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Sony a7R V
Sony · a7R V · Free lesson

First Setup

What should you change on a brand-new Sony a7R V before your first shoot?

camerasdecoded.com/camera-select/sony/a7r-v/first-setup
The answer — share this
Format both slots in the camera, set Simult. Recording so every frame lands on two cards, shoot RAW at Lossless Comp (L) — then save the whole setup to Memory 1.
Format: Shooting → Media → Format  ·  Recording Media: Simult. Recording  ·  File Format: RAW  ·  RAW File Type: Lossless Comp (L)  ·  SteadyShot: On  ·  Save: Camera Set. Memory → 1
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Step 1

Format both cards in the camera

MENU→Shooting→Media→Format

Formatting builds the folder structure the camera expects and clears a card that has lived in other devices. This body has two slots, and each accepts a CFexpress Type A card or an SD card (UHS-II included) — one warning worth knowing before you buy: CFexpress Type B cards cannot be used in this camera. Press Enter for a quick format; for a full format, press the Delete button on the format screen. Shortcut: hold MENU and the Delete button together for about two seconds and the format screen opens directly.

Know this: formatting erases everything on the card — including protected images and the M1–M4 settings stored on it. Empty the card first, and never format below 1% battery.
Step 2

Shoot RAW, at full quality

MENU→Shooting→Image Quality/Rec→Image Quality Settings

Set File Format to RAW. Then set RAW File Type to Lossless Comp (L): the full frame from the 61-megapixel sensor, compressed with no loss of quality, in a file well under an uncompressed one. The smaller letters are real settings, not defects — M records about 26 megapixels and S about 15, for days when small files matter more than resolution. L is full-frame only.

The RAW types on this body
UncompressedFULL SIZE
Lossless Comp (L)FULL QUALITY
CompressedSMALLEST
Step 3

Make the second slot a backup

MENU→Shooting→Media→Rec. Media Settings

Set Recording Media to Simult. Recording: every still lands on both cards at once, so a failed card is an inconvenience, not a lost shoot. Sort Recording instead splits file formats between the slots — a workflow choice, not a backup. Turn Auto Switch Media On as well, and the camera carries on with the other card when the one in use fills.

Step 4

Confirm SteadyShot is on

MENU→Shooting→Image Stabilization→SteadyShot

On for normal lenses — the camera reads the focal length itself. Shooting a fully manual lens? Open SteadyShot Adjust. in the same group, switch it to Manual, and set the SteadyShot focal length yourself (8–1000mm), or the stabilization will work against you.

Step 5

Save everything to Memory 1

MENU→Shooting→Shooting Mode→Camera Set. Memory

Register the setup you just built to slot 1. From now on, the mode dial’s 1 position is your known-good camera — after any reset, firmware update, or borrowed-body detour, one turn of the dial restores it. The body holds 3 sets (dial 1, 2, 3); M1–M4 live on the card.

Step 6

Put the deep settings one press away

MENU→My Menu→My Menu Setting→Add Item

Add the items you will revisit — Format first — to My Menu. This camera’s menu is deep; your five items should not be.

Try it now

Do the steps now, in order, then turn the mode dial to 1 and confirm every setting stuck. That dial position is your camera from today on.