Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/11/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]MArtin, what was wrong with the Packington? I've always fancied one of those... tim > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us > [mailto:owner-leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us]On Behalf Of Martin > Howard > Sent: Tuesday, November 19, 2002 8:26 PM > To: Leica Users Group LUG > Subject: [Leica] Billingham Hadley Pro + AVEA 5 quick review > > > > I just got my Billingham Hadley Pro in khaki/tan plus matching AVEA 5 > accessory pocket from Robert White delivered today. As always, their > service was superb! Shipping to the US took less than a week, I think. > Speedy as hell, in any case. Regular airmail. > > I've only played with it for ten minutes, but I thought I'd post some > remarks for those of you who might be considering bag purchases (who > isn't? ;) > > So, some impressions randomly presented: > > You can fit a Macintosh PowerBook G4 Titanium in the padded main > compartment. You need to adjust the straps (I set mine at the third > notch from the bottom) because it juts up a bit, but the lid closes and > you get full protection. Interestingly enough, the critical dimension > isn't the width (side to side) of the machine, but the depth (front to > back), which translates into height in the bag. > > I don't care what Rob Appelby says, I intend to use this as my daily G4 > bag! So there! ;) > > The AVEA 5 *does* fit the Hadley Pro. The Billingham catalogue seems > to suggest that only the AVEA 3 will fit, but the 5 fits the strap > holders just as well. True, it does look a bit like a cancerous growth > when you stick an AVEA 5 on a Hadley Pro, but it does fit. > > You can stick an M2 + RapidWinder + VC meter + 35mm f/2 pre-ASPH 'cron > + square shade in the AVEA 5 and still have room left over for about > three rolls of film. The whole thing fits inside the weather > protection barrier and the lid closes nicely ontop of this. That's > quite a lot of gear! > > The construction of both the Hadley bag itself and the AVEA extra > pocket appears to be bullet proof, just as it is for my older > Packington. These bags are not cheap (I ended up paying around $190 > for the two, an SP15 shoulder strap pad, plus shipping to the US) but > they look like they'll last forever. > > And while some may think that they look too classy, I can assure you > that after travelling through three continents, sitting on beaches, > being throw into the bag of cars, dragged along train floors, used as a > pillow in airports, and spending endless hours on aircraft sitting on > the floor under the passenger seat infront of me, my Packington does > not look much like a bag carrying expensive cameras any more! > > (Thanks to Roy Zartarian who let me play with his Hadley Pro in Boston, > when in reality he just wanted to go home and sleep at that point! ;) > > M. > > -- > Martin Howard > mvhoward@mac.com > > -- > To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html > - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html