Are you still buying external hard drives? It's time you consolidated all of your data on a NAS device and today, you can win a Synology DS418 NAS.
What is a NAS?
Think of "network attached storage" as the ultimate external hard drive. Your data shouldn't be spread out across unnamed internal and external hard drives. Instead, all of your pictures and important files should be housed on a single device. You can then install multiple hard drives into your NAS depending on the amount of storage you need. These hard drives are redundant using RAID to protect your files from a hardware failure locally and, using Synology's software, you can automatically back everything up offsite as well. Lastly, having your data all in one place allows multiple computers to access the same files locally, in your home or office, or remotely via the web. You'll never have to worry about losing a photograph again.
What can I win?
The Synology DS418 is perfect for individual photographers. It has four hard drive bays which can be filled with 12TB drives. It has a quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 2GB of memory, and dual Ethernet ports on the back that are capable of sending data at over 226 MB/s. Many photographers may choose to use this strictly as an external hard drive, but here at Fstoppers we actually use ours to work from, meaning that we never house any data on our computer's internal drives. Some users may enjoy taking these a step further by using the NAS as a surveillance station, or a 4k multimedia server.
How do I enter?
Entering this contest couldn't be easier. Simply comment below or on this Facebook post, and let us know why you could use a NAS device like the DS418. On Friday, November 24th we will choose one random commenter as the winner.
AND THE WINNER IS...
Congratulations Lucas Fendley! Your comment was randomly chosen as the winner of the DS418.
Would love to win! I'm a broke artist that is in need of an upgraded storage system. Then I can duplicate last two years of external hard drives into one system to work off of and keep the external HD's as a secondary backup. :)
Synology will be mailing you the unit soon. We hope it will change your workflow for the better.
Ready to be external hard drive free by the holidays!
After filling up two Drobo, as well as numerous external usb, FireWire, and thunderbolt drives, I’m ready for the DS418.
I've been juggling external hard drives for years. Having a Sinology NAS like this would be great.
Even my backup systems have backup systems. :) Seriously need one of these.
I would run VMs on it. And a docker container.
So hard to keep up with a stack of external USB hard drives and the speed bottle neck when having multiples connected especially now moving to 4K workflow for my video work!
My iMac and MacBook Pro drives are running out of space. I really could use a network storage device with redundancy to secure my data not to mention to be a destination device for my security cameras.
My stack of external drives is growing. The NAS approach sounds optimal.
Oh man I saw this on my Google feed and I got so happy 😊
Well some back story, I'm a student fresh out of high school starting on my CCNA with no guidance from my high school. 😂
I love networks and stuff I use a "raspberry pi 2 B+" as a NAS and an old laptop with a TRI-boot, including, win 10,arch Linux and Kali Linux for some fun. 😁
I love my basic NAS and I use it for just about everything; storage, plex, transmission, mineos.😋
I would love to actually have one of these synology nas's to try new things, learn some stuff and have a more reliable nas experience. I've seen many YouTube videos of people trying out different OS's on these kind of devices so this is kinda exciting. 😀😉😆
Wellll .. besides a solid back up platform for photos, it seems like a good place to finally archive all my old Myspace photos that I'm too embarrassed to post anywhere but too sentimental to truly get rid of.
Just had a drive fail last week. Would love a synology to have a proper local backup
My data is spread out across unnamed internal and external hard drives.
I'm awaiting my Nikon D850 and my 10TB external harddrive, which has until now been braving my abuse, is already trembling in fear. Knowing that it's going to get some reinforcements might make it feel better.
Thousands of vacation pictures and movies, and this would be the perfect way to share them all with friends and family, who are just dying to see them all!
I'm entered! I need a better backup and storage solution! I have hard drives just laying around and back up when I can (knowingly not enough). I am just setting up a new desk to leave everything at and this could be the perfect backup. I have my data mostly backed up to two drives, but they are approaching full. Will probably be filled by the end of the year. But I am stepping back a little from photography while I finish my master's degree and cannot afford to expand my storage. This would solve the problem!
