Description
WARNING: You might find a similar looking item on Amazon from sellers in China. Please do NOT buy those – we have received some horror stories from people who had their AA filters ripped out from their cameras, thanks to using a fake Chinese version of this product. We are the only distributor of the Sensor Gel Stick in the USA and our product is proudly made in Germany!
One of the best solutions for keeping your digital camera sensor clean! This sensor gel stick will work on any interchangeable lens digital camera – from a compact mirrorless to a full-frame DSLR. All you have to do is set the camera to “Mirror Lock-Up” mode (with the battery fully charged) and once the sensor is exposed, gently “walk” the whole sensor with the gelled side of the stick. After a single pass, use the adhesive paper (included inside the metal case) to remove the dust from the gel. Simply expose the sticky side of the paper, set it on a firm surface, then hold it with your fingers, while firmly pressing the gel on top of the adhesive surface. The gel should stick, but it will be easy to remove. Once cleaned, the gel can be reused over and over again (see maintenance tips below). Repeat this process as many times as necessary to clean your sensor. Once done, turn off the camera, mount your lens, set it to the smallest aperture like f/32, then take a picture of a white surface. When you analyze the image, there should be no spots left.
This particular product is used professionally by many service centers, including a number of rental companies in the USA.
For information on how to use the sensor gel stick, please see this article. Here is a detailed video on how to use the sensor gel stick:
Disclaimer: Photography Life is NOT responsible for any potential damage or other sensor-related issues on your camera. While the above product and methodology are much safer than applying wet cleaning or other solutions directly on the sensor, improper handling could result in damage.
Includes: 10 sticky papers, product manual and aluminum box.
Operating Environment: Please do not use the sensor gel stick in very hot and humid environments. If the gel stick is not as “sticky”, it probably has to do with humidity. While the sensor gel stick should operate normally in cold temperatures, we do not recommend to use it under 40F. Room temperature (around 70F) is ideal for best performance.
Application: Different manufacturers apply different coating technologies on the filter in front of the sensor. These coatings can affect the stickiness of the sensor gel stick – in some cases it will be less or more sticky than in others. Because of this, we do not recommend to use the same sensor gel stick to clean different cameras, especially from different manufacturers. Please read the product advisory section below regarding the use of the product on Sony mirrorless cameras.
Supported Cameras: With the exception of Sony and Fuji mirrorless cameras listed below, the Sensor Gel Stick is known to work with all other brand digital interchangeable lens cameras, including: Nikon, Canon, Pentax/Ricoh, Olympus, Panasonic and Samsung. Some of our customers also reported successful use with medium format cameras from Hasselblad, Mamiya and Phase One.
Product Advisory: Sony’s, Fuji’s and Leica’s (latest versions) proprietary coating technologies on their mirrorless cameras might cause the Sensor Gel Stick to leave some residue on the surface of the sensor filter, which will require thorough wet cleaning. Please make sure to use the Sony version of the Sensor Gel Stick on these cameras, which works perfectly well on those. Below are the mirrorless cameras that should ONLY be used with the Sony version of the Sensor Gel Stick, not the regular version:
All Sony A7-series cameras (all models), A5xxx / A6xxx series, Sony NEX-series cameras (all models), Fuji X-series cameras (all models), Leica M9, Typ 240. We have not heard of any other reports regarding other brand cameras.
Maintenance: The beauty of the Sensor Gel Stick is that it can be used over and over again for years without having to re-purchase it. If you accidentally touch the tip of the sensor with your finger, if you accidentally drop it on the ground, or if the stickiness property disappears over time, all you have to do is wash it with clean tap water and air dry it! To avoid potential damage, we do not recommend to use any cleaning chemicals / solutions during this process. Just make sure to wash your hands with soap first to remove all the oil / grease, then put the gel part in running water and wash the surface with your fingers. Let it air dry for several hours until it is completely dry, then your sensor gel stick will be as good as new. If you end up with a lot of oil / grease on the gel and regular water does not clean it, some liquid dish detergents can be used in those situations as a last resort. For more details, see this article.
