Hello and welcome to my dual card slot setup guide for the Sony a7III.
In this guide I’ll explain all the different ways you can setup dual SD card recording on the Sony a7III.
For example, if you want to write RAW to slot 1 and JPEG to slot 2, or write RAW and JPEG to both card slots simultaneously, plus many more different media recording options, then keep reading!
If you don’t care for reading too much, then you can also watch my following YouTube video that covers the same, otherwise please read on…
Sony a7III Dual SD Cards
The Sony a7III has two memory card slots and these are clearly numbered as slot 1 and slot 2. Slot 1 is that fastest slot and this supports UHS-II cards like the Sony SF-G Series. Slot 2 is the slowest slot and this supports UHS-I cards like the SanDisk Extreme Pro.
Sony a7III Dual Card Setup
In order to setup the dual card slots you will need to jump into that infamous Sony menu system, so simply hit the MENU button on the a7III and you should be greeted by the following menu.
If you don’t see this exact menu then you will need to select the “Camera 1” icon from the top menu tabs.
File Format
Before we jump into the dual card setup let’s just check what file format you have set, as by default the a7III is set to record in JPEG only, but for the rest of this guide to make the most sense you’ll want this set to RAW / JPEG. I expect most of you will be shooting in this mode anyway, but if not don’t worry as I’ll explain further down.
So simply change the file format to RAW / JPEG if you don’t already have this set.
Record Media Settings
Next we want to find the “Rec. Media Settings” menu. Simply select the suitcase looking icon from the top menu tabs, click down then move across until you see “Setup6” as shown below.
Click on the first menu item “Rec. Media Settings” to enter the sub-menu where you will see three options.
1. Prioritize Record Media
By default prioritize record media will be set to slot 1 which is the fastest of the two memory card slots. There’s really no reason to change this, so leave it set to slot 1.
2. Recording Mode
There are 7 different recording modes that you can choose from, let’s take a look at each of them. Please note than if you have not set your file format to record RAW/JPEG, then the following options will be limited to either JPEG or RAW, but not both.
Standard
The a7III is set to standard recording mode by default. In this mode the camera will only record images (RAW/JPEG) and videos to slot 1, or slot 2 if you have changed this under prioritize record media.
Simultaneous Images
In this mode the camera will record images (RAW/JPEG) to both slots 1 and 2 at the same time, and will record videos to slot 1. I’m using this option myself 99% of the time.
Simultaneous Video
In this mode the camera will record video to both slots 1 and 2 at the same time, and will record images (RAW/JPEG) to slot 1.
Simultaneous Images & Video
In this mode the camera will record images (RAW/JPEG) and video to both slots 1 and 2 at the same time.
Sort RAW / JPEG
In this mode the camera will record RAW images and video to slot 1 and JPEG images to slot 2. I’d recommend this setup as opposed to the next option if you are shooting continuous, as the RAW files are larger than JPEGS and will clear the buffer faster when writing to the faster slot 1 (that’s if you are using a UHS-II SD card).
Sort JPEG / RAW
In this mode the camera will record JPEG images and video to slot 1 and RAW images to slot 2.
Sort Images / Video
In this mode the camera will record images (JPEG/RAW) to slot 1 and videos to slot 2.
3. Auto Switch Media
By default this is set to off. If you turn it on and have the recording mode set to standard, and an SD card in both slots 1 and 2; then when the card in slot 1 is full the camera will automatically switch to recording on the card in slot 2. Personally I never record like this, so just leave this set to off.
And that’s a wrap. If you have any questions regarding dual card setup on the Sony a7III then please do drop them in the comments below and I’ll get back to you just as soon as I can.
My Top 6 Sony a7III Memory Card Recommendations
Here are my Top 6 recommended memory cards for the Sony a7III.
1. Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II Memory Cards – 299MB/s
Sony’s SF-G Tough Series have read speeds of up to 300MB/s and write speeds of up to 299MB/s. These SD cards are actually overkill for the Sony a7III which even when using the UHS-II compatible slot one can only write at a maximum speed of around 142MB/s. However, new cameras will probably support faster in-camera write speeds so if you want to future proof your cards then these are a great choice.
Tough memory cards are also 18 times stronger than standard SD cards, bend proof to 180N, drop-proof to 5 meters, waterproof to a depth of 5 meters for up to 72 hours (IPX8 rating) and dustproof with an IP6X rating. The cards feature a one-piece ribless structure and don’t have the common lock switch, they are also X-ray proof, magnet proof, anti-static and temperature proof.
Check Price & Deals for Sony SF-G Tough UHS-II Memory Cards (#afflinks)
32 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
64 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
128 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
Other Countries: Amazon links above should redirect to your local Amazon.
2. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II Memory Cards – 260MB/s
Sony’s SF-G Tough cards are definitely not the cheapest memory cards that you could put in your a7III, thankfully the SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II memory cards are normally around 10 percent cheaper. Their write speed of 260MB/s is a little slower than the Sony SF-G cards but since the a7III writes at a maximum speed of around 142MB/s anyway this isn’t too important. The read speed of 300MB/s is identical to the Sony SF-G Tough cards.
Check Price & Deals for SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-II Memory Cards (#afflinks)
32 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
64 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
128 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
Other Countries: Amazon links above should redirect to your local Amazon.
3. Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II Memory Cards – 150MB/s
Sony’s SF-M Tough Series are practically identical to the more expensive SF-G Series but their write time has been cut to 150MB/s and the read time to 277MB/s. Still, like I have mentioned above since the a7III can only write at a maximum speed of around 142MB/s these cards will be fast enough and will also save you quite a bit of money.
Check Price & Deals for Sony SF-M Tough UHS-II Memory Cards (#afflinks)
64 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
128 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
256 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
Other Countries: Amazon links above should redirect to your local Amazon.
4. Sony SF-M UHS-II Memory Cards – 150MB/s
Sony’s SF-M Series are identical to the SF-M Tough Series just without the added toughness so they cost a little less. They write at a maximum speed of 150MB/s and can read up to 277MB/s. Again because the Sony a7III writes at a maximum speed of around 142MB/s these cards will be fast enough.
Check Price & Deals for Sony SF-M UHS-II Memory Cards (#afflinks)
64 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
128 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
256 GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
Other Countries: Amazon links above should redirect to your local Amazon.
5. SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I Memory Cards – 95MB/s
Because only memory card slot one in the a7III supports the faster UHS-II cards there is really no benefit to using UHS-II cards in slot two. Therefore I’d recommend the SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I memory cards. I’d actually recommend using these slower cards in both memory cards slots if you don’t plan on shooting lots of continuous bursts and don’t require the performance of the faster and more expensive UHS-II cards.
Check Price & Deals for SanDisk Extreme Pro UHS-I (#afflinks)
32GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
64GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
128GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
Other Countries: Amazon links above should redirect to your local Amazon.
6. Sony SF-G UHS-II Memory Cards – 299MB/s
The Sony SF-G UHS-II memory cards used to be my number one recommended memory card but for some reason Sony has decided to obsolete them. You might still find them in some stores but most of the larger reputable dealers no longer have them in stock. They have the same 299MB/s write and 300MB/s read speed as the Sony SF-G Tough cards but like I mentioned above because the a7III only writes at around 142MB/s they are overkill for this camera unless you want to future proof your card collection.
Check Price & Deals for the Sony SF-G Memory Cards (#afflinks)
32GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
64GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
128GB
US: Amazon.com | Adorama
UK: Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras
Other Countries: Amazon links above should redirect to your local Amazon.
Helpful Sony a7III Resources
- My Sony a7 III Accessories Guide
- My Sony a7 III Lenses Guide
- My Sony a7 III Memory Card Guide
- My Sony a7 III Shooters Facebook Group
If you are on Facebook then I’d love for you to join one of the many Sony Alpha Shooters groups that I run. There are groups for Sony Alpha landscape, portrait, sports, wildlife, weddings, macro, street, and video shooters, as well as a generic group for everything else Alpha. You can find all of the links here.
* Check Price & Deals for Sony a7 III
US: (#afflinks) Amazon.com | Adorama (With 28-70 Kit Lens)
US: (#afflinks) Amazon.com | Adorama (Body Only)
UK: (#afflinks) Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras (With 28-70 Kit Lens)
UK: (#afflinks) Amazon.co.uk | Wex Photo | Park Cameras (Body Only)
* Affiliate Links
Within this article there are affiliate links (denoted with #afflinks). If you decide to buy something after clicking a link I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. For more information on affiliate links click here. Thank you.
Hey Timothy,
I wonder if it is possible to:
– Save RAW to slot 1
– Save JPEG to slot 2
PLUS
– Save video to slot 2.
Thanks for your reply!
Hey Mak, sadly this is not an option. The closest you will get is Sort Images / Video which puts jpegs + war on slot 1 and video on slot 2.
Hi, I just recently purchased an a9 (still waiting on it to arrive), but I was wondering about this as well. What happens when you select slot 2 as the priority, but then use sort JPEG/RAW? I assumed the priority slot was where the video would go, and by sorting jpeg first, the raws would go to slot 1 (since priority is on slot 2). That said, with the slot 2 being only uhs-i, would the buffer clear faster shooting simultaneously raw+jpeg to both slots, or raw+jpeg to slot 1? Lastly, what are your thoughts on the new sony m… Read more »
Hi Chris. You definitely made a good choice with the a9! You are correct about changing the Prioritize Record Media Slot from 1 to 2, I completely forgot about that! The buffer clears the fastest when you shoot raw+jpeg to slot 1, as soon as you record to both slots simultaneously things slow down due to the slower speed of slot 2. I did test this at some point but can’t find the results now. I’ve actually just ordered some of the new SF-M Tough memory cards myself which are a lot cheaper than the SF-G version. I also have… Read more »
Sorry my mistake Mak. After Chris’s comment below I’d forgotten about changing the Prioritize Record Media to Slot 2. If you do this then select Sort(JPEG/RAW) you will get RAW on Slot 1 and JPEG and Video on Slot 2.
well done I like your video clear to the point.
Thank you Michele! 🙂
Can you tell me if is possible to copy selected images from slot 1 to slot 2? Sometimes I need to transfer quickly some images and I don’t found this option.
I’m afraid that this is not an option Caio.
Well done Tim, liked your video very much! Keep up the good work!
Thank you Lyndon! 🙂