How to Record RAW in Slot 1 and JPEG in Slot 2 on Sony Alpha Cameras

These instructions are based on the Sony A7 III, but may apply to the other Sony Alpha cameras, with two memory card slots, as their menus are similar. e.g. A7RIII, A9, A7R IV, A7SIII, A7 IV

I only need the RAW photos/images, so the JPEG are only as a backup. I don’t write RAW to both slots, because the write speed of Slot 2 is slower than Slot 1, on the Alpha 7 III, and will hinder continuous photo speed when the buffer fills up.

1. Go to the Camera: Quality/Image Size menu (1st tab), Page 1/14
2. Select “File Format” and set it to “RAW & JPEG“
3. Go to the Setup Menu (Looks like a toolbox.)
4. Go to Page 6/7
5. Select Record Media Settings
6. Set “Prioritize Rec. Media” to “Slot 1“
7. Set “Recording Mode” to “Sort(RAW/JPEG)“

Below “Auto Switch Media,” you should now see:

• Slot 1: RAW/Video
• Slot 2: JPEG

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Recording Mode Choices

Sort (RAW/JPEG)	Writes RAW to Slot 1 and JPEG to Slot 2	Video in Slot 1 only
Simult. (P/V)	Writes RAW, JPEG, and video, to both Slot 1 and Slot 2.	.

Notes

• Import the RAW images, and exclude the JPEG unless you absolutely need them. You’ll be wasting space by importing the JPEG. If you do need JPEG, just export the RAW to JPEG.
• Photos are located in : DCIM \ 100MSDCF
• Videos are located in: PRIVATE \ M4ROOT \ CLIP

SD Memory Cards

The Sony A7 III has two SD Memory Cards slots that are different speeds. To get the best performance for RAW photos and 4K video in Slot 1, it’s recommended to use a Class 10 U3 300MB/s UHS-II Memory Card.

For example

• SanDisk SDSDXPK-064G-ANCIN Sandisk Extreme Pro – Flash memory Card – 64 GB – SDXC UHS-II
• Sony SF-G64/T1 High Performance 64GB SDXC UHS-II Class 10 U3 Memory Card Read Speeds up to 300MB/s

For Slot 2, you can use UHS-I memory cards, rated at 95 MB/s.

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Reference

• Sony A7III Dual Card Setup Guide by Alpha Shooters
• The Sony Alpha Camera page has lots more configuration information and tips.