Billingham Hadley - How Big To Go

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NathanJD

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I'm thinking of getting a Billingham Hadley bag for my new Leica M2, I'm likely to want to carry my camera with lens attached, a second lens, light meter, a few rolls of film and also to have space for a book/magazine or the like.

does anyone have experience of these bags in small and original size? is the small size adequate or would you say that it's worth going that extra mile and get a larger bag?

Or can anyone suggest a good messenger bag/shoulder bag type alternative?
 
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NathanJD said:
I'm thinking of getting a Billingham Hadley bag for my new Leica M2, I'm likely to want to carry my camera with lens attached, a second lens, light meter, a few rolls of film and also to have space for a book/magazine or the like.

does anyone have experience of these bags in small and original size? is the small size adequate or would you say that it's worth going that extra mile and get a larger bag?
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Nathan, I have just been given the small Hadley - as a present, by my wife. With carefull use of the dividers, I find it quite adequate for my M2, a couple of lenses, spot meter, and even my Konica FT1 evil SLR with a pancake lens on!, film goes in the front pockets. A book or mag. might pose a problem though, but it is a saving on the price and bulk of the larger bags, they are not cheap, but built for a lifetime's use! - super bag!.
Cheers, Dave.
 
Ever since it slipped off my shoulder while I was getting into my car, I retired my Hadley.

The Nikon was in it with the lens pointing out. It happened so fast I really do not know exactly what happend. It landed on the lens shade, bent the filter rim 45 degrees, broke the filter glass, and the serious part is the front helical was damaged. This is a whole lot of damage from a sort of controlled fall from 3 feet.

The lens was able to be repaired about 98% for $150. There is still some focus tightness at 3 feet, but I don`t use a 28 at 3 feet.

It is a wonderfull looking and well made bag, just that the protection is minimal. I have fallen down slippery hills and tripped over exposed tree roots covered with leaves and have never damaged anything in a proper bag. I replaced it with a Lowe-Pro compact AW. It`s bigger, bulkier,but I could throw it down a hill and not damage anything. The bottom is well padded and outside pockets offer even further protection on three sides
and the AW cover offers some on the inside, all in addition to the normal padded sides.

Any messenger style I would buy must have a waist strap in addition to the shoulder strap and I would be heart broken if my Leicas were damaged while inside a bag. Yes the Lowe-Pro is big, but it offers profesional protection to the equipment.

$50 + postage and it is yours. It is an original Hadley with removeable inside but does not have moveable dividers. The good part is the material is very soft and will not wear your cameras
 
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NathanJD said:
Hmm... i think i'll give the hadley a miss after that 😱 i think instead i'm going to build my own outfit with a normal messenger bag plus inserts. thanks for the tips everyone!!
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Some people are far more accident prone than others!, most bags will slip off the shoulder, if your head is not through the strap!, and I certainly never try getting in the car with a bag still around my neck! - especially if I'm driving! 🙄
Dave.
 
I may want it

I may want it

Ronald M said:
Ever since it slipped off my shoulder while I was getting into my car, I retired my Hadley.

The Nikon was in it with the lens pointing out. It happened so fast I really do not know exactly what happend. It landed on the lens shade, bent the filter rim 45 degrees, broke the filter glass, and the serious part is the front helical was damaged. This is a whole lot of damage from a sort of controlled fall from 3 feet.

The lens was able to be repaired about 98% for $150. There is still some focus tightness at 3 feet, but I don`t use a 28 at 3 feet.

It is a wonderfull looking and well made bag, just that the protection is minimal. I have fallen down slippery hills and tripped over exposed tree roots covered with leaves and have never damaged anything in a proper bag. I replaced it with a Lowe-Pro compact AW. It`s bigger, bulkier,but I could throw it down a hill and not damage anything. The bottom is well padded and outside pockets offer even further protection on three sides
and the AW cover offers some on the inside, all in addition to the normal padded sides.

Any messenger style I would buy must have a waist strap in addition to the shoulder strap and I would be heart broken if my Leicas were damaged while inside a bag. Yes the Lowe-Pro is big, but it offers profesional protection to the equipment.

$50 + postage and it is yours. It is an original Hadley with removeable inside but does not have moveable dividers. The good part is the material is very soft and will not wear your cameras
Click to expand...

Which model is it? Big enough for a Leica body? 2 bodies? How many lenses? Postage to USA, zip 77041. I pay with personal checks. I have bought often here.
 
NathanJD, another option may be the Domke 803 clone, from Safrotto. Mine is bblack canvas and it's similar in size to a Hadley with extra zipped pockets to the flap and a full length pocket along the back. I used to use mine without the insert and my camera and lenses wrapped. It is as nice as the day I got it but would be willing to part with it, purely coz I have too many. PM me if you're interested. Search the forum for plenty of info.
 
I have a Hadley original and it's great. I'd get the bigger one just so you can use it as a stachel for books, laptop etc. as well, unless you are dead certain that you will use it only for cameras.
 
I have a Hadley original and it is by far the best bag I have ever had and/or used. Get the shoulder pad with it, that makes it harder to slip from your shoulder but then again, I usually cross the shoulderstrap across my chest with the bag at my left hip and the strap across my right shoulder.

The bag looks very compact but it has a lot of space inside. I carried, with ease, a Hasselblad 500 series camera with attached back and lens, 2 other lenses, a Sekonic light meter, another A12 back, a polaroidback, and the lenshoods with it and I still had some room for film and filters.

The bag is very comfortable to wear as it is light and the soft canvas forms to your body. The canvas itself is also, in my opinion, much more comfortable than the usual nylon fabric of other bags. I travelled through India in public transport, hitched rides in army trucks in Ladakh and travelled through Thailand and Cambodia (public transport again) with a Billingham Hadley and a Hasselblad outfit and never once had any problems.
 
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I have the Hadley Pro in sage and tan leather and have carried a Nikon D300 body and separate Nikon zoom lens, two M bodies, 3 M lenses, a flash and charger, and that's just on the inside. In the outer front pockets I carry my filters and CF and SDHC cards in Sandisk hard cases. In the back pocket I slipped in my Sony E-book.
I also purchased a USPS shoulder pad which is inexpensive and tapered to fit the slope of the shoulder. I'll admit that all of that loaded is a shoulder breaker, so I use it mostly for packing the gear for a plane flight. When I'm out and about, I usually carry the cameras on Y straps straps loose and a Lowe Pro belt and pocket assembly for the lenses. I may or may not wear a camera vest (Tamrac) depending on the weather. If the weather is dicey, I'll use the Hadley Pro bag, but with much less gear in it for weight reasons.
 
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I love my Hadley Pro. I've carried multiple M bodies or an M and Digilux 2, plus 2 M lens and assorted other goodies. I now carry it everyday to work as a camera bag/brief case, so I am never without a camera. They are expensive, but they look great and hold up to abuse rather nicely. I buy another if I ever needed a new bag (though I might get an Original size one if there's a next time).
 
I like the crumpler million dollar bags
Take a look,very well built plenty of room
and most important the DONT cost
$200-$300
 
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