Fujifilm is increasing camera prices by as much as €500. The AI memory crisis has impacted the field of photography.

      Fujifilm will increase the prices of five camera models starting September 1, citing the global DRAM crisis for the rising production expenses. The X100 VI will see a €200 increase, bringing its price to €1,999 ($2,119), while the X-E5, X-T50, and X-S20 will each rise by €100. The largest increase applies to the medium-format GFX100 II, which will go up by €500 to €8,499, placing it €1,000 above its closest competitor, the Hasselblad X2D II.

      This issue is not exclusive to Fujifilm; it is part of a broader memory shortage affecting all electronic devices since AI data centers began consuming a significant portion of the global DRAM supply. The AI boom has made producing affordable smartphones challenging, as memory manufacturers have shifted wafer capacity toward high-bandwidth memory for AI applications, resulting in reduced availability for the LPDDR and DDR chips used in smartphones, laptops, and cameras. Producing budget smartphones priced under $100 has nearly become unfeasible. Samsung has increased prices across its entire foldable lineup by $100 for each model, while Qualcomm is raising chip prices by double digits, and TSMC is expected to raise manufacturing costs by approximately 10%.

      Camera sensors and image processors rely on the same DRAM and NAND supply chain. Fujifilm anticipates the memory crisis will cost it around ¥11 billion by 2026. Canon and Fujifilm have informed investors that they have secured a majority of the necessary memory for this year, which may defer further price hikes, but with RAM prices expected to increase by 40-50% this quarter, the pressure remains. Apple raised iPhone 17 prices by 10% in Japan due to currency and component pressures, and camera manufacturers are experiencing similar challenges with smaller margins to accommodate these costs.

      Canon, Sony, and Nikon have yet to announce any price increases, but they source from the same suppliers and face the same cost challenges. The DRAM crisis affects all product categories equally, impacting anything that contains a processor and memory, including phones, laptops, cars, and cameras. However, consumers tend to notice a €500 price increase on a GFX100 II more than a €50 increase for a smartphone, as the purchase of a GFX100 II is generally more deliberate rather than impulsive. Fujifilm is the first to implement these changes, and others are likely to follow soon.