A7III SD card problems

Only Sandisk or Lexar, any issues to Sony SD cards in A7 III? I have a remote possibility to get A7 III in case I need 3rd body but more likely rumored A7000 if it meets all my expectation. So far my two 128G SF-G and two 128G SF-M SDXC II have no issues in A7r III and A9 in either slot. It seems A7 III is unique having compatibility issue.

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XeroJay said:

dmpls79 said:

I went to best buy and purchased a 128 GB Sandisk Extreme Pro right off the rack and lo and behold its working perfectly fine in slot 1. AND it has the same batch number as yours (...824G)

Click to expand...

Okay this is great news! Now we know that it is indeed a SanDisk issue with batches.

...766G - won't work
...824G - works

We should create a new thread with this information, as it is now key to compatibility. Hopefully others could add to it.

Click to expand...

...766G won't work properly in A7R III, either

Hi: This was my reply to a similar thread on the Sony forums, but pertinent to your issue IMO.

"Coming from Canon & a bit of Leica, I Just got into Sony early 2018 (A7III, A7RIII, A6500). Sold the other systems. In the past I never considered an SD card native to the brand of camera. For Sony, being completely unfamiliar with the system, I purchased Sony-branded 128GB sd cards, both the G Series UHS-II SDXC card and the UHS-I SDXC U3. For the 6500, I am using the SanDisk 95mb/s cards re-formated from my now sold Leica body. I've never had any issues shooting on-average 1000 images (compressed & uncompressed raw) per week. Just wondering now, if the Sony branded cards are "better engineered" to function with their cameras? The blasted things were not cheap!"

ski542002 said:

Hi: This was my reply to a similar thread on the Sony forums, but pertinent to your issue IMO.

"Coming from Canon & a bit of Leica, I Just got into Sony early 2018 (A7III, A7RIII, A6500). Sold the other systems. In the past I never considered an SD card native to the brand of camera. For Sony, being completely unfamiliar with the system, I purchased Sony-branded 128GB sd cards, both the G Series UHS-II SDXC card and the UHS-I SDXC U3. For the 6500, I am using the SanDisk 95mb/s cards re-formated from my now sold Leica body. I've never had any issues shooting on-average 1000 images (compressed & uncompressed raw) per week. Just wondering now, if the Sony branded cards are "better engineered" to function with their cameras? The blasted things were not cheap!"

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Not sure but Sony has the fastest SD card at this moment, and now just announced a tough series based on SF-G core. But at least it's a safe choice.

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sony-sf-g-tough-series/

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/55485085@N04/albums

I’ve got the same exact problem with SanDisk Extreme Pro 128gb, it works on slot 2 unreadable on slot 1. I tried with another one, same problem. Using another San disk 128gb but slower 80mbit, it worked on bot slots. The 64gb San disk extreme pro instead worked on both. I thought my camera was faulty, but looks like it’s a common problem. When I called Sony they told me to send the camera for repair.

jamesmagick said:

Hello,

I'm having the same problem. Today I just got my Sony A7 III and I put in a new Sandisk Extreme Pro 128gb card I bought from amazon. I put it into slot 1 and it said "Unable to read memory card...Reinsert memory card. Slot 1". I tried it several times, still the same error. I couldn't even format it on slot 1. But I was able to format it on slot 2. When I tried to take the formated card out of slot 2 and put it into slot 1 , it gave the same error.

I then tried to put in some old 64gb card I had and they worked ok. I'm looking to find a fix for this. Thanks

I think Sony has a problem handling 128gb cards? Has anyone with a 64gb card have the same issue before? thanks

Click to expand...

Dany74m said:

I’ve got the same exact problem with SanDisk Extreme Pro 128gb, it works on slot 2 unreadable on slot 1. I tried with another one, same problem. Using another San disk 128gb but slower 80mbit, it worked on bot slots. The 64gb San disk extreme pro instead worked on both. I thought my camera was faulty, but looks like it’s a common problem. When I called Sony they told me to send the camera for repair.

Click to expand...

Don't send the camera in for repair. I'm going to guess that the card that doesn't work in slot 1 has a batch code ending in ...766G?

