Formatting Storage Devices

This page provides instructions for formatting both the onboard SD cards on the Sony A7RIV and the External USB device.

It is highly recommended to format the image storage devices prior to each flight.

Formatting the SD Cards onboard the Sony A7RIV

1. Insert two (2) dual UHS-II SD cards into the Sony A7RIV

2. Insert battery and power on the Sony A7RIV

3. Press the MENU button

4. Use the control wheel to select Setup

5. Select Format. Select Slot 1 and a message will display to confirm if you want to delete all data

6. Use the control wheel to select Yes

7. Repeat for Slot 2.

8. Power off Sony A7RIV and remove battery.

Formatting the External Storage Device

Windows

1. Connect the USB-C flash drive to your computer.

2. Open File Explorer by pressing Windows key + E or by clicking the folder icon on the taskbar.

3. Located and right-click on the USB-C flash drive in the This PC or My Computer section.

4. Select Format from the menu.

5. Choose exFAT from the File System drop-down menu.

6. Make sure the Quick Format option is checked.

7. Click Start

8. Click OK to start formatting.

9. Navigate back to the USB-C flash drive located in Step 3 above and right-click the USB-C flash drive.

10. Select Eject and wait for the device to be unmounted before removing from your PC or Laptop.

11. Insert USB-C flash drive into the USB-C port located at the rear of PRISM Sky.

Mac

1. Connect the USB-C flash drive to your computer.

2. Open Finder and navigate to the Applications folder.

3. Open the Utilities folder and launch Disk Utility.

4. In the Disk Utility window, select the USB-C flash drive from the list on the left side.

5. Click the Erase button located at the top of the window.

6. Choose exFAT from the Format drop-down menu.

7. You may choose to enter a new 'Name' for the volume (optional).

8. Click the Erase button at the bottom right corner. A warning message will appear, notifying you that all data on the drive will be erased. Make sure to back up any important files before proceeding.

9. Click Erase again to start formatting. Once completed, the new formatted drive will appear in the Disk Utility window.

10. Close Disk Utility and your USB-C flash drive is now formatted to exFAT and ready for use on both Windows and Mac computers.

11. Located the device on your desktop, right-click and select Eject and wait for the device to be unmounted before removing from your PC or Laptop.

12. Insert USB-C flash drive into the USB-C port located at the rear of PRISM Sky.