or a video editor doing client work, investing in a good quality storage will ensure that you avoid losing any important footage. In this article, we will look at some of the best ways for creatives to store their files depending on their step in the process.

SD and microSD cards

Kingston workflow station, SD and microSD memory cards on a desk

SD and microSD cards are a must-have for any creative using digital cameras or other digital devices, as they can store thousands of high-quality photos which can later be transferred to a computer to review and edit. However, this type of removable flash storage can quickly fill up, especially when shooting in HD or RAW format. For creatives, having a full memory card just isn’t an option. Therefore, most creatives will carry multiple memory cards with them or will use a secondary storage option to quickly offload photos from their memory card and start shooting again.

Kingston Workflow Station and Readers

The Kingston Workflow Station and Readers are the perfect solution for creatives who need to offload and transfer footage quickly so that their memory cards are free to shoot over and over again. The Workflow Station dock is customisable with your choice of USB mini-hubs, SD readers and microSD readers, and can connect up to four readers to the dock simultaneously. When your memory card runs out of storage you can simply insert the card into the SD or microSD reader and use the USB-C cable to transfer the footage straight to your laptop. The readers can be used standalone which makes it even easier for creatives travelling or out in the field. Don’t wait until you get home, use Kingston’s Workflow Station on-the-go to speed up your post-production workflow.

Kingston XS2000 Portable SSD on a desk connected to a computer with a videographer editing a shot in the background

External SSDs

Once you’ve transferred your photos from your memory cards to your computer, they can start to take up a lot of space on your internal drive. And what if you want to transfer some photos to another device? Investing in a portable SSD is a great option for creatives who want to be able to take their work with them wherever they go. The great thing about portable SSDs is that you can easily back up and secure your files without an internet connection. Also, for creatives working outside or in remote locations, portable SSDs are a great option as they are less likely to break if dropped and some are even built to withstand extreme conditions. The Kingston XS2000 and XS1000 external SSDs are both great choices for your go-to backup solution, as they allow you to access your data anywhere and will not weigh you down as they are compact and pocket-sized. Creatives no longer need to rely on carrying bulky external hard drives with them. Instead, offload your photos onto a portable SSD and access your digital library from wherever you are.

Online storage

Online storage is another good option for creatives as it allows you to work on your files from wherever you are and across all your devices. One of the best use cases for online storage is to share larger files with clients and collaborators. There are multiple online storage services available from Google Drive to Dropbox to iCloud. But remember, online storage requires an internet connection, so for creatives out in the field make sure to have a backup of the files you need on either a portable SSD or another storage option. Also, when using cloud storage, your files and data are no longer on your physical storage, so security could be something to think about.

Internal SSDs

Although many new laptops now include internal SSDs, some may include hard drives. These can be upgraded to SSDs to get faster performance. An entry-level SSD is roughly ten times faster than a typical 7200RPM hard drive. If you want even faster performance or want to take advantage of PCIe technology, explore the full range of Kingston SATA SSDs to find the one that best meets your performance, storage and budget.

Hard drives

Traditional hard drives are a great solution for long term, non-portable storage since they are less expensive per gigabyte when compared to SSDs. They have much slower transfer speeds, so it is best to use them for tasks such as backup or archival once a project is completed. They are also heavier and more fragile when compared to SSDs, so it is best to leave them in one place like a home workstation or office. There are two styles of hard drives: directly connected drives via USB and network attached storage (NAS). With NAS drives you can share large files with others in your local network.

Conclusion

These days, creatives have more storage options available to them than ever before but like any digital device, it’s important to find the option that works best for your workflow. Whether you want to use memory cards as storage or take your footage on the move by using a portable SSD, there are lots of storage options available for creatives to choose from.

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