- ProGrade Digital announced via direct customer email that it will raise memory card prices on its Amazon storefront starting May 1, 2026 — affecting CFexpress (Type A and Type B), SDXC UHS-II, microSDXC UHS-II, portable SSDs, and card readers.
- ProGrade explicitly says other brands will follow. Flash memory suppliers are raising prices 100–200% as AI data-centre demand absorbs supply. In Japan, ProGrade increases are reportedly up to 123%.
- If you need a card for a working camera body in 2026, today is the buy-day. Below: top SD UHS-II V90 and CFexpress Type A and Type B picks by camera system, with live prices captured at time of writing.
- Don’t panic-buy the cheapest brand — write speed and thermal sustained performance still matter, especially for 8K video and high-burst stills. Stick to ProGrade, Sony Tough, SanDisk Extreme PRO, Lexar Professional, or Delkin Black tiers.
This is a today-or-never buying window. ProGrade Digital sent customers a direct email confirming a price increase on its Amazon storefront beginning Friday, May 1, 2026. The increases cover CFexpress Type A, CFexpress Type B, SDXC UHS-II, microSDXC UHS-II, portable SSDs, and card readers. ProGrade explicitly told its customers other major brands — SanDisk, Sony, Lexar — will follow within weeks.
Per Photo Rumors’ coverage, ProGrade attributes the rise to flash memory suppliers raising prices 100–200% on the back of AI data-centre buying. Reports from Japan put ProGrade’s local increases as high as 123%. We covered the underlying flash-memory crunch in our earlier deep-dive on why memory card prices won’t drop until 2027 — this is that prediction landing on the calendar.
What follows are the top picks by camera system, with prices captured from Amazon US moments ago. If your camera takes any of these card formats and you have a foreseeable need, buy today. The post-May-1 price for the same SKU is going to be 15–30% higher in most cases, based on the percentage shift ProGrade is signalling.
Sony Alpha — CFexpress Type A
For Sony A1, A1 II, A7R V, A9 II, A9 III, A7S III, and A7 IV bodies running CFexpress Type A in the primary slot:
- ⭐ Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A Silver 320GB — $199.99 · 4.7★ across 1,342 reviews. Best price-per-GB in stock today; Sony-camera certified by Lexar.
- Sony Tough CEA-G160T 160GB Type A — $396.82 · 4.8★ / 351 reviews. The OEM pick — the one Sony’s own service centres carry.
- ProGrade Digital CFexpress 2.0 Type A Gold 960GB — $659.99 · 4.6★ / 116 reviews. The capacity pick for video shooters; ProGrade’s own pre-rise inventory.
The Lexar 320GB is the standout — at $200 it’s effectively half the price of Sony’s own 160GB Tough, and twice the capacity. If you only buy one Type A card today, that’s the one.
Canon and Nikon — CFexpress Type B
For Canon R5, R5 II, R3, R5 C, 1DX III, and Nikon Z9, Z8, Z6 III, Z7 II — all of which use CFexpress Type B as the primary slot:
- ⭐ ProGrade Digital CFexpress 2.0 Type B Gold 128GB — $149.99 · 4.7★ / 653 reviews. Best entry-tier pick to buy today; sustained write speeds well above 8K-video minimums.
- ProGrade Digital CFexpress 4.0 Type B Gold 512GB — $339.99 · 4.7★ / 653 reviews. CFexpress 4.0 spec, best capacity-per-dollar pick before the May 1 cliff.
- SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B 256GB — $249.99 · 4.8★ / 5,020 reviews. The most-reviewed CFexpress B card on Amazon — proven reliability for pros.
- Lexar Professional Gold CFexpress 4.0 Type B 512GB — $533.40 · 4.7★ / 24 reviews. CFexpress 4.0 with full 8K RAW headroom.
- SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B 512GB — $379.99 · 4.8★ / 5,020 reviews. The 512GB step-up to the 256GB SanDisk above.
The ProGrade 128GB Gold at $149.99 is the buy for anyone whose kit is missing a Type B card and just needs one in the slot before May 1. For 8K video work or high-burst sports/wildlife, step up to the 512GB Cobalt 4.0 at $339.99 — that’s the price-per-GB sweet spot in stock right now.
