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List Price: $285.00
Sale Price: $259.00
Today's Bonus: 9% Off
I love the Billingham Hadley Pro bag so much, that I recently bought a second one from Martin Billingham's youngest son during the recent Photo Plus East show here in New York City (I might add that Mr. Billingham is a fine marketing representative for his father and firm and hope to see him again at a future Photo Plus East show.). This particular version of the venerable Billingham Hadley has ample room to hold two rangefinder cameras with lenses attached, plus anywhere from two to four other lenses separately, depending on their overall sizes. There's also several large side pockets for important accessories like a small hand-held light meter, filters and film. I also like alot the handle at the top of this bag, which makes me feel like I'm carrying a valise, rather than a camera bag stuffed with delicate optical jewels like my Leica M rangefinder cameras and lenses. Users of digital SLR equipment may find this bag suitable for a camera and one or two small lenses (wide angle to short telephoto zoom lens or a couple of wide angle and normal prime lenses). Billingham bags are extremely well made and are designed to take a lot of physical abuse. They may be expensive, but they will protect well your photo equipment for years to come.
(EDITORIAL NOTE 12/3/12: I love this bag so much, that I own several now. It's constructed out of fibrenyte in its sage with tan leather trim version; otherwise, it is canvas.)
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I ordered the Billingham Hadley Pro camera bag as I felt the small Hadley might be slightly too small for what I wanted to carry. I guess I was right as the Pro has worked out just right and was able to carry just what I wanted it to. I have arranged it so I carry a Pentax K7 with 35mm limited in the center area with the 77mm limited and 43mm limited on one side vertical compartment separated by a padded flap door. On the other side I have the 15 mm limited and the 55 to 300mm zoom in another vertical compartment also separated by a padded flap door. The carrying handle is a great feature as I seldom use the shoulder strap and keep it tucked inside. If I could make one improvement I'd make the shoulder strap detachable. This is the nicest camera bag I've ever had and I've had many--construction, materials and workmanship are superb.
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This is great it is just big enough to accommodate my gear. This bag is truly elegant and the quality is superb. My prior bag was Crumpler 7 Millon Dollar bag which has a lot of room but was just too sloppy.
Honest reviews on Billingham Hadley Pro, Small SLR Camera System Shoulder Bag, Sage
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.
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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Wonderful bag. Impeccable workmanship & design. This bag can be many things; full-on camera bag, mixed contents travel bag, or business brief case (big iPad fits perfectly, as would a small laptop). Delightfully as a camera bag, it does not scream "camera bag" ; a low-key way to carry your gear. I'm using mine with my Lumix 4/3 system(GH3, GX1 & 4 lenses) with room for one more lens. Expensive, but undoubtedly will last forever and get better with age. Shoulder pad nice addition.
