Using Two SD Cards of Different Sizes in Lumix G9?

[ammtar]

Hi,

I'm getting ready for a week-long trip and considering using two SD cards of different sizes in my Lumix G9. My plan is to put a new 128GB card in Slot B (which I still need to buy) and use my existing 64GB card in Slot A.

I want to save RAW files to Slot B and JPEGs to Slot A, since RAW files take up much more space.

Does this setup make sense?

Also, according to the manual, the maximum supported SD card size for the G9 is 128GB. Has this limit changed with any recent firmware updates?

Thanks for any help!

 

[mmartel]

Hi,

I'm getting ready for a week-long trip and considering using two SD cards of different sizes in my Lumix G9. My plan is to put a new 128GB card in Slot B (which I still need to buy) and use my existing 64GB card in Slot A.

I want to save RAW files to Slot B and JPEGs to Slot A, since RAW files take up much more space.

Does this setup make sense?

Also, according to the manual, the maximum supported SD card size for the G9 is 128GB. Has this limit changed with any recent firmware updates?

Thanks for any help!

I'm fairly sure I've used both 256GB and 1TB SD cards in my G9 before without any issues (although normally I use a faster single 128GB SD card for convenience). A YouTube chap has also demonstrated 256GB usage here:

How you choose to use two card slots is a personal preference. But your approach seems to make good sense for backup-redundancy purposes.

 

[yslee2]

That's fine, but the second card needs to be the same bus speed (ie UHS II needs another UHS II card) else it'll go back down to UHS I, or worse, if you somehow find an original SD card and put it in there.

 

[GrayCard]

Seriously??? Why are you risking disaster by using huge capacity SD cards? They're so inexpensive that using multiple pairs of UHS-II 128 GB cards gives you far better redundancy. Save all your images as RW2 files to both, then if you truly need JPGs, export them from your RAW developer as JPGs, and you still have the safe redundancy of two full sets of RW2 files. Frankly, I would rather have multiple pairs of matched SD cards and switch them out as needed, rather than risk using much larger cards that the manufacturer does not support. What do you not see here?

 

[ammtar]

Seriously??? Why are you risking disaster by using huge capacity SD cards? They're so inexpensive that using multiple pairs of UHS-II 128 GB cards gives you far better redundancy. Save all your images as RW2 files to both, then if you truly need JPGs, export them from your RAW developer as JPGs, and you still have the safe redundancy of two full sets of RW2 files. Frankly, I would rather have multiple pairs of matched SD cards and switch them out as needed, rather than risk using much larger cards that the manufacturer does not support. What do you not see here?

GrayCard,
As a couple of others have mentioned, the 128 GB “limit” in the manual was written over five years ago—and it seems more like a cautious disclaimer, kind of like those signs that say “contents may be hot” on a cup of coffee. I’m pretty sure even back then 256 GB cards worked fine, and with the more recent firmware updates, I’d be confident that 512 GB would work just fine.

Now, whether using a 128 GB card and swapping it for a second 128 GB is better than using a single 256 GB—that’s another topic, and probably one for the more tech-savvy folks to weigh in on.

My actual question was: can I use two different-sized cards—say, a 64 GB card for JPEGs and a 128 GB for RAW files—since RAW takes up more space — in case anyone done this successfully.

 

[GrayCard]

Seriously??? Why are you risking disaster by using huge capacity SD cards? They're so inexpensive that using multiple pairs of UHS-II 128 GB cards gives you far better redundancy. Save all your images as RW2 files to both, then if you truly need JPGs, export them from your RAW developer as JPGs, and you still have the safe redundancy of two full sets of RW2 files. Frankly, I would rather have multiple pairs of matched SD cards and switch them out as needed, rather than risk using much larger cards that the manufacturer does not support. What do you not see here?

GrayCard,
As a couple of others have mentioned, the 128 GB “limit” in the manual was written over five years ago—and it seems more like a cautious disclaimer, kind of like those signs that say “contents may be hot” on a cup of coffee. I’m pretty sure even back then 256 GB cards worked fine, and with the more recent firmware updates, I’d be confident that 512 GB would work just fine.

Now, whether using a 128 GB card and swapping it for a second 128 GB is better than using a single 256 GB—that’s another topic, and probably one for the more tech-savvy folks to weigh in on.

My actual question was: can I use two different-sized cards—say, a 64 GB card for JPEGs and a 128 GB for RAW files—since RAW takes up more space — in case anyone done this successfully.