Universal — SD UHS-II V90
For Fujifilm X-H2 / X-H2S, Olympus OM-1 / OM-1 II, Panasonic GH7 / S5 II / S1 II, and the second SD slot on Canon R6 II / Nikon Z6 III / Z8:
- ⭐ ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V90 Iridium 256GB — $279.99 · 4.8★ / 2,789 reviews. Best-reviewed V90 SD on Amazon at this capacity tier.
- Sony Tough SF-G 64GB V90 SD — $133.00 · 4.8★ / 3,364 reviews. The most-reviewed compact V90 SD; ruggedised one-piece body.
- SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V90 128GB (300MB/s) — $190.55 · 4.8★ / 867 reviews. Top-tier SanDisk speeds; the SDR/W 300MB/s spec.
- Lexar Professional 2000x SD UHS-II V90 128GB — $171.60 · 4.8★ / 2,534 reviews. Long-running Lexar V90 with consistent reliability reports.
- Kingston Canvas React Plus SD UHS-II V90 128GB — $135.99 · 4.8★ / 1,484 reviews. Cheapest reputable V90 in stock today.
The ProGrade Iridium 256GB is the obvious pick if you want one card per shoot. For shooters who prefer two smaller cards (better failure isolation), the Sony Tough 64GB at $133 or the Kingston 128GB at $136 are the smartest spend-floors. Avoid V60-rated cards on cameras that are spec’d for V90 — sustained 4K and 6K capture rates depend on V90 floors.
All 13 Picks at a Glance — Live Prices
Live Amazon prices below auto-update via AAWP — bookmark this table to track the May 1 cliff in real time. The “Price at Publishing” column is the snapshot captured on April 29, 2026; the “Today’s Price” column will reflect whatever Amazon is showing right now and links straight to the listing.
| Brand & Model | Capacity | Speed (Read / Write) | Price at Publishing | Today’s Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lexar Professional CFexpress Type A Silver | 320GB | 800 / 700 MB/s | $199.99 | $199.99 |
 | Sony Tough CEA-G160T CFexpress Type A | 160GB | 800 / 700 MB/s | $396.82 | $396.82 |
 | ProGrade CFexpress 2.0 Type A Gold | 960GB | 1100 / 700 MB/s | $659.99 | $659.99 |
 | ProGrade CFexpress 2.0 Type B Gold | 128GB | 1700 / 1500 MB/s | $149.99 | $149.99 |
 | ProGrade CFexpress 4.0 Type B Gold | 512GB | 3400 / 2500 MB/s | $339.99 | $339.99 |
 | SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B | 256GB | 1700 / 1400 MB/s | $249.99 | $249.99 |
 | Lexar Professional Gold CFexpress 4.0 Type B | 512GB | 3500 / 3000 MB/s | $533.40 | $533.40 |
 | SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B | 512GB | 1700 / 1400 MB/s | $379.99 | $379.99 |
 | ProGrade SDXC UHS-II V90 Iridium | 256GB | 300 / 250 MB/s | $279.99 | $279.99 |
 | Sony Tough SF-G V90 SD | 64GB | 300 / 299 MB/s | $133.00 | $133.00 |
 | SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V90 | 128GB | 300 / 260 MB/s | $190.55 | $190.55 |
 | Lexar Professional 2000x SD UHS-II V90 | 128GB | 300 / 200 MB/s | $171.60 | $171.60 |
 | Kingston Canvas React Plus SD UHS-II V90 | 128GB | 300 / 260 MB/s | $135.99 | $135.99 |
Why This Is Happening (Again)
The memory price spiral isn’t a ProGrade-specific story. It’s a flash-memory supply story driven by AI data-centre demand. NAND suppliers (Samsung, Micron, SK Hynix, Kioxia, Western Digital) are reallocating production toward enterprise-grade SSD packaging that goes into AI training infrastructure. The same flash silicon that backs a ProGrade 256GB SD card is what data centres are buying in vastly larger quantities at vastly higher margins.
The result: card-grade flash gets squeezed out, supply tightens, and small-volume specialty makers like ProGrade absorb the cost shock first. Big-brand inventory (SanDisk, Sony, Lexar) typically follows within 4–8 weeks. The full background — including supply forecasts and what photographers can do beyond panic-buying — is in our flash-memory shortage analysis. ProGrade’s May 1 move is the first published landing date for the squeeze; expect more in May and June.
