Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/10/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]I did not know Billingham had started using polyester for their bags. I checked their web site - wow, what a lot of bags! When I got mine it was cotton canvas. It looks like a trout fishermans bag with padded dividers, since that is in fact the origin, presumably that is why they started off only making tan. Mine must be over 30 years old. I had a Billingham trout bag (still using that too) so when they made a camera bag I got one. Photographers must be much richer than fishermen, since they only seem to make camera bags nowadays. Billingham bags do not have this rich guy image here in the UK where they are made, as far as I know. Fogg bags started off in the UK, bee is English and Nigel South African, they moved to France for cost and quality of life reasons many years ago IIRC, though the last email I had from bee she was keen to move back home, finding France difficult nowadays. Anyway the Fogg bags are the very best I have seen. Not only that they are a real artisan hand-made creation and the friendliest "manufacturer" I have ever dealt with. Billingham are equal second best (though I am unfamiliar with recent ones) equal with Domke, which are very expensive here in the UK, for what they are, but I like them. cheers, FD On 21 Oct, 2010, at 09:14, Mark Rabiner wrote: > Billingham bags look great but feel terrible it ruins it for me, Frank! > They feel like polyester only because they ARE polyester. a cotton > polyester > blend The emphasis being on the polyester. I really think its 80% poly 20% > cotton. My fingertips have preppy sensors. To me that's just plan odd and a > truly misplaced choice on their part sure it makes the bag lighter and not > fade and do better in the wash but if you put a short stack of filters in > there it gets rid of any difference in the weight department and there is > nothing more annoying than a bag which always looks new. Never fades or > ages. To me that's not a bag that's formaldehyde with straps and a handle. > > Fogg bags are all cotton. Feel great. Fade and shrink wonderfully. > Just like Domke bags are. cotton canvas. Thick. The semi stiffness acts in > a > way like padding even though its not. > > Billingham bags are ubiquitous with rich guy types they can be acquired at > the usual suspect outlets. > Fogg bags are centered in the UK and require some doing to figure out how > to > grab onto over here in the US. They also cost twice as much. > And are also it looks to me designed twice better. And have better names. > > I'm hard on Billingham bags. But this hardness comes from my reaction to > people who think they are the be all and end all in a luxury camera bag. > They've just NOT done their homework. And people should always do their > homework. THEN go out and play. > > But I have a Billingham 300 bag I got used for 99 bucks used and as it was > in Oregon no tax or license. Its comparable to the 555 they sell now which > goes for 555 bucks give or take. > I can pack lunch for a week in it and have room left over for all kinds of > cameras plus a spare pair of socks and long sleeve shirt. > Who needs a car and an apartment when you've got this camera bag? > Its not a life style its a life. > With a savings of 444 bucks I can deal with the polyester. Just don't tell > Caroline Kennedy. > And this size a bag if it was heavy cotton canvas like a Domke that would > add a few real pounds to it. So maybe I got off easy. But wish it was black > not rich guy tan. > > Gear is like clothing it all starts with the fabric. If the cut is good > than > that's nice too. > > > -------------------- > Mark William Rabiner Photography > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/ > Cars: http://tinyurl.com/2f7ptxb > mark at rabinergroup.com > > > >> From: Frank Dernie <Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com> >> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:37:39 +0100 >> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Your photos would be better if you had this $850 >> Belstaff >> Leica M8/M9 camera bag >> >> I own 2 Fogg bags, a B-Laika and a backpack. They are the best quality >> bags I >> own, with a beautiful finish and effective padding which is not bulky, >> unlike >> many maker's. >> The B-Laika is old now and battered but holds up well. The backpack is >> newer >> and made for me by be and Nigel whilst there was no UK distibutor, a >> level of >> personal service which is IME un-paralleled. >> OTOH you are a bit harsh on Billingham ;-) >> I have one of the original Billinghams, un-named since they only made one >> photo bag then. It also is battered, has stood up well and has non-bulky >> padding. >> The most disappointing bags for me have been Crumpler. I love their web >> site >> and the multiple choices of size and colour, but the stiff straps, >> excessive >> velcro and thick padding make them too inconvenient to use for me. >> FD >> >> On 21 Oct, 2010, at 00:21, Mark Rabiner wrote: >> >>> Fogg bags make Billingham bags look like Kmart specials. >>> >>> http://www.foggspecialistbags.com/range.htm >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information