Sony Suspends Entire Memory Card Line; Local Photographer Unavailable for Comment
The company cited a global semiconductor shortage. Gerald Finch, 43, of Cleveland, Ohio cited nothing. He has not returned calls.
Local Cleveland, Ohio photographer checking his memory
JAPAN - Sony Japan announced on March 27th the immediate suspension of orders across nearly its entire memory card product line, citing a global shortage of semiconductors driven by artificial intelligence datacenter demand. The company stated that supply would not be able to meet demand for the foreseeable future and offered no timeline for resumption.
The suspension covers CFexpress Type A cards in all capacities from 240GB to 1920GB, CFexpress Type B across available sizes, and the full range of Sony’s TOUGH-branded SD cards — including the 256GB, 128GB, and 64GB models favored by professional photographers who require cards that can withstand immersion, pressure, and, in at least one documented case, being buried under 28,978 other cards.
The lower-end SD card lineup has also been suspended. Sony did not spare the budget tier.
The AI Appetite for NAND
According to industry reporting, the shortage is attributable to AI infrastructure companies consuming available NAND flash memory at a rate that has left consumer electronics manufacturers competing for what remains. Analysts have noted that NAND flash prices rose approximately sixty percent in the first quarter of 2026 alone, and that the shortage is expected to persist through 2026 and potentially into 2027.
Sony is the first major camera media manufacturer to withdraw from the market. It is, analysts noted, unlikely to be the last. SanDisk, ProGrade, Lexar, and Angelbird all source flash components from the same global supply chain.
No Comment from the "Vault"
Gerald Finch, the Cleveland, Ohio wedding photographer who was hospitalized last Friday after his memory card storage system collapsed and buried him beneath 28,978 unformatted cards, did not respond to a request for comment.
His wife, Connie, answered the phone briefly and said he was in the garage.
“He’s reorganizing,” she said.
The call ended there.
Our Assessment
Sony stated it would monitor the supply situation and announce any resumption of orders separately on its product information pages. Photographers who currently rely on Sony media for professional production were advised to check existing retail stock, which is expected to deplete without a confirmed replenishment date.
When asked what photographers should do in the interim, a Sony representative did not respond by press time. Gerald Finch, for his part, has forty-seven new cards arriving Thursday.
They will not be reformatted.
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