Cloud storage question

[Osval]

There is a very good post from @Kevriano about the unlimited photo storage that Amazon Prime offers. I just want to know what other cloud storage/backup do you use and recommend. I know there is one from Adobe if you buy Lightroom, but no idea how it works.

So far I use Prime and OneDrive, but neither of them are photo centric (to be fair, Prime Photos it's photo centric, but it looks like hobbyist tool and they can change their mind at any minute, like Google, and make it more expensive or limited)

 

[Exploridaho]

It probably goes without saying, but I woudn`t trust anyone to keep your only copy of your photos.
I have not yet tried cloud storage myself either ,but am starting to consider it.
I always keep my photos backed up on an external drive that does not stay attached to my computer.
And for extra precaution I keep an additional set with my parents, I update these once or twice a year. so the most I might lose is a few months worth if my house burned down.

I`ve always wondered how professionals deal with archiving, especially as image files size is increasing.
I would assume a pro could have a 100 terabytes of more easily to store.

 

[UncleVanya]

You can leverage Amazon's S3 storage more directly and I would expect that given how it is tied into their ecosystem it won't be vanishing anytime soon.

My Amazon S3 photo backup solution | pawelgrzybek.com

As an amateur photographer, I have been searching for a cloud backup solution for years. Keeping a physical backup on an external hard drive is definitely insufficient. Then I discovered Amazon S3.

pawelgrzybek.com

This goes into detail and even clarifies how to set lifecycle settings to move files to lower cost storage.

 

[cucar]

First and foremost, I'd suggest following the rule of three explained here: https://www.hanselman.com/blog/the-computer-backup-rule-of-three

For cloud storage, I'd definitely suggest using S3 for the most recent data and Glacier for cold archives. I am a tech guy who uses AWS now over 10 years. If you have any questions, happy to help. As explained in the article share above, S3/Glacier duo is extremely affordable when set up properly. What the article doesn't talk about is that you can actually automate your entire workflow (encrypt, compress and upload - on-demand, on a schedule, etc).

I use Sync.com for my personal data, it supports client-side encryption which means all the data is encrypted before it is uploaded and no one else can read your data, including Sync.com admins. Other providers such as Dropbox, Box don't provide this feature in their consumer plans. Sync.com and its servers are based in Canada and are presumably covered by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) data privacy legislation. Privacy matters.

For offline storage, this is a great option: https://www.simplynas.com/products/...ith-seagate-enterprise?variant=20468964819006

 

[Osval]

You can leverage Amazon's S3 storage more directly and I would expect that given how it is tied into their ecosystem it won't be vanishing anytime soon.

My Amazon S3 photo backup solution | pawelgrzybek.com

As an amateur photographer, I have been searching for a cloud backup solution for years. Keeping a physical backup on an external hard drive is definitely insufficient. Then I discovered Amazon S3.

pawelgrzybek.com

This goes into detail and even clarifies how to set lifecycle settings to move files to lower cost storage.

Wow, that's a very interesting solution which I've never heard of. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the tip!

 

[AlphaArt]

You can never have too many backups, I know from personal and client EXPERIENCE! I had computer and a backup drive go down at same time. I now backup to multiple devices including network HD's and cloud storage, I use Dropbox, One Drive, Google, icloud and Flickr. Which of these i prefer I don't know as they all have good and bad points.

 

[Drewid]

Like others I have learnt the hard way. I backup my MacBook Pro using Time Machine, my photos using two 4TB external drives and to the cloud using Icedrive. 1TB at Icedrive costs just over £3 a month and seems quite fast currently. When I bought it they were offering a lifetime membership for a one off payment and it works well for me. Oh and a free 10gb to try it out!! https://icedrive.net/?pt=4y3p343a76

 

[Spiderx1]

I received an email from iDrive stating just that, increasing my rate, with the option to download or all files would be deleted or pay more.

 

[ExSpectator]

Backblaze is also a good general purpose (not photo specific) backup option - the pricing is per computer, but the storage is then unlimited (and includes external drives you may have attached to that computer). It's definitely strictly a backup, not a cloud sharing method though

 

[Ziggy]

There are a number of web guides like this one...

The best cloud backup services in 2024

The best cloud backup services help prevent your data from being lost to hardware failure or physical disasters

www.tomsguide.com

I've done cloud backups for years. It's common for services to attract new users with a good deal and then jack up their prices.

IDrive crashed two of my three machines and support just stopped. I now use Zoolz cos it's cheap - I need two terrabytes.

Your internet upload speed will be critical if you do a lot of shooting. The initial backup can take weeks though some services offer the option of sending out a HD for it.

 

[garuda]

I buy these 8TB for backups & only connect to computer during backup. $145.

 

[Ziggy]

They're not a substitute for cloud backup.

 

[garuda]

They're not a substitute for cloud backup.

I don't suggest they are a better substitute, but merely it's an option I happen to use. We all have different needs and lots of options to pick from. Hence there just might be someone else like me out there who can afford 200TBs of external allowing for 2 or 3 tier backups of backups. Just an option for some but not all. I like independent custody so no risk of price increase, policy changes, etc.

Plus I have an added benefit of having a bulletproof workstation & backup system because it NEVER connects to internet. Over twenty years running w no problems. Just a choice that seems best for me, and merely a possible option for a few others.

 

[Ziggy]

How many hundreds of houses have burnt in the last US & Australian summers?
Cloud backups are for catastrophic events and also for remote file access and sharing.
Offsite backup is an essential part of file security.

 

[Jeff A]

I have a couple of Gun safes and I have some personal items (Other than Firearms) that we keep in the safe with the higher fire rating. I was always envious of a good friend who had a Liberty branded safe with thier highest fire rating. Then, a little more than 3 years ago he lost his house to the now famous California fires. He lost everything, including everything that was in his highly rated safe. There was no firearm or anything else salvageable in that safe. His wife had a lot of jewelry in that safe as well and it all melted and ran out. My idea about backup hard drives in the safe vanished with his loss.

 

[Ziggy]

With cloud backups there are a number of key variables ...

Does the service keep versions of your files? With databases, text and number files recovery may involve returning to an earlier version if the current one has become corrupted.

Does it keep deletions? Some don't or only temporarily.

And in both cases, how many/how long?

How easy is it to access individual files? Are there thumbnails of graphic files?

I've used several providers and find they often market by offering good deals and then when you're invested they jack up the price or reduce the functions. That said, it's now a competitive market and prices have dropped sharply.

Once set up, the service runs in the background and apart from the occasional check, it's a set and forget proposition.

There are a number of things I like about Zoolz. It's cheap, reliable, offers thumbnails, has very good customer service and manages a backup to your local external drive as well. That backup is in zip form so you can still access the files if you've left the service. But the reason it's cheap is that it can be up to 12 hours to get your files so it's more an archiving service.

 

[Drewid]

I have a couple of Gun safes and I have some personal items (Other than Firearms) that we keep in the safe with the higher fire rating. I was always envious of a good friend who had a Liberty branded safe with thier highest fire rating. Then, a little more than 3 years ago he lost his house to the now famous California fires. He lost everything, including everything that was in his highly rated safe. There was no firearm or anything else salvageable in that safe. His wife had a lot of jewelry in that safe as well and it all melted and ran out. My idea about backup hard drives in the safe vanished with his loss.

We started filling our gun safe with important documents then changed our minds and filled them with guns!!

 

[Jeff A]

We started filling our gun safe with important documents then changed our minds and filled them with guns!!

Well, I see that you have your priorities squared away.