NAS for photography

[Enquiries]

Hi I'm looking for storage for photography. Both to edit and longer term backup which I will also need to edit periodically. I dont mind editing and storage being on two separate devices if that helps. I'm semi pro and the quantity and size of files is increasing year on year. I'd estimate that I need around 12-15TB per year. I don't mind buying some disks now and expanding later. I know my budget is probably tight for what I want to do. Let me know what you think. Much appreciated. Jude

[ed]

Thanks for your inquiry! Based on your needs for both photo editing and long-term backup, I believe the Synology DS923+ would be a great fit for you.

Why the DS923+?
Scalable: It offers 4 bays with the option to expand later, so you can start small and grow your storage as your needs increase. For example, you can start with 2x4TB drives (8TB) and expand as needed.
RAID 5 for redundancy: This is perfect for your need to store large volumes of photos securely. RAID 5 offers a good balance of redundancy and storage efficiency (you’ll use 3 disks for data protection, and it will be fast enough for media editing).
Speed: The DS923+ supports 2.5GbE connectivity, which will ensure fast access to your files, reducing delays when you’re editing.
Software and tools: Synology offers excellent software tools for managing your photos (like Synology Photos and Hyper Backup), making it easy to organize, backup, and edit your images.
Configuration Idea:
Since you’re looking for 12-15TB per year, I’d recommend starting with:

2x4TB HDDs in the DS923+ for your RAID setup. This will give you 8TB of usable storage (considering RAID 5) to store your files.
Expandability: You can expand by adding 2 more drives in the future when you need more space (either 8TB or 12TB drives, depending on your storage needs).
RAID Setup: RAID 5 will allow you to maximize your storage capacity while keeping your data safe with redundancy.
Budget:
The DS923+ itself will cost around £600-£700 for the base unit. For the drives, I recommend starting with 2x4TB Seagate IronWolf drives for around £100 each, which will give you a solid, scalable setup.

In total, your initial investment should be around £800-£900 (for the NAS and drives), and you can expand as needed. The DS923+ is a solid, future-proof choice within your budget and will work well for both editing and storing your photos.