Return / Replacement Policy: The sensor gel stick can be returned for a full refund or exchange within 30 days of purchase. It must be returned in its original condition without any damage, including the aluminum case, manual and remaining sticky papers.
Note on International Orders: Shipping via USPS Internationally can take a long time – anywhere from 3-4 weeks to 5-6 weeks in some cases. Sometimes packages are held up by the country’s local post office for customs clearing, which is a normal part of the process. If your order is not delivered within 4 weeks, please call your local postal office and see if they are holding it.
Reviews
The sensor gel stick has been reviewed and praised by many top photography sites and photographers. Below you will find a few links and YouTube videos from those that had a chance to test the sensor gel stick on their cameras:
- Fstoppers Review
YouTube video from the above review:NOTE: Please do not try to clean the mirror using the sensor gel stick as shown in the video – it can potentially dislocate the mirror and cause autofocus issues!
- Moose Peterson Review
- Michael Clark Review
M Stoneman (verified owner) –
Extremely fine product! Just cleaned sensors on 4 cameras much faster than 1 usually takes. No second tries either-1 pass only. Thanks for selling this fine product.
R –
Used this on my new(refurb) D600 after wet cleaning the sensor…perfectly clean now.
Michael Shaw (verified owner) –
The Sensor Gel Stick is amazing. In 5 minutes I cleaned the sensors on my Nikon D7000 and my Panasonic G5. No dust spots now on either sensor, and this was so much easier than using the swab and cleaning fluid I have been using for several years.
Art (verified owner) –
After using various wet cleaning methods for years which are expensive and tricky to perform; the Sensor Gel Stick is the fastest, easiest and most economically way to clean dust and oil off your sensor. A must have for anyone with a interchangeable lens camera.
Regards Art
Rick Grant (verified owner) –
I highly recommend this. It is efficient, quick, and simple to use. Much better than any of the other methods I have tried. I also appreciate the quick no nonsense purchase and shipping experience through photographylife.
Dharmesh Jani (verified owner) –
The best thing I ever bought after buying an SLR!
Gene Mushak (verified owner) –
Greatly appreciative for the availability of this product within the States (I live in PA). Very easy to use following the included instructions (albeit transcribed into English from German production team). Also appreciate the supplementary video from Nasim!
Guys and Gals – – – this item simply works well and doesn’t leave any visual residual after using. It’s a no-brainer relative to other alternatives for the average photographer. One may need to use a “wet-method” of cleaning if there are really tough spots to clean prior to using this (i.e. grease spots or other tough regions).
Also – as a general note – this shipped product is the “eyelead” sensor cleaning kit manufactured in Germany. If you’re in the EU and UK region and able to get it cheaper or at comparable cost (considering shipping rates) from a reliable source on the other side of the pond – go for it.
Bottom line: Great product for a great price from a great U.S. supplier (Thanks Nasim et al)!!
Mark and Emily (verified owner) –
Hi Nasim, I just wanted to let you know that we are very happy with the Gel Stick and have had great results with it. I have over 7,500 shots on my new D610 and do a lot of lens changing out in the field. Whenever I start seeing spots showing up (usually in the sky) it only takes a few minutes and it is good to go again. I’m still using the same sheet of sticky paper and it seems to be doing the job so far. Thanks for making this product available to all of your readers.
Greg Benner (verified owner) –
The sensor gel stick worked great on my Nikon D600. I noticed the oil and dust issue on my sensor a couple months ago at higher apertures and have been looking for a solution. I didn’t really want to send it back to Nikon for cleaning and the idea of doing a wet cleaning intimidated me. This worked great. It was quick and so easy to use and now my sensor is dust and oil free. Nasim’s video was very instructional too. I highly recommend this product.
Neil Mc Mullen (verified owner) –
I had dust on the sensors in my D300 and D700, the booty shaker in the 700 wouldn’t remove it and neither would the Giotto Rocket blow it off. The gel stick is as advertised, both sensors are spotless now. I have used ” wet wipes” for 8 or 9 years, in addition to returning both to Nikon for cleaning. Thank you.
