How to Use the Sensor Gel Stick

In this video, I decided to cover a couple of important aspects of using the sensor gel stick. First, I wanted to show what the product looks like when shipped and what it comes with, then answer some of the most frequently asked questions by our readers (see below for the text version), before actually showing how to use the product on a camera sensor.

DISCLAIMER: Not responsible for any potential damage of the camera due to misuse of the product! Please watch the video carefully and follow the instructions step by step.

Here are some of the most frequently asked questions from our readers regarding the sensor gel stick:

1. How long does the sensor gel stick last? It depends on the frequency of use and how many cameras you will be cleaning with a single sensor gel stick. If you are a professional photographer and you plan on using the sensor gel stick before every photo shoot, it might only last 5-6 months. For occasional use, the sensor gel stick should last 1-2 years. While the manufacturer told me that the stick can last up to 2-3 years, I don’t think it is very realistic for it to last that long.
2. Does the sensor gel stick clean up oil? Yes, it does, as long as the oil spots are relatively new. If the oil is dated and has become hard on the sensor, you might still need to get the sensor cleaned through thorough wet cleaning. You can either attempt to do it yourself, or you can send your camera in for service, then use the sensor gel stick later to clean up regular dust / new oil spots.
3. When will PL start selling the sticky paper? While we will soon start offering the extra sticky paper for purchase, you should not have to be concerned about that for a long time, if you use the provided sticky paper sparingly. I have cleaned sensors about 20 times using my sensor gel stick so far and I have only used about 1.5 sticky papers. Since the sensor gel stick surface is not as sticky as the paper, you should not have to worry about picking up stuff from the paper back to the sensor gel stick (as long as it is dust and not something like oil). If the sensor gel stick is too dirty, or you have cleaned up oil before, then it might be best to use untouched sticky paper.
4. Is it OK to clean the sensor gel stick with water or some other chemical solution if one runs out of paper? It is safe to use tap water to clean the gel head, as instructed in this article. Please do not use any chemical solutions, as you might damage the sticky surface of the sensor gel stick.

The video is quite detailed and covers the many different steps of cleaning a sensor using the sensor gel stick – everything from charging the camera battery to checking for dust spots using the camera zoom function.