The news broke this week: ProGrade Digital is raising prices on their CFexpress and SD cards. If you think this is just a blip, you aren't paying attention to the global NAND flash market. Storage is getting expensive again.

For the last few years, we have been living in a "Data Utopia." We bought 2TB cards. We rolled on 10-minute takes. We shot ProRes 4444 for YouTube videos. We treated digital film like it was infinite. Now, the bill is coming due. Here is why this price hike is actually a good thing for your discipline (and a nightmare for your wallet).

1. The "Delete" Button is Your Best Friend

• The Reality: When cards were cheap, we became digital hoarders. We kept the false starts. We kept the blurry takes.

• The Shift: With media costs rising, you can no longer afford to "spray and pray."

• The Fix: We need to return to the "Film Ratio."

  • In the 90s, you rehearsed five times and shot once. Today, we shoot five times and rehearse zero.

  • Higher media costs force you to respect the "Record" button again. If you aren't ready, don't roll.

2. The Danger of the "Budget" Card

• The Trap: When top-tier brands (like ProGrade) raise prices, your instinct will be to buy the cheap, off-brand card on Amazon.

• The Technical Warning: DO NOT DO THIS.

  • Cheap cards lie about their Sustained Write Speed. They list "Peak Speed" (what they can do for 2 seconds) instead of "Sustained" (what they can do for 20 minutes).

  • If you put a cheap card in a RED Komodo or a Canon R5, you will get dropped frames. You will lose the shot.

  • The Rule: If you can't afford the ProGrade/SanDisk/Sony Tough tax, you can't afford to shoot the project. Never skimp on the one thing that physically holds your footage.

3. Codec Discipline (Stop Shooting RAW)

• The Reality: 90% of projects do not need RAW.

• The Fix: Learn your bitrates.

  • If you are shooting a corporate interview, you do not need 12-bit RAW. You need 10-bit 4:2:2 Log.

  • The difference in file size is massive. The difference in visual quality (for that specific job) is negligible.

  • This price hike is a reminder to match the Codec to the Deliverable. Stop burning cash on data you will never grade.

The Verdict: The days of infinite, cheap storage are pausing. You have two choices: Pay the premium and keep being lazy. Or tighten up your workflow, shoot with intention, and stop filling hard drives with footage you’ll never use.