On-the-run videography has always been a passion of mine. There’s a certain joy to just being able to grab your camera and go. And, if you’re a shooter/editor like so many of us are, then being able to bring your laptop with you so you can edit right after you shoot is an added bonus.
While there have been plenty of cameras and gear aimed at making this professional lifestyle more doable, it still requires a bit of ingenuity on the part of the creator. Things like dumping cards and backing up footage have always been a little tricky and often require risking your files.
Luckily though, if you are someone looking to shoot on-the-go and you’ve been worried about how to streamline your footage and file management, here are some helpful ways to edit, trim and render directly from your SSD.
Portable SSD Editing
In any run-and-gun situation, the name of the game is speed. This can be speed achieved by blazing fast upload times or also speeds unlocked by removing long or unnecessary tasks or renders. In either case, if you can find ways to work faster while on the clock, you can leave yourself more time to make creative decisions and give your projects those extra checks.
That’s why editing directly from an SSD can be so desirable to videographers on the run. Of course, you don’t want to do this in every situation, but if you’re up against a deadline and looking to work as quickly as possible, editing, trimming and even rendering your footage directly from your portable SSD can be a game-changer.
If you’re agreeable to it, the question then becomes which SSD are you going to use, and how much you might want to pay for it.
The Crucial X9 Pro and X10 Pro
The X9 Pro and the X10 Pro
Credit: Crucial
Let’s look at these two new portable SSDs from Crucial which were just released to see how they might be a good fit. Designed for use both in the studio and out in the field, these SSDs should deliver quality raw performance, solid durability, and a decent amount of capacity (depending on which option you go for).
They’re also all compatible to connect to your host Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, or iPad system with a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port that should provide respectable read speeds and sequential write speeds, plus include all the standard hardware encryption and password protection which you would expect from a quality brand.
The real test for these SSDs, and any on-the-run hard drive really, is going to be their reliability and durability in the field though. And with an anodized aluminum enclosure and a rubber base, these guys should be water, dust, and sand resistant to power through most environments.
Here are the specs and options for each:
Crucial X9 Pro Portable SSD
Crucial X9 Pro
Credit: Crucial
- USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Interface
- Sequential Read Speeds up to 1050 MB/s
- Sequential Write Speeds up to 1050 MB/s
- Bus Powered
- 256-Bit AES Hardware Encryption
- Water, Dust, and Sand Resistant (IP55)
- Password Protection
- Android and iPad Compatible
- Windows, Mac, and Linux Compatible
Crucial X10 Pro Portable SSD
Crucial X10 Pro
Credit: Crucial
- USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 Interface
- Sequential Read Speeds up to 2100 MB/s
- Sequential Write Speeds up to 2000 MB/s
- Bus Powered
- Water, Dust, and Sand Resistant (IP55)
- 256-Bit AES Hardware Encryption
- Password Protection
- Android and iPad Compatible
- Windows, Mac, and Linux Compatible
