[Leica] Off & Tired Topic Warning: the Billingham Hadley Pro

[John McMaster]

I have used Billingham's for nearly 40 years ;-)  Still got an original 1 and 3, although neither gets much use these days as too large for M kit (use a Filson Magnum for the S kit).

john

-----Original Message-----
From: Ken Iisaka

I've been using Billingham bags for twenty years, starting with a 335, then Alice, and recently added a Hadley Pro. The Hadley is used as a way to carry the gear on flights to the destination. I pack an Alice or Hadley Pro in my suitcase for carrying the minimum for roaming around. I've packed a Nikonos underwater kit with a strobe and two lenses in the 335, but also have travelled light with just a body and a couple of lenses in Alice.

I can also pack a laptop computer (or two) in the 335 and Hadley Pro, so, they are sometimes the only camera bag I use on trips. Alice is still great for one body and up to three lenses, but not much more. It's a day bag.

In addition, I use my Hadley Pro as my commute bag to work, where I pack my laptop and usually not much else.

I just bought a Hadley Small for my son's girlfriend for a 10-day trip to Japan to carry her Olympus camera and stuff. It's her everyday bag now. We jokingly call it the Richard Hammond bag, because Richard Hammond of the Top Gear / Grand Tour fame has been seen with one on shows.


On 21 February 2018 at 04:21, John McMaster <john at mcmaster.co.uk> wrote:

> I like the A&A stuff for the M kit, bags are designed for that size 
> camera/lens rather than SLRs.  I have the ACAM 1000 which can hold two 
> bodies and up to six lenses....
>
> http://www.artisan-n-artist.com/product.php?nid=5
>
> john
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: LUG [mailto:lug-bounces+john=mcmaster.co.uk at leica-users.org] On 
> Behalf Of Frank Farmer
> Sent: 21 February 2018 04:12
> To: Leica Users Group
> Subject: [Leica] Off & Tired Topic Warning: the Billingham Hadley Pro
>
> Team,
>
> I’ve been a Domke user for about a billion years. So, there’s that. In 
> SLR land, I carried two F-2 bags: one for bodies and lenses, one for 
> lights and remotes. In Leica M land, I always carried, and still do, a 
> well-worn F-6 (the “little bit smaller bag”). The problem is just 
> that, though: it’s well-worn. While is has many more miles on it, for 
> sure, I’d like to have something not so worn for those times when such 
> isn’t exactly the best option.
>
> I’m enticed by the Billingham Hadley Pro. I’ve been flummoxed, though, 
> in my efforts to actually put my hands on one. New Orleans? No dice. DC? Same.
> Jackson? You’ve lost your mind.  I’m limited to my experience with 
> various photos from the likes of the Billingham website and B&H, etc.
>
> Here’s my query: Has anyone moved from a thicker bag like a Domke (the 
> four compartment insert is a thing of beauty because one can always 
> access each compartment) to a more slimline bag like the Billingham? 
> How did it change your shooting style? Your storage style? Access? It 
> appears that equipment will take more digging to access in the B’ham, 
> for example. Is the experience more vertical?
>
> For reference, my current usual M kit consists of an M10, 35, 50, 90, 
> flash w/ diffuser, and the normal accessories (extra battery, memory 
> cards, lens cloth, pen, flashlight, glucose monitor (ok, fine, that’s 
> not a normal piece of kit, and Leica doesn’t make one, but I have to carry one anyway).
> Sometimes, there is a super-wide with finder.
>
> Thoughts? Anyone made that exact swap?
>
> Here’s to my second totally subjective question in a week. Thanks for 
> sharing your experiences.
>
> Frank F. Farmer
> Jackson, Mississippi
>
>