Ever since the adoption of digital photography, we have become used to the idea of making images for free. Sure, we had to invest in the camera, some memory cards and a computer to download our images onto, but after the initial investment, the world was our photographic oyster. No more, constantly having to pay for film, processing and printing.

However, we soon discovered that we had become ‘digital librarians’, having to accurately and consistently archive all of the images we could now make. This in turn came with an additional expense, that of having to buy raid drives or cloud storage, instead of ring binders and print boxes. These took up less physical space, but came at a price. Not just financial, but also techonlogical, as many photographers discovered the unreliability of hard drives as the years passed. As they say, anything with a moving part, will go wrong!

Add to these considerations, the early issues with corrupting CF and SD cards, and the sense of panic, when it came to downloading images. Digital technology could be a fragile beast. Now, time has passed and everything has settled down. We have got used to efficent, stable digital cameras and worked out our own ways of storing our images. However, a recent Petapixel article by Jeremy Gray points to potential issues that suggest that everything in the digital garden may not be well and that memory is the problem.

Gray says this, “Fujifilm has thus far been the most open about specifically how increased memory prices are expected to impact its business, other companies are sounding alarm bells, too, albeit more generally… Canon mentioned “higher costs resulting from rise in memory prices” in its latest financial results release. Nikon said it has experienced “higher memory prices” that kept its operating profit “flat” despite increased sales and US tariff refunds. Sony noted that the “impact of increase in memory costs” hurt its Imaging and Displays businesses this past quarter.”

Over the past few years photographers looking to buy a new camera, have had to have increasingly deep pockets. A reality based on global economic decisions, material shortages and distribution problems. Now it seems that we will have to prepare for further increases, due to the impact of memory chip prices. In addition to price increases, this memory crisis could possibly prevent new cameras from being released on time or being readily available, as many brands are now bidding for the same small pool of the essential chips. As a result prices are being inflated, pushing the price of the finished camera higher than it should be for its prospective consumer. A particular problem for entry-level and mid-range cameras.

This isn’t something that is going to impact on us in a few years time. This is happening now. We have all seen the price of external hard drives rocket, but unless you have bought a new camera recently, you will not be aware of the issues receiving the camera you want to buy. My knowledge is limited in this area, so I will rely on this recent tale told to me by a photographer friend. Looking to replace their trusty Sony pocket camera, they decided to purchase the latest iteration of the same model. They visited the showroom of a well respected retailer, who were offering £100 off the camera, as part of a new release promotion. The saleswoman was very friendly, whilst informing him that the camera was ‘on-order’ and they had none in-stock. Despite, this my friend confirmed that the discount would still be valid and passed over his near £1,000. He was told that he would be contacted when the camera arrived. Two weeks later, he has yet to hear anything. A true story that may become a more common experience than we are used to or want to have.

The Petapixel article states that, “There are still many unknowns, but when every camera company is expressing the same concern, and Fujifilm specifically says it expects to spend an extra $50 million to source memory components for its Imaging products this year, there is plenty of reason to worry.” We live in challenging economic times and many brands are suffering. However, the fact that it is the cost of memory that is proving to be the major issue for companies who trade in the collection of memory, through photographic capture, has a certain circularatory. However, whether this is a ‘temporary lapse of memory’, or a ‘full black-out’, is yet to be seen.

Dr.Grant Scott
After fifteen years art directing photography books and magazines such as Elle and Tatler, Scott began to work as a photographer for a number of advertising and editorial clients in 2000. Alongside his photographic career Scott has art directed numerous advertising campaigns, worked as a creative director at Sotheby’s, art directed foto8 magazine, founded his own photographic gallery, edited Professional Photographer magazine and launched his own title for photographers and filmmakers Hungry Eye. He founded the United Nations of Photography in 2012, and is now a Senior Lecturer and Subject Co-ordinator: Photography at Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and a BBC Radio contributor. Scott is the author of Professional Photography: The New Global Landscape Explained (Routledge 2014), The Essential Student Guide to Professional Photography (Routledge 2015), New Ways of Seeing: The Democratic Language of Photography (Routledge 2019), What Does Photography Mean To You? (Bluecoat Press 2020) and Inside Vogue House: One building, seven magazines, sixty years of stories, (Orphans Publishing 2024). His photography has been published in At Home With The Makers of Style (Thames & Hudson 2006) and Crash Happy: A Night at The Bangers (Cafe Royal Books 2012). His film Do Not Bend: The Photographic Life of Bill Jay was premiered in 2018.

© Grant Scott 2026