Dany74m said:

jamesmagick said:

Hello,

I'm having the same problem. Today I just got my Sony A7 III and I put in a new Sandisk Extreme Pro 128gb card I bought from amazon. I put it into slot 1 and it said "Unable to read memory card...Reinsert memory card. Slot 1". I tried it several times, still the same error. I couldn't even format it on slot 1. But I was able to format it on slot 2. When I tried to take the formated card out of slot 2 and put it into slot 1 , it gave the same error.

I then tried to put in some old 64gb card I had and they worked ok. I'm looking to find a fix for this. Thanks

I think Sony has a problem handling 128gb cards? Has anyone with a 64gb card have the same issue before? thanks

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

Yeah, I do need to get another backup sd card to keep in my kit. Given the issues others are having with cards not branded with the Sony name, I think I'm going to have to stick with Sony, in spite of the price issues. When you consider the cost of film/processing back in the day, 1000+ exposures/month will buy you a lot of memory today!

Dany74m said:

I’ve got the same exact problem with SanDisk Extreme Pro 128gb, it works on slot 2 unreadable on slot 1. I tried with another one, same problem. Using another San disk 128gb but slower 80mbit, it worked on bot slots. The 64gb San disk extreme pro instead worked on both. I thought my camera was faulty, but looks like it’s a common problem. When I called Sony they told me to send the camera for repair.

jamesmagick said:

Hello,

I'm having the same problem. Today I just got my Sony A7 III and I put in a new Sandisk Extreme Pro 128gb card I bought from amazon. I put it into slot 1 and it said "Unable to read memory card...Reinsert memory card. Slot 1". I tried it several times, still the same error. I couldn't even format it on slot 1. But I was able to format it on slot 2. When I tried to take the formated card out of slot 2 and put it into slot 1 , it gave the same error.

I then tried to put in some old 64gb card I had and they worked ok. I'm looking to find a fix for this. Thanks

I think Sony has a problem handling 128gb cards? Has anyone with a 64gb card have the same issue before? thanks

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

will arrive with the card recognition problem sorted out!

They're not supposed to be here till the 15th of October.

Isabel

I have the same issue with My A7r3.

Definitely a SanDisk issue; it’s not a problem with any of the Sony bodies IMO. I use Sony branded cards and no issues in either slot, “knock-on-wood”.

Just received my a7 III yesterday, and I used my Extreme Pro 32GB SanDisk card, which works absolutely fine in both slots. Knowing I was intending to primarily work with video with my a7 III, I wanted to get a larger card. As other people have reported in this thread, the card I got was the Extreme Pro 128GB SanDisk card, and it is readable in Slot 2, but not in Slot 1.

Since people have reported the issue with other manufacturers as well, is this a camera issue? Hoping that there'll be a fix before, it's a shame to run into a problem like this straight after getting the camera.

I shoot with Sony branded cards 128 GB on both my A73, and my a 7r3. No issues ever, in either slot with either camera body.

Long time Sony (and Nikon) shooter with A900, A77, A99, Nex 5, Nex 7, A7, A7RII, RXIII, RXIV etc. + lots of Minolta and Sony lenses and vintage lenses with adapters. Just bought a backup A7III for a trip one week ago. Suddenly handicapped by the same problem as mentioned during the trip (with both Lexor and San Disk SD and adapted MicroSD cards, both 64G and 128G. Only a UHS-II works). Needed to do lots of "recovery" procedures including removing and reinserting the battery, retrieving the SD card and reinserted it while the camera was ON during rain and snow.. Extremely annoying.

With trust in Sony quality so far, this to me is definitely an INTRINSIC fault that the Sony engineers have not realized. I am going to send the camera back and see how they would say.

My suggestion: Don't buy the camera unless they got it fixed. This is NOT an UNIQUE camera that is not replaceable though I am impressed really by its everything when the card was working. I reached this tread only after I had the problem myself. Too late.

By the way, I have been with this web site for more than 10 years and I appear new here cause I have changed my old email address that was associated with the account.

ski542002 said:

Yeah, I do need to get another backup sd card to keep in my kit. Given the issues others are having with cards not branded with the Sony name, I think I'm going to have to stick with Sony, in spite of the price issues. When you consider the cost of film/processing back in the day, 1000+ exposures/month will buy you a lot of memory today!