What to Do Right Now
- Buy at least one card per camera body that’s actively in your kit — at the capacity you actually shoot at (a 64GB card you fill twice on a job is a worse buy than one 256GB you fill once).
- Don’t drop down a tier to save money — V60 instead of V90, CFexpress 2.0 instead of 4.0 — only do that if your camera body is already spec’d to V60/2.0. Mismatched cards create silent dropped frames in 4K/8K capture.
- Skip Amazon Prime urgency upsells — these cards don’t need next-day delivery. Standard delivery is fine; what you’re racing is the price reset.
- If you already own enough cards, skip this purchase. The card replacement cycle is years; buying out of fear of a 20% rise on a card you don’t need is a bad use of money.
- Check Amazon Warehouse and Renewed listings — for the SanDisk Extreme PRO line specifically, used / open-box stock often beats retail by 15–25%, and the price-rise wave will lift those listings too.
FAQ
Will every brand raise prices May 1?
No — only ProGrade has formally announced May 1 as the cliff. SanDisk, Sony, and Lexar haven’t published dates, but ProGrade explicitly says they’ll follow. Historic pattern from the 2022 flash-supply tightening: secondary brands moved 4–8 weeks after the leading specialty maker. Expect SanDisk, Sony, and Lexar increases by mid-to-late May 2026.
How much will prices rise?
ProGrade hasn’t published exact percentages for the US market. Reports from Japan suggest some SKUs are rising as much as 123%. The likely US shape: 15–30% on most lines, with high-capacity CFexpress 4.0 Type B cards at the top end of that range. Specialty SDXC UHS-II V90 cards may take less of a hit than CFexpress because the V90 panel is a smaller piece of the flash market.
Should I buy from B&H instead of Amazon?
Both work. B&H pricing on these cards is typically within $5–10 of Amazon, and B&H’s New York stock often ships same-day. The Amazon picks above are linked because Amazon US is where ProGrade specifically called out the May 1 increase. If you have B&H Pay or want to avoid Amazon for any reason, B&H is a fine substitute.
What about microSD cards for action cameras?
ProGrade explicitly listed microSDXC UHS-II in its email — those will rise too. The relevant specs for action cams (GoPro Hero 13/14, Insta360 Ace Pro 2, DJI Action 5/6/7) are V60 or higher microSDXC UHS-II. SanDisk Extreme Pro microSD UHS-II V60 and Lexar PLAY Pro microSD UHS-II are the two reliable picks at this tier.
Bottom Line
If you have a working camera that needs a card, buy the one that fits today. ProGrade’s May 1 cliff is real — Amazon Japan numbers are already showing the shape of the move — and the secondary brands are following inside the month. The single highest-leverage purchase in this window is a Lexar 320GB CFexpress Type A for Sony shooters at $199.99, or a 128GB ProGrade Type B for Canon/Nikon shooters at $149.99. Past that, only buy what you’ll actually use; this isn’t a market to hoard cards on, it’s a market to top up working kits before the floor moves.
Featured image and infographics: PhotoWorkout editorial illustrations.
PhotoWorkout participates in the Amazon Associates Program. We earn a small commission on qualifying purchases through the links above, at no extra cost to you. Prices captured at time of writing; live Amazon listing is authoritative.
Primary Coverage
- Photo Rumors — ProGrade memory cards price increase coming on May 1st – The X-source post that broke the May 1 timing and the 'others will follow' framing (Apr 28, 2026).
- PetaPixel — ProGrade Digital Forced to Increase Prices – Original confirmation that ProGrade is raising prices, with the flash-memory supply context (Apr 13, 2026).
- Newsshooter — ProGrade increasing prices on memory cards from 1st of May – Detailed Newsshooter coverage with the SKU-level scope of the price increase.
- Digital Camera World — ProGrade announces price increase AGAIN – Coverage emphasising the recurring nature of the increases through 2026 and the AI-driven flash-supply backdrop.
Background
- Canon Rumors — Memory Prices Spell Problems for Photographers in 2026 – Forecast of how the flash-memory supply pressure is expected to shape 2026 and 2027 pricing for photographers.
Disclosure/Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Certain content was provided "as is" from Amazon and is subject to change or removal at any time. Product prices and availability: Amazon prices are updated daily or are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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