I have just returned from Madrid. That’s in Spain, for those who do not know where it is. I was very impressed by this city. Nice, clean, not too big, not too many people, wide avenues, lots of greenery, lots of history, friendly people, good food, and open until 2 am most days. And of course, Madrid has the Museo del Aire at Cuatro Vientos, which was what I was going for.

Photographically, I brought my 24-105mm f/4 IS USM, my EOS 1D Mark IV and my brand new Q-strap/Quickstrap.This was the first time I used the EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM lens on a shoot, and it worked flawlessly. This is quickly becoming my favourite lens by far. It is extremely sharp, easy to use, focuses quickly, and I just love it.

The other new piece of equipment I brought, was the Q-Strap/Quickstrap. This strap is a China clone of a Sun Sniper/Blackrapid, and as almost everything China made, they get it 90% right, and then loose it on the last 10%. It’s like the got lazy and made a quick fix, just to get the job completed. For the Quickstrap, the downfall is the L-plate fastener that comes with the strap. It is hard to mount, the rubber mat is glued on with double-sided scotch tape and the whole thing is powder coated. While I was really impressed with the strap, the balance, the reduced strain on the body, and the fact that I can get my hands in both the front and back pockets without any problems, are all major pluses. However, to get a usable product, the L-plate must, in my opinion, be changed. I will probably buy a couple of D-fasteners to get the strap up to my standards. Another little gripe I have, is that compact flash cards do NOT fit in the strap pocket. Otherwise a good product.

UPDATE:

I have now been able to use the Q-Strap/Quickstrap a bit more, and I am sorry to say that it gets worse, the longer I use it. Not only is the rubber on the L-plate fasterner coming off, but the strap itself is not able to hold the weight of the camera. After adjusting the strap to my size and liking, it starts to slowly slide, until the camera is hanging all the way down. I will invest in a Blackrapid.