In a previous post, I detailed my method for using BitTorrent Sync to automatically transfer the Lightroom Classic catalog on my laptop back to my desktop while still on the road. A couple things have changed since the day I wrote that.
The Sync technology is now marketed under the brand name Resilio. The basic technology is pretty much the same, but with some nice refinements, most of which are available only in the paid version of the software. My method works fine with the free version. The main advantages of the paid version only come into play if you are sharing files with others and not just between your own computers.
Of course, you also have an option of using a more traditional cloud storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft OneDrive. While at least one competitor has exited that business, the good news is that the pricing for cloud storage has come down quite a bit since I wrote that first article. Both Dropbox and Google offer 1TB of storage for $10/month or $100/year. OneDrive technically offers the same deal but only as part of an Office 365 subscription. If you need Word and Excel anyway, it’s technically a better deal. Google and Microsoft also offer smaller data plans for $2/month (100GB and 50GB respectively).
With free plans topping out at 15GB or less, you would obviously need a paid plan to go on a long vacation or photography expedition where you shoot a lot of photos. With the size of RAW files on new cameras like the Sony A7RIII and the Nikon D850 passing 100MB per image, that 50GB is going to feel awfully cramped. The 1TB option from all three is probably the obvious choice for the traveling ‘tog.
Of course, the free version of Resilio Sync is exactly $10/month or $100/year cheaper than any of the options. The primary advantage of a cloud storage service like Dropbox is that your RAW files and catalog are being backed up on their servers while they are being transferred to your home or office computer. If someone happens at home or the office, such as a power outage, and your desktop is no longer powered on to receive the files, at least you have the copies waiting for you in the cloud when you return.
If you have the option, you could always sync your Lightroom catalog to multiple computers, one at the office and one at home, to guard against such problems.
As I laid out in my review of the new Lightroom product line, I still think this is still a better option than Adobe’s weak tea “cloud” version of Lightroom.
