Samsung: Driven to perform
Posted on Aug 27, 2026 by Pro Moviemaker
Shooting 42 vehicles leaves no room for delays or data loss, as the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield proves itself to be the perfect production hub
When you are responsible for capturing one of the biggest automotive comparison tests of the year, there are no second chances. A total of 42 different vehicles, multiple camera systems, presenters, interviews, tracking shots and magazine photography all have to come together over the course of a single week. With such a tightly planned production, every minute counts and every file matters.
That is exactly why Gary Freeman built the entire workflow around the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield. “On a production like this, storage isn’t just somewhere to put footage,” he explains. “It becomes the centre of the whole workflow. If that slows down, everything slows down.”
Having relied on Samsung memory for years, Freeman chose the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield as it combines speed, reliability and ruggedness yet is tough enough to survive on location.
Using the portable drive as the central backup hub, full camera cards were transferred via USB 3.2 Gen 2 at sequential read speeds of up to 1050MB/s and write speeds of up to 1000MB/s. That meant footage could be backed up almost immediately, with rushes quickly available.
“The speed changes everything,” says Freeman. “As soon as a card came out of a camera it went straight onto the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield through the laptop. Within minutes we’d backed it up, reviewed the footage with the client and even started cutting social clips. Nobody was left waiting around for us to finish.”
The production generated huge quantities of data. Mirrorless cameras captured high-resolution stills, 6K cinema cameras recorded intensive BRAW video, while drone footage added yet another format to the mix.
“The fact it just works with everything is a massive advantage,” says Freeman.
Pulling its weight
The assignment itself was equally demanding. Freeman was covering the Caravan and Motorhome Club Towcar of the Year competition, documenting 42 vehicles from leading car manufacturers.
Alongside action video and photography, the production included vehicle-to-vehicle tracking sequences, presenter pieces to camera, interviews, cover photography and detailed exterior and interior imagery. Every shot had to be safely backed up before moving on to the next vehicle.
“You shouldn’t really notice storage,” Freeman says. “It should just work every single time. That’s exactly what the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield did.”
The portable drive’s physical design proved just as valuable as its performance. At only 98g and measuring 88x59x13mm, it disappears into a pocket while remaining tough enough for demanding location work. Its IP65 rating protects against water and dust, while the aluminium core and rubberised exterior provide drop protection from heights of up to three metres – ideal when constantly changing locations.
Storage size was never an issue. With high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity and capacities up to 4TB, the portable drive has ample space for transferring and storing large video files, including high-resolution 4K and 8K footage.
Security is equally important when working on commercial productions. The portable drive features AES 256-bit hardware encryption, with optional password protection managed through Samsung Magician software. The same software provides drive health monitoring and performance information, providing additional confidence when working across multiple computers.
Compatibility is another strength. The portable drive works across Windows and MacOS and is supplied with both USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables, making it ready to connect straight from the box without hunting for adapters. For Freeman, that is just what pro equipment should do.
By the end of the week, the tiny PSSD had become the production’s unseen hero. While cameras, drones and lenses captured all the attention, the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield quietly kept every shoot moving, with every file protected and every client left fully confident.
Sometimes the most important piece of kit on-set isn’t the one capturing the images – it is the one making sure you never lose them.
Sky’s the limit for super-size microSD
The latest drones generate astonishing amounts of high-resolution footage, so using slow memory cards simply isn’t an option. For this vehicle shoot, the team relied on the Samsung PRO Plus microSD, a card built to handle demanding 4K recording without missing a beat.
Available in capacities up to 1TB, the V30-rated card delivers read speeds of up to 180MB/s and write speeds of up to 130MB/s, making it fast enough for high-quality video capture and rapid offloading once the drone lands. Supplied with a full-size SD adapter, it can be plugged directly into laptops or card readers, helping footage move quickly into the production workflow.
The Samsung card kept recording reliably, and when it was time to transfer footage to the Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield, it happened quickly so production kept moving. For filmmakers, speed on location isn’t just about cameras – it’s about every part of the workflow.
samsung.com/uk/memory-storage/all-memory-storage
This article was first published in the September/October 2026 issue of Pro Moviemaker