I have been researching the various options for backing up my files. It gives me a giant headache! This would make my life of backing up to multiple hard drives so much easier. Love the giveaway!
This looks like a great upgrade to an ancient readynas duo unit I am using currently.
There's smoke coming out of my HDD...
to finally tie my new PC and mac use together :)
My stacks of HD's need a good home
I make videos, edit pictures, build websites, do graphic design, and archive family history. I have a 16tb raid 0 almost full and could really use an upgraded external backup solution.
Love the contest, thanks guys!
I could use a device like that as I have a 8+ year old raid enclosure that runs so so slowly, but it's the only option I have right now, I have taken to wearing earplugs for the noise it's fan makes.
I would love to not have 5-6 drives sitting around at any given time.
Hello world!... i good friend sent me the link to this awesome backup system. Ive been using 1 TB HDs for about 7 years... i had a total of 5 and 3 of them died in the last 3 months. I lost years of work :( . I have decided to take this as an opportunity to take new even better photos... although having my archive was great for delivering stock photos for the magazines I collaborate with. Im currently looking into a NAS kinda system. the cloud is good but not when you shoot RAW and hundreds of pics a week. I will keep my fingers crossed hoping to get lucky in the contest. It would improve my work flow big time. Good luck to yall. Cheers.
I've nearly lost all my photos (External drives not showing the photos), one too many times. I could finally start backing up without worrying if I won this NAS.
Good luck to everyone entering
Wow! What a terrific contest! I could sure use this. Like most everyone else here, I’ve got numerous hard drives scattered around the office backing up twenty years of past projects. It would be great to place all those files into one central depository on the DS418. Being able to remotely pull up various sample photos to show potential new customers what I’ve done in the past using Synology’s cloud services will undoubtedly prove valuable in landing new work. If I’m the lucky winner I will put this NAS to good use. Good luck to everyone and Happy Thanksgiving!
This would be perfect for backing ud my images
Hi there, I am an aspiring food photographer and DP situated in sydney. The industry here is tough and stiff; clients are less than generous and associates are competative and cut throat. I have been in need for a storage device such as the DS418 for some time. My storage and backup system has recently failed me as 2 WD hardrives corrupted sending my archival photos and footage in dissaray. Its very expensive to afford such a storage device and I hope I do get picked as it will resolve a lot of the hardship earned from my storage issues.
This would be great for me to have a local backup. Thanks.
I'm staring at a box of hard drives as I type this, juggling from one to the next. "I think I have these photos on this drive. No, this one..." And backing up all of that is even worse. In short, a mess. Help me save me from myself.
Count me in. I have been techno-lusting for one of these for years!
This would certainly help with my storage needs!
Backup system
the Linksys NAS200 I'm using as a back up drive is rubbish...it has a astonishing 3MB/sec read and write time...
I need it because I only use what's best for me!
I'm about to purchase another backup drive. I could definitely use something like this!
One NAS to unite them all ... be amazing to have a device like this to have all my images centrally stored and backed up to the cloud at the same time
My students can use an NAS to store all their media but honestly I can find a cozy place for it in my workstation at home.
I would use this as a backup device.
Would love to update my old DS213 which is already 5 years old (And I can feel it :-) )
Would totally love this and need this to store all my photos during my upcoming 6 month trip to the UK!
I have some older version for a longer time, and I really use many of its features: survailance station, git server, vpn server, download station, video, photo and music station, etc. Unfortunately the storage is slowly full, and it has a slower cpu with less memory. I would like to use the docker module too, but I need a new synology for this..
What's backup?
This would be really helping me both my workflow and budget as my current backup system is almost full
I'm just running out of space :)
I have almost a terabyte of photos and need more space. A NAS would be perfect!
I use several external hard drives. It would be great to consolidate them in a NAS!
I would transfer my multimedia server from my PC to this device.
I would install Plex to access my photos, videos and music from anywhere, and setup webdav to access all my other stuff!