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Sony a7C II .RSV file recovery

Your a7C II stopped mid-recording and left a .RSV file. Here’s how to get the clip back.

The a7C II (ILCE-7CM2) records XAVC S, XAVC HS and XAVC S-I, 8- or 10-bit, up to 4K 60p, with LPCM sound. While it records, it writes the clip to a temporary .RSV file in PRIVATE/M4ROOT/CLIP/ and turns it into an .MP4 when you press stop. If the battery dies, the card fills up or the camera overheats first, the .RSV is left behind and won’t open.

Long takes in the a7C II’s compact body can end in an overheat shutdown, and a flat battery or full card is the other usual cause of a .RSV.

How to recover it

1. Stop using the card and copy everything on it to your computer.
2. Open rsvrescue.com and drop the .RSV from the copy. It’s read in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
3. Watch the free 15-second preview with sound.
4. Pay once for the file and save the repaired .MOV, which opens in Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, QuickTime and VLC.

RSV Rescue reads the a7C II’s own settings from the .RSV itself, so you don’t need a reference clip, and it handles clips where you changed settings partway through. More detail: how to recover a Sony .RSV file.

a7C II tips to avoid losing a take

• Battery: the a7C II uses the NP-FZ100. Start long takes on a full battery, swap between takes rather than during one, or use external power.
• One card, so copy often: the a7C II has a single SD card slot, so there’s no second copy. Copy the card to your computer after every shoot.
• Heat: Set Auto Power OFF Temp. to High for long takes and keep the camera out of direct sun.
• Tip: With one slot there’s no backup copy, so copy the card to your computer straight after each shoot.

Why it happened, and how to avoid it next time

See what an .RSV file is and how to avoid .RSV files.

Try the free preview → Drop your .RSV and watch the first 15 seconds of your recovered clip before you pay anything.