Click to expand...

https://www.sonyalpharumors.com/san...d-in-slto-1-on-sony-a7iii-and-a7riii-cameras/

Appears that specific card or 64gb version as well has issue. Guess Sony will work with SanDisk on a FW to address this issue.

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/55485085@N04/albums

It isn't only related to 128GB card, i have the exact same problem with a 64GB card, serial number ends in 838G

people have reported the same problem with sony mem cards. the camera comes with a slightly defective memory card writer.

bob13bob said:

people have reported the same problem with sony mem cards. the camera comes with a slightly defective memory card writer.

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I'm wedding photographer and I have 7Riii and 7III. I had this problem 4 times this year. One time with Sandisk 64GB and two times with Sony 64GB and one time with Panasonic 64GB . I have also Panasonic G9 camera- no any problem with all these SD cards. No recovery database , freezing etc

Created an acount here for the exact same problem.

We just received an a7iii and are having issues with the SanDisk 128GB ending with 766G.

I presume you guys are also Canadian and bought the card on Amazon during the recent sale @ 50$!

The card works perfectly on PCs or our T4i.

I am seriously questioning if the card is the issue or reader on the camera.

Having spent 3.1k on the camera, this really sucks!

It's also very finicky with charging. We're unable to charge the camera via micro-usb on an Anker block, but USB-C works fine.

One thing I have noticed is that the camera is on firmware 1.01 yet the Sony website shows firmware 2.00 . Once the battery is full I will try updating the firmware in the hopes it resolves the issues.

Phil667 said:

Created an acount here for the exact same problem.

We just received an a7iii and are having issues with the SanDisk 128GB ending with 766G.

Click to expand...

Yup, known compatibility issue. So far nobody has confirmed having a 766G work in slot 1 yet, versus dozens who have verified that combination as incompatible.

Phil667 said:

I presume you guys are also Canadian and bought the card on Amazon during the recent sale @ 50$!

The card works perfectly on PCs or our T4i.

I am seriously questioning if the card is the issue or reader on the camera.

Click to expand...

It's the card and the camera combination. If it were just the camera, then we would have issues with all cards. Most other versions of the same card work without issues though.

Phil667 said:

Having spent 3.1k on the camera, this really sucks!

It's also very finicky with charging. We're unable to charge the camera via micro-usb on an Anker block, but USB-C works fine.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's supposed to be able to charge over micro USB, as that doesn't support power delivery, but I could be wrong.

Phil667 said:

One thing I have noticed is that the camera is on firmware 1.01 yet the Sony website shows firmware 2.00 . Once the battery is full I will try updating the firmware in the hopes it resolves the issues.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't get your hopes up

XeroJay said:

Phil667 said:

Created an acount here for the exact same problem.

We just received an a7iii and are having issues with the SanDisk 128GB ending with 766G.

Click to expand...

Yup, known compatibility issue. So far nobody has confirmed having a 766G work in slot 1 yet, versus dozens who have verified that combination as incompatible.

XeroJay said:

I presume you guys are also Canadian and bought the card on Amazon during the recent sale @ 50$!

The card works perfectly on PCs or our T4i.

I am seriously questioning if the card is the issue or reader on the camera.

Click to expand...

It's the card and the camera combination. If it were just the camera, then we would have issues with all cards. Most other versions of the same card work without issues though.

XeroJay said:

Having spent 3.1k on the camera, this really sucks!

It's also very finicky with charging. We're unable to charge the camera via micro-usb on an Anker block, but USB-C works fine.

Click to expand...

I don't think it's supposed to be able to charge over micro USB, as that doesn't support power delivery, but I could be wrong.

XeroJay said:

One thing I have noticed is that the camera is on firmware 1.01 yet the Sony website shows firmware 2.00 . Once the battery is full I will try updating the firmware in the hopes it resolves the issues.

Click to expand...

I wouldn't get your hopes up

Click to expand...

The camera comes with a MicroUSB Cable, and the manual states:

Use the USB cable (supplied) or a USB-standard cable.
• The charging time will be the same if you use a USB Type-C cable.

Updating firmware didn't change anything. We setup the camera to use slot 2 with that card.