ProMaster Gel Stick Sensor Cleaning Kit

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
So my local store, Mike's Camera, stocks items from a brand called ProMaster. I know other independent camera stores do, as well. Today I picked up a gel stick sensor cleaning kit for $35 that has a flat gel stick, and a sort of snub nosed one for getting corners and edges. I have never seen the Eyelead gel sticks in person, but I believe this is basically the same product.

Here's a quick cell pic:

IMG_0452.jpg

I used it today on my D7100 and D7200, and it did a good job. I had one or two stubborn specs that I didn't get, but before there were literally 40-50 dust specs on both sensors.

Anyway. I certainly don't make any guarantees or anything, but it seems like this is a pretty good deal for around $20 less than the Eyelead from Amazon.
 

Ironwood

Senior Member
That looks the same as the kit I have, my local camera store stocks this one only. Had it for about a year and a half, no complaints, though I do worry a bit if it sticks onto the sensor tightly, it can be difficult to get it to move without pulling on it too hard.
I read somewhere that someone bought a cheap chinese copy and pulled the sensor right out of the camera with it. Not sure if it’s a true story or someone just scaremongering, but it’s always in the back of my mind when I use it.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
I have a D600. Its basic problem was oil spots. Nikon cleaned the sensor once on a recall. Gel Sticks won't clean oil spots or do a wet cleaning.

Swabs and Eclipse cleaning fluid works great...
 

nikonpup

Senior Member
I got a sensor gel stick from Photography Life. I did my cameras, some sensors still needed wet cleaning. It may be just me cleaning the first time with the gel stick.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
A Gel Stick is great for grabbing dust particles. But it won't clean a sensor that needs wet cleaning. There's a lot of foreign stuff floating around and little droplets of moisture that can land on a sensor. I always figured that Karma is only going to let me screw around with the sensor just so many times. I figure if I'm going in, I'm going wet and gettin' everything in one swoop... :)
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
I have a D600. Its basic problem was oil spots. Nikon cleaned the sensor once on a recall. Gel Sticks won't clean oil spots or do a wet cleaning.

Swabs and Eclipse cleaning fluid works great...

Yeah, it's a different tool. I also don't use a wrench to tighten a screw. I don't really understand the point of your post.

I have yet to have an oil spot on any of my sensors. That was a pain in the butt issue with the D600, so I can well imagine wet cleanings would be the norm for that camera.
 

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
Yeah, it's a different tool. I also don't use a wrench to tighten a screw. I don't really understand the point of your post.

I have yet to have an oil spot on any of my sensors. That was a pain in the butt issue with the D600, so I can well imagine wet cleanings would be the norm for that camera.

I had something sticky on one or two sensors although it wasn't the oil I experienced on my D600. The D600 spots were a royal pain! First image taken after being repaired by Nikon, and BOOM! Spots all over. :hurt: Then when I sent it in a second time because of it, they had the audacity to include a note that I should do a wet sensor cleaning myself. Really? For loads of small stuff after the first shutter actuation? One thing Nikon did well was to adjust the AF on my D600. It was FANTASTIC! Much better than my D610.

i need to do a sensor clean, too damn lazy.:shame:

Me too. Since I'm shooting a lot stopped down on my D750, I'm finding all kinds of spots! But it's no where near as bad as my D600 was. ;)

Good luck with your sensor cleaning thing, Woody. Let us know how it works.
 

Fred Kingston

Senior Member
That was my experience with Nikon. I sent my camera in, and the work ticket said the only thing they did was clean the sensor. It was still terrible. I wasn't going to waste time to send it back a second time. So I bought all the wet cleaning stuff and did it myself. That seems to have been the only problem because that camera didn't need it again after about 2 years of hard use. Now I don't even hesitate to wet clean it when I see one or two spots...
 

Woodyg3

Senior Member
Contributor
That was my experience with Nikon. I sent my camera in, and the work ticket said the only thing they did was clean the sensor. It was still terrible. I wasn't going to waste time to send it back a second time. So I bought all the wet cleaning stuff and did it myself. That seems to have been the only problem because that camera didn't need it again after about 2 years of hard use. Now I don't even hesitate to wet clean it when I see one or two spots...

Man, Nikon just does NOT work very hard at customer service. That had to be really frustrating.
 
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