Let's try this again. A 128GB SD card in the G9 will hold over 9999 JPG images (based on the built-in counter). A 128GB SD card can hold 5213 RW2 images, A 64 GB SD card can hold 5727 JPG images. A 64 GB SD card can hold 2602 RW2 images. When you do the math, you'll see that one RW2 file is approximately 2.25 times larger than the same image saved as a JPG. So to answer your "actual question", yes, you can use a 128 GB SD card for RW2 files while simultaneously saving the same image in JPG format to a 64 GB SD card. The caveat here is that both SD cards should be UHS-II or UHS-I, but not mixed.

Going back to my original premise, assuming that one wanted to use SD cards well above the size limit imposed by the developers at Panasonic, and recognizing that Panasonic has stated that the battery life is roughly 380 images (p. 27 of the G9 manual, DVQP1402ZE), just consider how many batteries you'd need to keep charged up if you were going to plan on shooting until both cards are full. It just makes no sense to me to take the risk of using super-large SD cards when the camera manufacturer has stated the limitation. It make far more sense to me to spend the money to have multiple sets of SD cards rather than risk having all images disappear if the super-large card(s) have a terminal malfunction.

That said, I prefer to use a matched pair of SD cards (64 + 64 GB or 128 + 128 GB) and shoot with RW2 files being saved to both cards. As I noted in my original post, "if you truly need JPGs, export them from your RAW developer as JPGs, and you still have the safe redundancy of two full sets of RW2 files". If you choose to use the paradigm that you suggested, just be sure that you don't reverse the SD cards and have the RW2 files going to the smaller SD card.

 

[ammtar]

I asked ChatGPT and here's the response .

In short:

• Yes, you can absolutely use two different-sized SD cards—like a 64 GB card for JPEGs and a 128 GB card for RAW files—in your Panasonic Lumix G9. The camera supports assigning each card slot for different file types, and users have successfully run this exact setup.
• No major speed gain using 64 GB over 128 GB if same type/class.
• Use 64 GB for safety-conscious workflows, and 128 GB for convenience on long outings.
• If you're shooting RAW+JPEG in dual-slot mode, you could use a 64 GB card for JPEGs (Slot 2) and a 128 GB card for RAWs (Slot 1). This combo works well and offers a balance of space and redundancy.
• Practical Recommendation
  • Scenario: You want max convenience and simple workflow
    Recommended: RAW+JPEG on one card
  • Scenario: You want max convenience and simple workflow
    Recommended: RAW+JPEG on one card
  • Scenario: You want redundancy or strict separation of files
    Recommended: RAW on Slot 1, JPEG on Slot 2
  • Scenario: You're traveling and want to review JPEGs quickly on your phone/tablet
    Recommended: One card setup preferred
  • Scenario: You're backing up to a laptop with multiple card slots or a hub
    Recommended: Either works, based on preference

So, my conclusion: After considering the discussion and ChatGPT’s response—and most importantly, since I frequently use the single-slot GX85 as well—I’ve decided to store both JPEG and RAW files on a single 128 GB card, and use the second 128 GB card as a backup. Managing a card from the GX85 (with both JPEG and RAW) plus two separate cards from the G9 (one with JPEG, one with RAW) would be impractical and potentially very confusing.


Thank you for your inputs and help, I appreciate it.

 

[ammtar]

Let's try this again. A 128GB SD card in the G9 will hold over 9999 JPG images (based on the built-in counter). A 128GB SD card can hold 5213 RW2 images, A 64 GB SD card can hold 5727 JPG images. A 64 GB SD card can hold 2602 RW2 images. When you do the math, you'll see that one RW2 file is approximately 2.25 times larger than the same image saved as a JPG. So to answer your "actual question", yes, you can use a 128 GB SD card for RW2 files while simultaneously saving the same image in JPG format to a 64 GB SD card.

Thank you, that’s all I asked

The caveat here is that both SD cards should be UHS-II or UHS-I, but not mixed.

I asked about the size of the card. I thought the type and speed of both cards was obvious.

Going back to my original premise, assuming that one wanted to use SD cards well above the size limit imposed by the developers at Panasonic, and recognizing that Panasonic has stated that the battery life is roughly 380 images (p. 27 of the G9 manual, DVQP1402ZE), just consider how many batteries you'd need to keep charged up if you were going to plan on shooting until both cards are full.

