My first NAS :)

[sisterNAS]

Hello! I'm Pau!

My father and I are in the process of purchasing our first NAS, but we still have a few uncertainties about which model to choose.

As "semi-professional photographers," our primary goal is to use the NAS to store and manage our RAW files, and edit them through Lightroom. We also want the ability to access and work on our files remotely. This is our main focus right now, but we’re aware of the many other features a NAS offers, and once we get this set up, we’d love to explore other options like Synology Photos.

We’re leaning towards a Synology NAS because of its user-friendly interface, but we’re debating between the DS923+ and DS1522+ models. We’ve also heard about some promised updates—should we wait for those, or would it be better to go ahead with one of these models now?

For storage, we plan to start with two 10TB or 12TB HDDs, using one for redundancy. As our storage needs grow, we’ll add more drives.

What do you think? Which NAS would you recommend for our use case?

Thank you in advance!

[ed]

Based on your needs for storing and editing RAW files through Lightroom, both the Synology DS923+ and DS1522+ are excellent choices. However, here’s a breakdown to help you decide which one might suit you best:

Synology DS923+:

Ideal for those looking for a balance between cost and performance.

Comes with 4 bays, which is perfect for starting with two 10TB or 12TB drives and expanding later.

Lower cost compared to the DS1522+.

You can add a DX517 expansion unit if needed later on.

Offers NVMe slots for caching, which can speed up workflows when dealing with large files like RAW images.

Synology DS1522+:

Offers 5 bays, giving you more room for storage right from the start.

Has slightly better sequential read/write speeds, making it a bit more efficient for tasks like photo editing.

Comes with 8GB of ECC RAM, which is great for stability and performance, especially when handling large amounts of data.

Supports two expansion units (DX517), allowing for up to 15 total drives in the future, making it ideal if you anticipate significant growth in your storage needs.

Since you're a "semi-professional photographer" and want to manage and edit RAW files, the DS1522+ might be the better option due to its extra bays, better performance, and future expandability. However, if you're looking for a more budget-friendly option and are okay with 4 bays to start, the DS923+ would still serve you well.

Regarding updates, there will be 25+ models coming out.