Billingham Hadley Pro Shoulder Bag (Black with Tan Leather Trim) Reviews

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I'm a long-time user of Billingham Hadley bags, finding them to be excellent protection for my rangefinder cameras and lenses. Why? There's superb canvas and fabric construction that provides exemplary insulation from unexpected shocks, such as bumping into objects and people. Moroever, the construction is so solid, that the bag wears nicely with age (I'd rather have my bag suffer abuse from long-time usage than my camera equipment. The black and tan version of this small Hadley is also quite beautiful, and doesn't attract too much attention from potential thieves. Purchasing a Billingham Hadley bag might seem like an expensive indulgence, but it is one that's well worth it given the bag's excellent construction, long-time durability, and, most importantly, excellent protection of camera equipment. Users of digital SLR equipment may find this bag quite suitable too for a small digital SLR and a lens or two. But I think this bag will be primarily of interest of owners of Leica, Voigtlander and Zeiss Ikon rangefinder cameras who are interested in travelling light with a camera body and a few lenses (The bag is spacious enough to accomodate two Leica M rangefinder cameras attached with wide angle or normal lenses, plus additional room for another wide angle lens or a compact telephoto lens too.).

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I prefer using slim messenger style bags for my gear so I figured the Hadley Pro was right up my alley. Indeed, most of the raves from fellow reviewers are not mere fanboy banter: this bag actually is attractive, extremely well constructed and durable. In terms of appearance, it looks like a cross between a vintage school book bag (circa 1940) and an Old World gentleman's fishing bag. It's a classic yet unassuming look. The black canvas and tan leather trim is very stylish but perhaps a little over the top for some venues.

This is not a bag for a gear hound. Instead, it is ideal for a small kit for street wandering. It is relatively light and its slim profile makes it easy to cut through crowds. It ships with a well padded insert configured with two tall dividers. The cloth is very soft and will not "sand" your gear. The two large dividers create three compartments and have room for a small to medium DSLR and a couple lenses and/or flash. Two smaller divider are included to subdivide a compartment or use as padding between stacked lenses. My EOS 5D MK II with EF 24-105 4L IS USM attached fits perfectly in the center with lens pointing down, albeit with a bit of a "baby bulge." A gripped or pro DSLR will not fit. There's room in the side compartments for my 70-200 4L IS USM (no tripod ring or hood) and a couple small primes or flash. Most of the time I only carry the 5D2 and 24-105 and flash, leaving a compartment to stuff with windbreaker, flask 'o Jack Daniels or whatever. Although there isn't an official slot for a MacBook Air or iPad, my iPad 2 fits perfectly between the insert and bag wall.

The strap is sewn directly to the bag, so you can't easily replace or upgrade to a wider strap. The strap is narrow--1.5 inches--so a loaded bag cuts your shoulder like a knife, not to mention being a bit slippery. The one glaring omission is the lack of a shoulder pad. For $260 Billingham should toss one in. So I had to spend another $35 for the SP15 shoulder pad. It's grippy, reasonably padded and the increased width distributes the load across the shoulder better.

All in all this is an excellent bag for a small DSLR kit or Micro 4/3 system. Its understated style looks great with just about anything but doesn't really catch the eye unless you look closely. My brightly colored Timbuk2 messenger gets way more remarks than the Hadley. The thin strap makes the Hadley less than desireable for heavy loads. Be sure to budget another $35 for the Billingham SP15 Leather Shoulder Pad 1.5" Wide, Black.

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After considerable internet research and You Tube video watching, I decided on the Hadley Pro for travel and street shooting. Its three padded compartments, with extra padded stacking dividers, were perfect for an M9, a couple of extra lenses, a few filters, cards, etc. That takes up two compartments, so the third is available for my back-up LX-5 or a water bottle. The unpadded front pockets hold a great deal as well. They accommodate CD/DVDs in cases, chargers, even small paperbacks.

Inside the bag, but behind the padded insert there is just enough room for my 13" MacBook Pro, although that will make the back of the bag, up against the body, have a harder feel. The laptop sits up a bit above the padded dividers, but the top still closes over it if the straps are loosened a bit. Outside in back is a zippered pocket that holds letter-sized papers and pamphlets but not a letter-sized legal pad. It would also be fine for an iPad.

I now use the Pro for my briefcase on most days, and that allows me to keep my camera with me through the day. The bag is so nicely made and easy to use that I am considering getting its bigger brother for longer trips as a carry-on.

The strap is easy to adjust and comfortable, but without a spearate pad, it might be uncomfortable to load the Pro up with a laptop, cameras, lenses, water and other heavy items for a long carry. But my usual load is probably under 5 pounds (no laptop usually). The grab handle on the top of the bag is also a nice feature -I don't have to hunt for the strap to pick the bag up.

Billingham bags are expensive, but it is easy to see that they are superior products in design and manufacture. The price I got through Amazon saved me quite a bit, though, so I was happy for that.

Anyone considering this bag, or any other for that matter, should take the time to decide just how it will be used. If possible, try the bag out in person with your gear to avoid guessing. But I didn't have that luxury, so I had to measure and guess a bit. The videos on You Tube helped a great deal, and it worked out fine.

Honest reviews on Billingham Hadley Pro Shoulder Bag (Black with Tan Leather Trim)

Yes, its expensive. But that is the only thing that should be holding you back.

Its a Billingham. You know you want it. Just fork over the cash and make the investment. It will last you decades and become heirloom quality.

I bought this bag because I wanted a small-ish everyday satchel that I can use to always have my 5D with me. This works perfectly in this regard as A4 size papers fit inside. My 15" laptop does fit but I have to take the photo insert out. If you want to carry a netbook AND a pro body you might have to look somewhere else. The Hadley Pro is thin and is supposed to be close to your body. I would get the Hadley Large but it does not have the handle. Trust me, you need that handle.

I highly recommend getting the shoulder pad (Billingham SP40). I have a Domke shoulder pad but the SP40 is smaller and more comfortable. Plus its real leather. The Domke gets worn very, very quickly.

Its the perfect everyday bag. It might be the perfect gig bag too with the addition of twin Avea 5 pouches.

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I recently switched from a bulky SLR system to a much smaller, lighter NEX. All of my bags were too large for my NEX kit and therefore not desirable after all, a primary reason for my switch was going small and light. After lots of looking around, the Hadley Pro turned out to be perfect. Like other reviewers report, it's beautifully made, water proof, and looks like a brief case, not a camera bag. It's soft and conforms comfortably to your hip if it's not stuffed. If it wears like the long-time purchasers of Billingham bags say, the price will be reasonable.

The bags best feature is that relative to my downsized camera kit, it's cavernous! Right now it's loaded with my NEX-6 with an attached lens, three more lenses including a 55-210 zoom, a full sized flash with a diffuser mounted, extra camera battery and charger, extra batteries for the flash, and two cables for off-camera flash use. All that is in the main compartment, and there's still room to add my iPad behind the photo insert if I don't want to put it in the rear pocket. The front pockets are empty at this point and available hauling more stuff on trips. Yet the whole package is small and manageable!

A great bag for EVIL camera systems!