xxloverxx
Shoot.
Bought one just yesterday.
It came down to a few choices, really, for what I carry around: The Hadley Pro or the Packington.
I did want the f/1.4 initially, but it was too short to even fit my smaller water bottle (which happens to be the same height as my flash bracket)…so not something I'd actually consider using. I was determined not to get any "double-depth" bags (e.g. the 07 range) because I don't think they have the same elegance as a slim bag.
I guess I chose the Packington over the Hadley because of 2 things:
Zips.
2 extra pockets on either end, which on the Hadley would have to be done via 2 AVEA pouches.
Okay, the sales guy going on about how the Packington is less common might've had some effect…😱 And the waist strap is a nice touch…
Anyway, my primary thought after a day of carrying it around walking is: It's heavy. Beautiful and tough, but heavy. I have leather bags of similar sizes (if you don't consider the padding) that weigh less, empty. Although the leather on those bags is much thinner (1mm or so, I'd guess).
But for that weight you get brass feet that let you put the bag down on the floor without it tipping or worrying about wearing out soft material (the 2 biggest reasons that led me to go shopping). And a bag that doesn't tip outwards when it's full (which is scary if you have to cross the road quickly or frequently put your bag standing up in your lap when you sit down)
A while later I looked at the specs on the Billingham site and found that the Hadley Pro is 1kg while the Packington is 1.7kg. Which, honestly, had me a bit confused — I thought they were as close to being identical as 2 bags from the same company could get. But I concluded the extra weight was due to the following:
The zips and tabs
Extra fabric to accomodate zips
4cm extra depth
2 extra pockets
Waist strap.
And then I concluded that if you "modded" a Hadley to be similar to the Packington (sew on your own zips, add 2 AVEA pouches and somehow get a waist strap on), they'd both weigh pretty much the same. Am I right? 😕 I mean, my Packington fully packed weighs 10lbs (~4.5kg), which means I have 2.8kg of my own stuff —*not that much.
I'd say the weight is bearable —*it's heavier than my soft bags but in the end my mind thinks about the bag less and my photos more because I don't have to keep shifting the strap (the shoulder pad's so sticky that it'll never slip off your jacket —*it'll take the entire jacket with it) or worry about things falling out (I guess it's called the Packington because it was meant to be used for travelling, where things are more likely to fall out?) Makes a big difference when you live in a crowded city…
I've done a lot of Googling and…it seems that very few people have actually reviewed the Packington. Is it that uncommon? It's been around for 40 years, virtually unchanged, according to Billingham…
Thoughts?
Any other Packington users (a rare breed, it seems?)
It came down to a few choices, really, for what I carry around: The Hadley Pro or the Packington.
I did want the f/1.4 initially, but it was too short to even fit my smaller water bottle (which happens to be the same height as my flash bracket)…so not something I'd actually consider using. I was determined not to get any "double-depth" bags (e.g. the 07 range) because I don't think they have the same elegance as a slim bag.
I guess I chose the Packington over the Hadley because of 2 things:
Zips.
2 extra pockets on either end, which on the Hadley would have to be done via 2 AVEA pouches.
Okay, the sales guy going on about how the Packington is less common might've had some effect…😱 And the waist strap is a nice touch…
Anyway, my primary thought after a day of carrying it around walking is: It's heavy. Beautiful and tough, but heavy. I have leather bags of similar sizes (if you don't consider the padding) that weigh less, empty. Although the leather on those bags is much thinner (1mm or so, I'd guess).
But for that weight you get brass feet that let you put the bag down on the floor without it tipping or worrying about wearing out soft material (the 2 biggest reasons that led me to go shopping). And a bag that doesn't tip outwards when it's full (which is scary if you have to cross the road quickly or frequently put your bag standing up in your lap when you sit down)
A while later I looked at the specs on the Billingham site and found that the Hadley Pro is 1kg while the Packington is 1.7kg. Which, honestly, had me a bit confused — I thought they were as close to being identical as 2 bags from the same company could get. But I concluded the extra weight was due to the following:
The zips and tabs
Extra fabric to accomodate zips
4cm extra depth
2 extra pockets
Waist strap.
And then I concluded that if you "modded" a Hadley to be similar to the Packington (sew on your own zips, add 2 AVEA pouches and somehow get a waist strap on), they'd both weigh pretty much the same. Am I right? 😕 I mean, my Packington fully packed weighs 10lbs (~4.5kg), which means I have 2.8kg of my own stuff —*not that much.
I'd say the weight is bearable —*it's heavier than my soft bags but in the end my mind thinks about the bag less and my photos more because I don't have to keep shifting the strap (the shoulder pad's so sticky that it'll never slip off your jacket —*it'll take the entire jacket with it) or worry about things falling out (I guess it's called the Packington because it was meant to be used for travelling, where things are more likely to fall out?) Makes a big difference when you live in a crowded city…
I've done a lot of Googling and…it seems that very few people have actually reviewed the Packington. Is it that uncommon? It's been around for 40 years, virtually unchanged, according to Billingham…
Thoughts?
Any other Packington users (a rare breed, it seems?)