Suggestion for BUDGET friendly external hard drive for Macbook Pro (mid-2012)

birdmanbirdman Posts: 115Member
edited February 2014 in Nikon DSLR cameras
I want a budget friendly external HDD (with at least 2TB) that uses something other USB3.0...well, maybe USB 3.0 is fast enough. My older Lacie hard drive has not just one, but 4 ports (USB2.0, Firewire 400 and Firewire 800, and eSATA). The downside is 750GB is now too small (plus it's filled up).

The Lacie models are way too expensive, and so are Apple's enclosures (not to mention lack of inputs for transferring data directly-- aren't they all wireless?) I know Apple's older enclosures were built that way. Anyway, suggestions will be appreciated.
Post edited by birdman on

Comments

  • proudgeekproudgeek Posts: 1,422Member
    You didn't say what your budget was, but since you don't want USB I'd say your best option is Thunderbolt connectivity. I would recommend against Firewire, as it's a dead end. I just recently installed a Drobo 5D, with twin redundant 3TB drives. It's pricey, (about $1,100 when you factor in the mSATA card), but VERY scalable. So I'm not sure if it's budget to the extent that you were thinking, but it's a relatively small upfront investment when you compare what it could become if necessary.
  • birdmanbirdman Posts: 115Member
    Thunderbolt is great. eSata is still very....relevant...right? My budget would be AT MOST $200.00.

    I have WAY TOO much in Nikon gear, MacBook upgrades, as well as my custom built gaming PC that I used to process all my images through. It also has eSATA, mSATA, and USB3.0 connectivity. So if I ever needed to use the external HDD down the road exclusively for PC purposes, I'd have flexibility. Maybe I'll go with another Lacie
  • proudgeekproudgeek Posts: 1,422Member
    If you just need a straight up 2 or 3TB storage solution, that's what I'd do. A 2 TB hard drive will run you under $200 I think. I assume you want your library to live somewhere other than your local drive correct? That was my issue. I have a 200GB image library in Aperture (and with a D800 it's not going to get smaller), so I needed to do something that I could live with for several years. It was a hefty up front investment, but I see it paying dividends down the road due to the scalability.
  • Golf007sdGolf007sd Posts: 2,840Moderator
    edited February 2014
    Costco & Best buy have some good deals on external HD's.
    Post edited by Golf007sd on
    D4 & D7000 | Nikon Holy Trinity Set + 105 2.8 Mico + 200 F2 VR II | 300 2.8G VR II, 10.5 Fish-eye, 24 & 50 1.4G, 35 & 85 1.8G, 18-200 3.5-5.6 VR I SB-400 & 700 | TC 1.4E III, 1.7 & 2.0E III, 1.7 | Sigma 35 & 50 1.4 DG HSM | RRS Ballhead & Tripods Gear | Gitzo Monopod | Lowepro Gear | HDR via Promote Control System |
  • Parke1953Parke1953 Posts: 456Member
    On my way home stopped in at walmart and they had a Toshiba 3TB USB 3.0 for $119.
  • birdmanbirdman Posts: 115Member
    edited February 2014
    Costco & Best buy have some good deals on external HD's.
    Good friend, take me to Costco sometime. I don't have a membership. Ha. Catch u soon Ali

    P.S. -- I really hope you're not swayed to **upgrade** to the "new" D4s. It really offers little else that anyone besides a bird photographer / sports shooter would NEED -- as far that I can tell.
    Post edited by birdman on
  • shawninoshawnino Posts: 453Member
    Lifehacker(dot)com constantly updates hard drive bargains in their deals section. They prosletyse a lot for SSD but they also note deals on spinners.
  • Golf007sdGolf007sd Posts: 2,840Moderator
    @birdman: will give you a call soon and we will go get what you need. As for the D4s, I'm good. Hence, no need for what has to offer me over my D4 :D
    D4 & D7000 | Nikon Holy Trinity Set + 105 2.8 Mico + 200 F2 VR II | 300 2.8G VR II, 10.5 Fish-eye, 24 & 50 1.4G, 35 & 85 1.8G, 18-200 3.5-5.6 VR I SB-400 & 700 | TC 1.4E III, 1.7 & 2.0E III, 1.7 | Sigma 35 & 50 1.4 DG HSM | RRS Ballhead & Tripods Gear | Gitzo Monopod | Lowepro Gear | HDR via Promote Control System |
  • PierrePierre Posts: 360Member
    edited February 2014
    I am using a 2TB USB3 Western Digital MyPassport pocket-size. I find they work great and when you turn the hardware-encryption on, they cannot be opened. Do not loose your password because no one will be able to help you. After 10 failed attempt, I believe the content is destroyed making them very secure. Unfortunaty NTFS does't work with mac (maybe I just do not know how) and fat32 is much less stable. My wife has one she use with her mac and she almost lost all of her content by exiting a photo directly on it instead of a local copy. It took a low-level chkdsk on windows to recover most of it.
    Post edited by Pierre on
  • Golf007sdGolf007sd Posts: 2,840Moderator
    Just use Disk Utility on your mac and format the drive using Mac OS Extended.
    D4 & D7000 | Nikon Holy Trinity Set + 105 2.8 Mico + 200 F2 VR II | 300 2.8G VR II, 10.5 Fish-eye, 24 & 50 1.4G, 35 & 85 1.8G, 18-200 3.5-5.6 VR I SB-400 & 700 | TC 1.4E III, 1.7 & 2.0E III, 1.7 | Sigma 35 & 50 1.4 DG HSM | RRS Ballhead & Tripods Gear | Gitzo Monopod | Lowepro Gear | HDR via Promote Control System |
  • JuergenJuergen Posts: 315Member
    @birdman
    maybe another option is worthwhile to consider for you:
    take out the disc drive and fit either a SSD or HD instead.

    Works well for me. I retrofitted my 2011 Macbook Pro with two 750 SSD drives.

    Jürgen
    D4, D800E, Nikon 1 J2, 600 f/4, trinity, PC-E 45, PC-E 24, 105, 50 f/1,8g, 85 f/1,4, Sigma 150-500
  • Vipmediastar_JZVipmediastar_JZ Posts: 1,708Member
    @birdman I picked mine up at BB. usually when they are on sale. mine are 3TB usb 3.0
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