Sensor Gel Stick for Sony Cameras WARNING

[atxhiker]

I created an account to warn everyone who will listen. The last few months have been a nightmare come true.

 

To give you some background, I am a semi-professional landscape photographer who has been shooting for about five years. I purchased a Sony a7s in late 2015 and shot for roughly a year and a half before my camera needed a wet cleaning. I had a few welded dust specs that dry methods could not remove. I, like many others, feared giving my sensor a wet cleaning, so I looked into other options. I came across the sensor gel stick for Sony cameras and saw that it had a few good reviews and was being sold by one of the popular photography educators (a simple google search for Sony sensor gel sticks will lead you to his site). I decided to give it a try. I ordered direct from his site.

 

From watching videos, it seemed like a foolproof method. I placed the gel stick on the first dust spec, expecting it to be removed without issue. To my shock, the gel stick stuck to the sensor. I immediately panicked and pulled the gel stick off with a fair amount of force and to my horror, it left a large smear of residue. At this point, I stopped thinking clearly and placed the gel stick on one of the sticky pads, thinking that it would make the gel stick usable. I proceeded to place the gel stick on the sensor once again, and to my dismay, it stuck to the sensor once again. I don't think I've been so angry and shocked in my life. I waited until morning to cool down before I shot an email to the photographer. He proceeded to refund my account and told me a simple wet cleaning would fix the problem. He said that the problem was that my sensor had never been wet cleaned, so the gel stick would stick to it. Not wanting to take any chances, I sent my camera into Sony's repair service provider. I received my camera back after a few weeks. To my dismay, the sensor was clean but it had a few new dust specs, plus there was a very faint mark at the bottom of the sensor. I thought maybe they didn't get all of the residue. I sent it back in, but received it in roughly the same condition.

 

I concluded that the only way forward was for me to remove the specs and mark myself. I decided that since I would be doing the wet cleaning, I might as well give the gel stick another try on the dust specs since the sensor now had two wet cleanings performed on it. To add insult to injury, the gel stick left more marks, though not as bad as the first time. That was the last try for the gel stick. I went ahead with a wet cleaning. I used a few different products to remove the residue and dust. The mark was unable to be removed. At that time, I realized the mark was not residue but rather a scratch. The scratch is located exactly where I first placed the gel stick. I sent the photographer an email about this and received no response back. The product is still being sold on his website with the same disclaimer that he is not responsible for any damage from use of the product.

 

[adwb]

While I appreciate the warning, it would be of far more use if you named the product that gave you problems. It matters not who sells it, but if a product is not fit for purpose, or is misleading in any way, in its claims of efficacy or if its instructions or warnings are inaccurate or misleading then that product should be withdrawn.

 

Potential users have the right to read reviews and make their own decisions as to purchase and use of products, and a fair accurate review of products should never shy away from naming the product under review

[VTC]

My understanding is there are different configurations for different sensors. One red. One blue. I also read that there are companies duplicating / mimicking (bootlegging, if you will) the product. As the post above suggests, NAME names and product info. Without such we have no idea if you bought legitimate product for correct (red vs. blue) application.

 

I've wet cleaned my sensor when it was needed and haven't destroyed things. Be certain to do the in camera cleaning routine first but DO NOT POWER OFF CAMERA as instructed before cleaning. Sensor is locked rigid and won't get stressed when wet cleaned. Powering off restores sensor to free wiggle state which is not what you want when wet swabbing across the face.

[Colorado]

I have cleaned many sensors with a "gel stick" type cleaner and I cant see one causing a scratch. You don't and for

a intents and purposes can't drag the tacky surface of a "gel stick across the surface of the sensor. I would look

else where for the source of the scratch. Now I know there are some knock off products that may be too tacky to

safely clean a sensor so buyer be ware. I parrot both adwb & VTC with a request for more information on the product in

question.

[UglyBob]

I've read that this stick is one of the few serious ones and that you should be really careful with using other cheap ones from Ebay/Amazon:

 

https://photographylife.com/product/sensor-gel-stick-for-sony/

[Andrzej Tokarski]

The sensor dust is really a downside of mirroless cameras... Have to clean my Sony A7 at least onces a week and often times still have to remove dust in Photoshop. Only used dry cleaning methods for now... Does anybody have a recommendation what works the best?

 

This gel stick seems to be the one Philip Bloom has used in one of his videos. Any other recommendations?

 

[molan]

Yes, I have Cleaned sensors for about a 10 years by now. The best product I have ever had is the Artic Butterfly.

 

It's easy, it's fast and it's safe. The only downside is it's not wet cleaning, so any water droops of moist residue need a wet cleaning, but for anything else Artic Butterfly is simply the best I have ever used.

