PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

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Frank2021

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PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostFri May 07, 2021 4:51 pm

Sorry for asking this question:

Is there a trick to open the door for the storage cards?

Now having the 3rd camera after two replacements: Opening the door is only possible by force (all 3 cams)
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Jeffrey D Mathias

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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostFri May 07, 2021 6:20 pm

DO NOT USE FORCE
Place fingers on side and slide to the rear, then open. It takes a bit to get used to but will open easily.
Otherwise you will break or bend the plastic tabs that hold the door closed.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSat May 08, 2021 1:47 am

Jeffrey D Mathias wrote:DO NOT USE FORCE
Place fingers on side and slide to the rear, then open. It takes a bit to get used to but will open easily.
Otherwise you will break or bend the plastic tabs that hold the door closed.
Jeffrey is correct, the slide is the first motion and then you can open the door easily.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSat May 08, 2021 6:52 am

Frank2021 wrote:Sorry for asking this question:

Is there a trick to open the door for the storage cards?

Now having the 3rd camera after two replacements: Opening the door is only possible by force (all 3 cams)


if you had only read the manual ONCE, the media doors would still be alive.

Screenshot 2021-05-08 at 08.49.46.jpg
Screenshot 2021-05-08 at 08.49.46.jpg (148.92 KiB) Viewed 4373 times


i will never understand why people nowadays refuse to read manuals and look for answers in forums and facebook groups that are in the manuals?


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Frank2021

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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSat May 08, 2021 7:58 am

I HAVE READ the manual completely!
I am doing what is written there.
The door is one of some misconstructions of this camera.
Sorry for criticizing the holy cow.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSat May 08, 2021 11:23 pm



If the door for any of the Pockets doesn't open and close like in the video with no cards in the slots then you have a faulty unit.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 12:57 pm

I have handled a lot of Pockets and none of their doors required forces to open.
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rick.lang

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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 2:12 pm

Frank2021 wrote:Sorry for asking this question:

Is there a trick to open the door for the storage cards?

Now having the 3rd camera after two replacements: Opening the door is only possible by force (all 3 cams)
Frank, you can understand having difficulties opening three doors on three of three cameras while asking us for a hint how to open the drawers implies a misunderstanding of the technique as described in the manual.

Besides the possibility of all three cameras having a manufacturing defect for the door, I’ll offer one more hint just in case it works.

Before you slide the door, first press the hinge area of the door slightly in (press toward the camera body) and then draw the camera door toward you. I think pressing inward slightly releases some catch so then the door slides and opens. Hope that helps.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 7:09 pm

Thanks to all, even a video.

But it does not work like in the video: To do the movement like the one in the video, you need strong force or even a screwdriver. (Rick, I am capable of understanding the technique as described in the manual.)

The third camera after two replacements is the worst regarding the door.

I do have various Nikon Cameras with the same door principle. It works with ease there.

The two replacements where to get the flange focal distance right. The first took 4 days in Germany. The second took seven (7) weeks from Germany to the UK and back.

I am not motivated to wait for camera No. 4 with a nice door but perhaps again wrong flange focal distance.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 7:14 pm

You're almost certainly doing it incorrectly. You place one finger over the latch, so that the tip of the finger is resting in the groove. Then press the finger down and slide it towards the back of the camera. One finger is strong enough to do it, if you're doing it correctly. Ideal or not, it does work.
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Frank2021

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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 8:26 pm

John Paines wrote:You're almost certainly doing it incorrectly. You place one finger over the latch, so that the tip of the finger is resting in the groove. Then press the finger down and slide it towards the back of the camera. One finger is strong enough to do it, if you're doing it correctly. Ideal or not, it does work.


No Sir, it does not.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 10:06 pm

No Sir, it does not.


Give up, he's right, the world is wrong. Happens all the time.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 10:42 pm

I have used three P4Ks all of different ages (one of my own, two belonging to a colleague) and two P6Ks (both mine). The door has always opened easily with the same (minimal) force on all of them.

I am in a number of Facebook groups for the cameras and I have seen many issues raised online around the P4K and P6K, some recurring, some one offs. But I can honestly say I have never seen anyone have difficulties opening the media cover.

That you have had three cameras in a row with this apparent fault does tend to suggest there might be an issue about how you ae doing it. Whereabouts are you based? Maybe a local forum member could call by to show you the technique.

You shouldn't try to open the door, the spring does that all by itself. All you need to do is press the door slightly in (in effect, closing it even more) and then slide it towards the back of the camera.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 10:50 pm

Frank2021 wrote:Thanks to all, even a video.
But it does not work like in the video: To do the movement like the one in the video, you need strong force or even a screwdriver.

What makes me think you have misunderstood the technique is your reference to a screwdriver.

You should be pressing flat on the rubber coated part of the door then sliding it. A screwdriver would offer no assistance at all with that.

