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Update: This story originally stated that Bloomberg’s sources alleged that PS5 production was given preference over mirrorless features that would require scarce components. Bloomberg’s story only points out that both mirrorless cameras and Playstation divisions are suffering due to the scarcity of DRAM and NAND; our story has been updated to reflect this.
Sources recently speaking to Bloomberg allege that Sony has nixed some features it had planned for an unnamed future mirrorless camera model due to the scarcity of certain hardware, namely DRAM and NAND flash memory.
The current demand for NAND and DRAM is high among smartphone manufacturers, according to Bloomberg, which reports that Sony is struggling to keep down the cost of its upcoming PS5 console. The article makes reference to high DRAM prices having an impact on other parts of the company, with cameras in particular being called out.
According to the article: ‘Sony has already canceled some previously planned features for a new mirrorless camera due this year owing to the constrained DRAM supply, several people with knowledge of the matter said.’
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The report doesn’t specify which camera model will suffer as a result of this alleged decision nor which features were eliminated, though it does claim that Sony plans to release the camera this year.
The wording is interesting, in that it suggests the camera will still be delivered, shorn of the capabilities that fast DRAM memory would have provided. It could be that Sony planned to expand the use of stacked DRAM image sensors beyond the a9 and newer RX100 models, but will instead proceed with a more conventional CMOS sensor.
Given the current state of Sony’s lineup, the a7 III replacement seems a likely candidate. Or maybe the technology was meant to underpin the long hoped for NEX-7 high-end APS-C successor or an update to the a7S series.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)