[Viramati]

I've read that this stick is one of the few serious ones and that you should be really careful with using other cheap ones from Ebay/Amazon:

 

https://photographylife.com/product/sensor-gel-stick-for-sony/

 

I have used this one with no problems and also have the blue one which I used for years on my Leica's. The Orange one is specifically made for the Sony sensors and has a lot less 'stick' to it. I certainly wouldn't trust any cheap ebay/amazon versions

[Viramati]

The sensor dust is really a downside of mirroless cameras... Have to clean my Sony A7 at least onces a week and often times still have to remove dust in Photoshop. Only used dry cleaning methods for now... Does anybody have a recommendation what works the best?

 

This gel stick seems to be the one Philip Bloom has used in one of his videos. Any other recommendations?

 

My god his whole cleaning method was probably getting more dust on the camera than taking it off, waving it around just leaving it open with the sensor area facing upwards and breathing all over the opening. Honestly I have had to use my gel stick twice in the last year and half and my cameras get used nearly every day. Half the secret is keeping the lens caps and back of the lens clean and usually a good puff with a filtered blower will get most stuff off. Always keep the camera opening facing down unless sensor cleaning

[VTC]

All that plus he's cleaning it OUTDOORS! Is that a roadway or a beach in the background? Audio pattern across the mic tells of wind blowing like mad and everything carried by wind is bound to wind up in the camera. Not to mention sweating like a pig into it being 29/85º in shade while he's under direct sun. The rattling of the sensor as he shakes it around makes me cringe. This guy's a CLOWN if not a certified MORON.

[atxhiker]

I used the Photography Life sensor gel stick.  A lot of people seem to have used it with no complaints, but unfortunately, I wasn't one of them.  Please see the attached photo.  

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

[slackercruster]

Don't get it? I have had many many digital cams. Never had to clean the sensor, only blow off. 

[slackercruster]

18 hours ago, atxhiker said:

I used the Photography Life sensor gel stick.  A lot of people seem to have used it with no complaints, but unfortunately, I wasn't one of them.  Please see the attached photo.  

Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here…

Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members!

 

Very sad. 

[adwb]

I fail to understand why ,when this post was started at in April 2017, only now the brand gets named ?

 

[atxhiker]

57 minutes ago, adwb said:

I fail to understand why ,when this post was started at in April 2017, only now the brand gets named ?

 

Your comment shows exactly why it took two years.  I never go on forums because of the criticism people receive for just trying to help out.  I didn’t see any of the replies until yesterday.  Why don’t you try a constructive response now that is actually on topic?

[adwb]

If you care to read the replies you got in response to your post you will see that  I replied on the 17th of April 2017.

If you do not give us the information with which we can attempt to help , or as in your case where you appeared to be wanting to warn other users about a product while withholding the brand name makes your post effectively useless or the purpose you intended.

Do not bother to reply to me as I have unsubscribed from this thread 

[chardinej]

I have to say, I would never in a million years use a gel stick on any camera sensor. This graduated approach has worked for me over the last 15 years. 1. Use the sensor clean routine in camera, check if worked. 2. If no use a hand blower bulb, check if worked. 3. If no use Visible Dust sensor brush (either Arctic Butterfly or another of their brushes, check if worked. 4. If no, wet clean following instructions to the letter and using Visible Dust swabs and their cleaning fluid. This is not rocket science.

If you think about it, a gel stick is not going to remove a spot welded to the sensor.

[atxhiker]

On 2/13/2019 at 11:28 PM, adwb said:

If you care to read the replies you got in response to your post you will see that  I replied on the 17th of April 2017.

If you do not give us the information with which we can attempt to help , or as in your case where you appeared to be wanting to warn other users about a product while withholding the brand name makes your post effectively useless or the purpose you intended.

Do not bother to reply to me as I have unsubscribed from this thread 

I was afraid my original post would be removed by a mod if I included the brand name.  People probably would have questioned my credibility if I attacked a brand and was a new forum member.  I responded with the brand name within a couple of days on other forums like dp review.  This forum slipped by me.  Like I said, I don't get on these forums much.  I still believe that it's better to respond late than never. 

I strongly disagree my post was effectively useless.  I provided enough hints as to who the seller was.  You could only buy gel sticks from a couple of sources, and Nasim Mansurov was the only photographer selling them.  A potential buyer would have been able to figure that out.  Anymore criticism?

[atxhiker]

10 hours ago, chardinej said:

I have to say, I would never in a million years use a gel stick on any camera sensor. This graduated approach has worked for me over the last 15 years. 1. Use the sensor clean routine in camera, check if worked. 2. If no use a hand blower bulb, check if worked. 3. If no use Visible Dust sensor brush (either Arctic Butterfly or another of their brushes, check if worked. 4. If no, wet clean following instructions to the letter and using Visible Dust swabs and their cleaning fluid. This is not rocket science.

If you think about it, a gel stick is not going to remove a spot welded to the sensor.

I use the same approach now.  If you reread my original post, the intention of the gel stick was to remove welded dust specs, not spots.