Following your logic of "one battery per card," should I be using an 8GB card then?!
When I travel and spend full days outdoors—often for several days in a row—I may not shoot more than 1,000 photos per day, but I still need enough storage to keep shooting without having to stop and transfer files to a computer. That’s the point of my question—not batteries.

If I use a 64GB card for JPEGs and another 64GB for RAW files, I’ll likely run out of space on the RAW card long before the JPEG card is even half full. That’s why I considered using a 64GB card for JPEGs and a 128GB card for RAW files.

It just makes no sense to me to take the risk of using super-large SD cards when the camera manufacturer has stated the limitation.

128 GB is still within the limitation, right?

It make far more sense to me to spend the money to have multiple sets of SD cards rather than risk having all images disappear if the super-large card(s) have a terminal malfunction.

I generally agree with you on this one. But, also chances the camera will malfunction and destroy my cards and the chance I will lose my cards on the trip are pretty much close.

That said, I prefer to use a matched pair of SD cards (64 + 64 GB or 128 + 128 GB) and shoot with RW2 files being saved to both cards. As I noted in my original post, "if you truly need JPGs, export them from your RAW developer as JPGs, and you still have the safe redundancy of two full sets of RW2 files". If you choose to use the paradigm that you suggested, just be sure that you don't reverse the SD cards and have the RW2 files going to the smaller SD card.

I'm fine with your preference. In fact, as I mentioned in my latest post, I plan to do the same—use two 128GB cards, saving both JPEG and RAW files to one card, with the second card serving as a backup.

Thank you for input.

 

[BryanHL]

I asked ChatGPT and here's the response .

In short:

• Yes, you can absolutely use two different-sized SD cards—like a 64 GB card for JPEGs and a 128 GB card for RAW files—in your Panasonic Lumix G9. The camera supports assigning each card slot for different file types, and users have successfully run this exact setup.
• No major speed gain using 64 GB over 128 GB if same type/class.
• Use 64 GB for safety-conscious workflows, and 128 GB for convenience on long outings.
• If you're shooting RAW+JPEG in dual-slot mode, you could use a 64 GB card for JPEGs (Slot 2) and a 128 GB card for RAWs (Slot 1). This combo works well and offers a balance of space and redundancy.
• Practical Recommendation
  • Scenario: You want max convenience and simple workflow
    Recommended: RAW+JPEG on one card
  • Scenario: You want max convenience and simple workflow
    Recommended: RAW+JPEG on one card
  • Scenario: You want redundancy or strict separation of files
    Recommended: RAW on Slot 1, JPEG on Slot 2
  • Scenario: You're traveling and want to review JPEGs quickly on your phone/tablet
    Recommended: One card setup preferred
  • Scenario: You're backing up to a laptop with multiple card slots or a hub
    Recommended: Either works, based on preference

So, my conclusion: After considering the discussion and ChatGPT’s response—and most importantly, since I frequently use the single-slot GX85 as well—I’ve decided to store both JPEG and RAW files on a single 128 GB card, and use the second 128 GB card as a backup. Managing a card from the GX85 (with both JPEG and RAW) plus two separate cards from the G9 (one with JPEG, one with RAW) would be impractical and potentially very confusing.

Thank you for your inputs and help, I appreciate it.

I always take anything AI generated with a (big) grain of salt. At a glance what you show seems about right though. There have been many threads with all the pros and cons of how to use dual card slots.

Which way you do it is up to you. If it works for you then that's the best choice.

Just one other point to consider: If you shoot bursts, saving jpg to one card and raws to another will clear the buffer much more quickly. This only needs to be considered if you shoot long bursts. I have rarely filled the buffer on my G9 where the capture speed slowed right down. Unless something really interesting is happening, It's a good sign for me to back off as there will be more files to go through than I would normally want.

 

[Trolleyman]

When travelling I use a 64gb card in slot 1 and a 128gb in slot 2 as back up. At the end of the day everything on 1 gets backed up to a portable ssd then the card formatted. Most days I don't take hundreds of photos so even with raw the 128gb lasts me for a fair while.

 

[ammtar]

When travelling I use a 64gb card in slot 1 and a 128gb in slot 2 as back up. At the end of the day everything on 1 gets backed up to a portable ssd then the card formatted. Most days I don't take hundreds of photos so even with raw the 128gb lasts me for a fair while.

Very interesting concept, I like it.