If you are stating that a screwdriver would help then you are definitely approaching the door from the wrong angle or wrong starting postion.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostSun May 09, 2021 11:37 pm

Frank I have used many versions of the 6 and 4K cameras and have never had any difficulty with the media door.

I have also never once seen someone mention this as an issue.

I think this is why you are getting questions about this because it seems strange to have three copies of a camera with the same problem. Maybe there was a bad batch ?

Maybe you could do a video for us to see your issue ? You should definitely not require anything more than light finger force.

Or perhaps we could do a FaceTime / zoom call with you to go over it ?

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Peter J. DeCrescenzo

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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostMon May 10, 2021 3:27 am

First, an obligatory caution: CAUTION: Do NOT spray or drip any type of lubricant, liquid, spray or powder into your camera! Doing so may possibly damage your camera, make it unrepairable, and/or void your warranty.

OK, having said that ...

The media card slot door on my Pocket 4K (purchased in Jan. 2019) has ALWAYS been very difficult to open. I've always opened it (with difficulty) using the simple method described in the user manual. I always read & follow instructions in user manuals. :-)

Until I saw this thread, I just figured that's way it worked, or at least that's the way my camera worked. But it's always seemed odd, and slightly annoying.

This thread prompted me to try something I've previously thought of doing, but never had the courage/stupidity to try: Maybe lubricating the door "catches" & "hinge" make it easier to open?

I sprayed a TINY amount of spray silicon lubricant into a small disposable cup, and dipped a toothpick into the liquid. I then used the tip of the toothpick to very carefully apply a VERY TINY drop of the lubricant to all the points indicated by red arrows in the attached photo. I was VERY CAREFUL not to drip any liquid into the camera body or on the media cards, etc. I used a dry tissue to wipe off any excess lubricant.

I then opened & closed the door the normal way several times, and now the door opens MUCH easier than ever before.

YMMV. But the above worked for me.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostMon May 10, 2021 9:18 am

Many thanks to Peter, this helps.

Even if many do not want to hear it here, these cameras are manufactured with large tolerances. So with two cameras the flange focal distance with an error of 0.2mm, so completely unusable.

This is of course not the case with the door for the memory cards, I am an idiot who cannot read instructions and cannot control my fingers.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostMon May 10, 2021 11:16 am

Hi Frank!

Welcome to the internet! To be fair this is how people in general react online to any kind of issue that is extraordinary, like yours) and it happens on every forum......, It's easy to want to react but do you want to be right or do you want the answer? Some of the greatest lessons I have learned were to GET the information and not pay attention to the attitude of the person I'm getting the information from.

The lubrication idea sounds interesting but I would also see if you could take off the door and use a Dremel to shave down those points indicated by Peter J. DeCrescenzo.

(I found a person online that is making me some 3D printed parts for my CAMERAS. I ll let you know if I can get a 3D scan of that part and see if there is a flexible plastic part that can be printed. Gimme a week or so).
Last edited by drknsss on Mon May 10, 2021 1:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostMon May 10, 2021 12:00 pm

It looks to me that amount of force needed to open the media cards door in any camera is relative.
I'm coming from many years of using various Canon DSLRs. With Canon DSLR's it takes relatively very little force to open the media cards door.
Getting the BMPCC 6K almost a year ago and the BMPCC 6K Pro recently, I noticed that it takes relatively more force to open the media cards door (to slide the door in the direction of the LCD). It's about the same in both cameras.
I accepted the situation as part of the mechanical design and condition of the cameras, never looked at it as a fault.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostTue May 11, 2021 11:17 am

I found an easy solution:

Loosen the 2 screws inside the door by a very small amount.

This explains, why cameras behave different. My cameras were installed by very strong BMD-people.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostTue May 11, 2021 11:01 pm

Good work, Frank! That’s one solution we have heard of previously. Glad you came up with it.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostWed May 12, 2021 4:13 am

Frank2021 wrote:I found an easy solution:

Loosen the 2 screws inside the door by a very small amount.

This explains, why cameras behave different. My cameras were installed by very strong BMD-people.


Fantastic that you found such an easy solution for anyone to employ! I will keep this in mind if I or anyone else has the same issue in the future.
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Re: PCC4k: open the door for the storage cards

PostFri Sep 17, 2021 11:33 pm

Just replied on another related thread from the archives about the media door. I have a 6k Pro and a regular 6k. The regular 6k is not as easy to get the door slid open....but I do not need to use force or a screwdriver....but it was hard enough to open that I did call tech support this afternoon and was told that was the first they'd heard of the issue. It seems if I put my thumb in the top of the camera body and point my index finger downwards into the groove so that the length of the finger is on the door to slide it backwards, that is a swifter motion. Before searching and calling tech support and fumbling around, I had to remove it from the tripod, get it securely and safely on my lap, and at times had to use both thumbs to slide the door open. But I think for me it was an issue of trying to use the tip of my finger instead of the side-length on the slide-back motion
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