I finally got a Russian Industar 61 50mm 2.8 long focus lens. They don't come right out and call it a macro lens, and by modern standards it surely
isn't one, but it is considerably closer focusing than their standard 50mm lens the Industar 50. I think it will focus down to about a foot, which is as
close as I need for rod pictures. This one is a nice sharp one too. Here are some examples:
A typical close shot of the grip, winding check, hook keeper and wraps on an 8' six piece rod.
This one is of a switch rod I'm doing:
The reel seat is one of Joel Lemke's full metal seats for saltwater and large rods. It is nickel plated aluminum like the ones I've showed you before. Very nice clean metal work, really nothing else like it in the industry. He is working on black nickel plate for this kind of seat too. But it will be sort of a dark gun metal gray and a bit of a matte finish, from what he told me. This rod is a light switch rod in a 10' for a 5+ line. It is a moderate action with a fast tip rod.
The grip is 18 corks so about five longer than a standard one. I think the knob on the front of this one will be useful as a stop for your thumb on two handed rolls and spey casts.
On the glass 8' rod, I'm just doing a touch up coat on the one ferrule wrap. I had a fuzzy in it. I tried the Sally's Gleamer on it. The buff side smooths it out just fine and the white side gives it a good gloss, but it isn't the same. You have no problem seeing the area you worked the Gleamer on. It is quite noticeable, so it is back to sanding and recoating. Maybe I'm too picky, but honestly I don't obsess over those kinds of things. You can nit pick my rods just like anything else. There are always little places I'm not totally satisfied with. I guess we are our own worst critics. That is the way it should be. But we have to let the rod go some time. We could be correcting the last microscopic blem till we are working a shovel in our own grave.
The lens is another nice sharp one, though doesn't have the knock you down quality the Jupiter 9 has. Nice, though.
A typical close shot of the grip, winding check, hook keeper and wraps on an 8' six piece rod.
This one is of a switch rod I'm doing:
The reel seat is one of Joel Lemke's full metal seats for saltwater and large rods. It is nickel plated aluminum like the ones I've showed you before. Very nice clean metal work, really nothing else like it in the industry. He is working on black nickel plate for this kind of seat too. But it will be sort of a dark gun metal gray and a bit of a matte finish, from what he told me. This rod is a light switch rod in a 10' for a 5+ line. It is a moderate action with a fast tip rod.
The grip is 18 corks so about five longer than a standard one. I think the knob on the front of this one will be useful as a stop for your thumb on two handed rolls and spey casts.
On the glass 8' rod, I'm just doing a touch up coat on the one ferrule wrap. I had a fuzzy in it. I tried the Sally's Gleamer on it. The buff side smooths it out just fine and the white side gives it a good gloss, but it isn't the same. You have no problem seeing the area you worked the Gleamer on. It is quite noticeable, so it is back to sanding and recoating. Maybe I'm too picky, but honestly I don't obsess over those kinds of things. You can nit pick my rods just like anything else. There are always little places I'm not totally satisfied with. I guess we are our own worst critics. That is the way it should be. But we have to let the rod go some time. We could be correcting the last microscopic blem till we are working a shovel in our own grave.
The lens is another nice sharp one, though doesn't have the knock you down quality the Jupiter 9 has. Nice, though.