Dave DiCello (verified owner) –
Was thinking about sending both my bodies (D600 and D700) to get cleaned when I saw this product. Thought I would give it a shot and it worked perfectly! Took about 2 minutes with each body. Thank you so much, would recommend to anyone who needs to clean their sensor!!
Robert Taylor (verified owner) –
I have always been a little gun-shy about cleaning my sensor except by using the rocket blower. Thought I’d give these a try rather than pay for cleaning. Wow, what a result. I cleaned my d7000 and d800 sensors both of which had quite a bit of dust and the results were amazing . The process took less than two minutes per camera and the dust was virtually entirely removed. I can’t believe how easy these things are to use. Equally amazing is why they haven’t been available for years. No need to pay for professional cleaning with access to these.
markdub (verified owner) –
I have never cleaned my sensor before. I have watched countless videos online and I was still a little weary of doing it. There is no camera shop convenient to me (closest is 40 min away), so that really isnt the best option. I saw this product on fstoppers and looked very simple, so I decided to give it a shot.
So incredibly easy to use. I have a canon 50D and it had some excessive use over the past 4 years. the sensor was very dirty. I took a before picture, flipped on the mirror lock, cleaned the sensor and that was that. 1 minute at the most. I took an after photo and my sensor is looking dust free!
Excellent product and very easy to use! Thank you!!!!
Michael (verified owner) –
I gave this a shot on my D800E, and after 3 passes, the sensor is flawless. Don’t be afraid to give it a bit of pressure, and go straight up and down, don’t drag it, and clean it on the paper after every pass. It’s a wonderful product, and small enough to live in my bag.
I use a rocket blower to blow out the easy stuff, a lens pen to get the persistent goobers off the sensor if needed, and the stick to get the leftover carbon and anything else I’ve missed. A wet system has never touched this camera, and now it never will.
stlc829 (verified owner) –
I highly recommend this product…Order it and you will not be disappointed. I was dreading sending in my Nikon D7100 to get the sensor cleaned. This product was easy to use and only took 2 minutes.
Romano Giannetti (verified owner) –
Probably the best money ever spent in my gear. I was used to painful cycles of blowing, dry, wet cleaning, repeat. Today in 5 minutes I cleanead the sensor of my Sony SLT A-55. Two passages did suffice. Do yourself a favor and get this thing.
doylebur (verified owner) –
Wow – I had a hard time purchasing anything regarding the cleaning of my Nikon sensor. I had probably 25 specks of dust on my sensor…that even given that I use my in-camera sensor cleaner all the time and I am extremely careful. I normally shoot portraits and the sensor dust does not show up at wider F-stops. One day I did some landscapes with a smaller F-stop and there were all of the blotches in the sky – I was shocked.
I researched and researched and decided to go with the eye lead and all but one dust fleck left. Before going in for another dab with the gel stick, I used the in-camera sensor cleaning option. GONE – every single spec of dust was gone.
By all means, do not be nervous – just buy this product if you have dust on your camera sensor. This is by all means a five star product.
Cletus Lee (verified owner) –
I’ve used this on both my D800 and D800E. However Now I have a D810. I can find no information on whether this works with the D810 which unlike the D800 and D800E does not use a OLPF. The D800E Has a OLPF and another element to reverse the effects of the OLPF. So there is still a piece of plastic sitting in front of the sensor. Is the gel stick safe to use on the D810?
dlmccolm –
I had/have high hopes for this product, especially since Nikon has closed down the service centre in Vancouver where I took my D3s for free cleaning. After watching your video, I used the gel stick to clean my D3s sensor. While the dust spots were mostly gone, I ended up getting many rectangular areas where I could see the outline of where the gel stick touched the sensor (simply by looking at the sensor with a flashlight). And when do the sensor check, I can see see these ‘lines’. Guess I have to learn how to do a wet clean now & hope it fixes these marks.
cgchang (verified owner) –
Had a spec of dust on my Pentax K-3’s sensor that a rocket blower couldn’t remove. There was talk about its sensor being a Sony sensor, so I wasn’t sure if the standard blue sensor stick would be ok. I tested on some filters and left no residue or marks. When I used it on my sensor I didn’t need to apply any pressure, just let the weight of the stick make contact. The gel was sticky enough to pick up the dust but didn’t feel like it could pull apart the IR filter or anything. Sensor is clean and good to go.
