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Sony A7 III Dual Card Slots for RAW + JPEG: Which Files Go Where?

I use the A7 III for stills and the FX3 for video. The A7 III’s card setup comes down to what I want in my hands after a photo job. If someone needs JPEGs right away, splitting RAW and JPEG across two cards can make that handoff easy. If I need a second copy of the RAW files, I’d choose simultaneous still recording instead. Both options use two cards, and they produce different files on each card. Sony A7 III Recording Mode guide

Sony Alpha 7 III camera body on display with the lens mount exposed
Sony Alpha 7 III (ILCE-7M3). Photo by 昼落ち. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

To put RAW on Slot 1 and JPEG on Slot 2

  1. In the still-photo settings, set Image File Format to RAW & JPEG.
  2. Open Setup → Rec. Media Settings → Prioritize Rec. Media and choose Slot 1.
  3. In Rec. Media Settings → Recording Mode, choose Sort(RAW/JPEG).

The format before the slash goes to the prioritized slot. With Slot 1 prioritized, Sort(RAW/JPEG) sends RAW to Slot 1. Change priority to Slot 2 with that same sort mode and the RAW goes to Slot 2. Sort(JPEG/RAW) puts the JPEG on the prioritized card instead. Sony’s menus list file format and card routing separately, so make sure both are set. Sony still-image file formats, Sony card-routing options

When both cards should carry the RAWs

Choose the simultaneous mode marked with the still-image icon to write photos to both cards. With RAW & JPEG selected, each card receives both file types. If your deliverable is RAW only, choose RAW as the file format and keep simultaneous still recording selected. The A7 III also has a simultaneous mode for movies, so use the icon to tell the options apart. Sony simultaneous recording modes

Slot 1 supports UHS-II SD cards. Slot 2 supports UHS-I speeds. If you shoot bursts, try your planned two-card combination ahead of time and pay attention to how long the access light stays on after the burst. If you want RAW and JPEG to keep their assigned slots, review Auto Switch Media as well. Sony documents how routing can change when a card fills in sorting modes. Sony A7 III card-slot specifications, Sony Auto Switch Media behavior

Two SD cards showing the standard contact layout and the extra row of contacts on a UHS-II card
A standard SD contact layout alongside a UHS-II card with a second row of contacts. Photo by RaphAstronome. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Take one photo and check both cards

Photograph something obvious, like a note with today’s date. Wait for the card access light to go out, then check the two cards in Finder. For a split setup, look for the test frame as .ARW on the RAW card and as .JPG on the JPEG card. For simultaneous RAW + JPEG, look for both files on each card. Keeping the two card copies in folders labeled Slot 1 and Slot 2 makes it easier to see what you actually brought home. Practical Sony A7 III photo settings

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