Imaging prices now reflect more than access and processing. They also reflect retention obligations.
Customers are beginning to ask how long raw capture, evidentiary logs, and derivative transforms will remain available under clean custody conditions after the observation window closes. That question is expensive because retention is not passive. It requires storage discipline, rights management, and continued confidence that the output can still be certified later.
The result is a more honest market. Capturing the image may be fast. Preserving its value is often the longer and more expensive obligation.