Peter (verified owner) –
I used the Gel Stick to clean my Nikon D7000 sensor and it did a decent job quickly and easily although I had to repeat the process 4 times before I was satisfied. My before and after pictures (white paper shot at f16 and enhanced in LR) showed a reduction of approximately 80% of the dust. Overall, I’m pleased with the product but I’ll probably have to wet clean to get rid of all the debris.
Andrew (verified owner) –
FINALLY, after purchasing the Gel Stick around a year ago or more, I used it on one of my cameras. Works amazing! I’ve used a couple of other systems, but this is the easiest, cleanest, and safest I’ve tried to date. It’s time to junk the other systems I have!
Leslie (verified owner) –
I live in Canada and I bought my sensor gel stick from Photographylife.com a short while back. I have used this product twice now on my Nikon APS-C sensor. It works great and leaves no residue at all. I have found that when I first used it that I did need to wet clean the sensor to remove stubborn bits on the sensor and then the gel stick to get any residue. Worked great and my sensor was cleaner than new. I use this product now before any specs weld to the sensor and a one pass seems to work. Much easier and quicker than wet cleaning which, for me, means I am more apt to keep my sensor cleaner. Good product even if it is a bit expensive with the present exchange rate to Canadian Dollars($88). Still worth it for the convenience it provides. Thanks for providing a product that does exactly as advertised.
Michael (verified owner) –
I’ve had my Canon 6D into the factory twice to have the sensor cleaned, after each “cleaning” there was still dust on the sensor, so much dust it was ridiculous. I purchased the sensor gel stick from Phtographylife.com las week, used it today, went out and did some test shots, not one spec of dust in any of the images. I was stunned. This product works!!!! and it’s simple to use!!!! and it’s reusable!!!! Don’t think you can’t do this, it’s simple and the results are stellar.
jackie.bugeja (verified owner) –
Just one word………PERFECT……….
Archie Lewis (verified owner) –
I have been wet cleaning my D100 and D200 for years with Pec Pads. Would have to do the cleaning more than once on occasion to get the that one or two stray bits that moved but did not stick to the pad. But the process was working. Then I bought my D810 and eventually it needed cleaning. No amount of wiping/cleaning would work. Tried six times and it would move the specs from one side to the other or leave streaks on the sensor. So I ordered the gel stick. It was pricey but cheaper than the alternative of sending the camera off to get cleaned. (With mixed results I am told) I did one pass of the sensor, using a dabbing motion, gently rocking after I touched to make sure I was making full contact with the gel stick. Overlapping the contact points as I moved across the sensor to make sure I did not miss any spots. The results were perfection. I could not find a spec of dust anywhere. Not sure why my usual methods did not work on the D810. No anti aliasing filter, sensor cleaning fluid getting old, planetary alignment? I just know it worked for me. Thanks Nasim, for making this kit available.
Archie Lewis
Larry (verified owner) –
I have been use the gel stick on a Nikon D610 for around 1 year now and it still works well. Prior to using the gel stick I had Nikon Services clean the sensor (offered a great while you wait service), this involved a round car trip of 3 hours plus the waiting time for cleaning, on a good day it would take around 4 hours to do this task.
With the gel stick I can clean the sensor anytime I need and it is done in minutes. This product over the year has saved me many hours editing “spots” on images plus lots of dollars not having to pay someone else to do the cleaning.
Thank you for offering a brilliant product, I will buy another when the time comes.
cheers
Larry.
Kevin Hatcher (verified owner) –
I have been using this product a lot recently in Iceland, because I change lenses and get dust on my sensor.
This product is amazing! Thanks for producing it!
Easy to use, with great results!