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You may think that your digital files are forever. That's not really the case if you aren't paying attention to hardware and software evolution: https://merlinone.com/digital-decay/ You might want to get at least a few prints of your best photographs, and find a printer that uses archival paper and ink. This looks like a handy device that could help: https://toptechshifts.com/photostick/A2D1/?thrive=1 _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | ||
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The way to protect your digital photo files is to use a dedicated external hard drive to archive them. By using the external drive only as a storage vault and not being used daily reading and writing data, digital decay or more importantly accidental deletion or malware corruption is eliminated. It is the constant reading and writing of data that can cause digital decay however, I am not convinced that you would ever be able to discern the impact of digital decay on pictures or prints generated by that file over time. The discussion of digital decay is largely more philosophical than practical. One thing is for sure, even the best prints break down over time. Inks decay and lose their brightness and fidelity. And if you wanted to make copies from prints vs the original data file, the copies will not match up to the original. You will lose fidelity during the copy-reprint process and that will require more data manipulation and further deviation from the original. With external storage devices so cheap today ($100 you can purchase 4 terabytes of storage) it makes sense to always backup ALL your data files including your picture/video files. Also it is a good idea to switch from hard disk drives (HDD) to solid-state drive (SSD) on both desktop and laptop computers. Solid-state drives do not fragment files like a HDD can. Everytime you go to defragment a HDD, digits can get lost or corrupted. Switching from a HDD to a SSD is very simple on desktop computers. But it's best to replace Laptops to a new device already equipped with a SSD. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
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I use two external back-up hard drives; my desk top is an iMac. On one back-up I store the RAW (NEF) files, just as back-up storage. On the other I put the same files but use it as my access files for Lightroom post-processing with Smart Previews (you have to synchronize once in awhile to assure the edits are also on the back-up). The external disk doesn't even have to be connected to the computer to post-process once you have imported as Smart Previews, which can be very useful if your main computer is a laptop with a smaller hard drive. This liberates a lot of computer hard disk room and keeps the desk-top about as fast as it can be. If I convert to TIF files I put them on that disk n° 2 as well. I generally leave the post-processed jpeg thumbnails (with a maximum size of 315 ko) on the computer for e-mail and internet use. I set the jpeg thumbnail creation to 315 ko maximum size since it is the largest size a photography forum I also participate in will accept. So far this has worked well for me. If you leave RAW files and TIF conversions on your main computer it will fill up so fast that you will experience serious slow-down. And if the source files are not backed up you run the risk of losing a lot if you have a hard drive failure. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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It's a little bit mythical that a full(er) HDD slows down over a not so full HDD - assuming there is still space for "Virtual Memory". A HDD with more data on it "can" become more fragmented thus slowing down read/write times. It can be easily resolved by defragmenting the drive. Windows 10 onboard defragmenter is the safest way to defragment, however there is a lot of 3rd party software that does it also. The other thing you have to watch for on a HDD is the number of partitions. Most manufacturers ship their boxes with one or more partitions on it to protect recovery files. Some partitions are flexibly assigned others are fixed and waste disk space. By switching to SSDs there is no need for partitions and files cannot be come fragmented as they are stored sequentially and intact as opposed to RAD (Random Access Data). The other benefit of SSD is read/write times are much quicker and IOPs (input output operations) are substantially quicker. Anyhow, it is always best to backup files and offload storage stuff to keep your system its happiest. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
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On the other hand, some last long enough to be considered archival. I have some Cibachrome enlargements that are over 20 years old and hang in a room with occasional direct sunlight, and they look like the day they were printed. I don't know if they will stay stable for 200 years, which is what some archival printers claim for modern prints with the right inks and paper: https://www.archival-photos.com/ Of course, just about anything left in direct sunlight will decay, and oxidation happens to almost all materials. But with a little care and attention to their environment they can last a very long time. I don't have to turn on my computer to see my prints, and my enlargements are much bigger with much more visible detail than my computer screen. _________________________________ AR, where the hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history become the nattering nabobs of negativisim. | |||
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In the last 10 - 15 years archival quality photo processing has been a game changer. Epson and Canon papers and inks exceed the life of Kodachrome prints (which everyone has discovered didn't hold up well over time). I still trust 0's and 1's for the long term, but paying for quality prints makes a difference. ___________________ Just Remember, We ALL Told You So. | |||
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