My first Billingham!

kxl said:
Couldn't resist

Well, after seeing one Billingham Hadley Pro in the rff classifieds and seeing this post, I searched through ebay and found an almost new Hadley Pro for $165.

Being leery of ebay fakes, I asked the seller (100% positive, 1465 feedback) if he was the original owner and where he had bought it, etc... His answers were good enough for me (original owner, bought it from B&H, etc...)

So, I pulled the trigger on it. While I would have preferred black or olive, I guess this will have to do. Here's a picture of the bag, which I hope to have in my hands in a few days. :D

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Click to expand...

I have a Hadley and it is without the top hand hold as this bag. It is in Black colour. It is the same bag in size and inner compartments etc. I bought it on 1998 and it is still intact and great shape. it is amazing . I also have a larger shoulder bag for my Hussie. Same age and it is like more brand new as it was not my to go camera and the bag.
 
I bought my first Billingham when I started using a pair of M6's years ago--a Hadley Pro in olive green. I still use it although the Leicas are long gone. Over the years I've added three more--an L2, F-stop 1.4 and one of the big ones...I forget the number now. Great bags all around and they last virtually forever while being rain-proof. The only one I really carry is the L2. It's small and handles extra lenses or a body with lens (or two, if small). The others are for storage/transport.
 
There's no real reason to own a Billingham, when there are so many nice alternatives that are cheaper. That being said, I own three, and will never part with them! Some stuff you just want, 'cuz. Sorta like Leicas.
 
Bought my first Billingham in 1981, its still going strong, (unlike me), since then have added Billingham Hadley large and small, one tan , one black and a handy Billingham Stowaway. Billingham's are great bags, can take a hammering and will last a lifetime. Enjoy, its a cracking bag!
 
I’d never been tempted by them till yesterday, when I found that they are made about 2 miles from where I grew up. I feel a bond now. However they seem to be a bit of an overkill for a barnack and a spare roll of film.
 
I got my first Bellingham the Hadley Pro Small in all Black had it for about 2 years now. Hell of a bag! Have 2 Leicas with Lenses attached with plenty of room for another lens on the inside and all my accessories that go in the front 2 pockets. Extremely impressed by the build quality definitely made to last a very long time!
 
The Hadley Pro is excellent for transporting a medium size kit, and is extremely well made. The funny thing is that they are so distinctive that one might mistake another for theirs. This nearly happened at a local camera shop: this shop is notoriously cluttered, with bags and lenses all over the place. It's not uncommon for stock that has just come in to sit on a sofa. One time, there were a couple of Billinghams on the sofa, which I presumed were stock, but they belonged to two customers who had put them down to browse! I immediately thought that if I had put mine there, it could have been mistaken for theirs. I feel like a Billingham should have some kind of coloured ribbon/string/cord or a charm hanging from it to help distinguish it from others.
 
An entire large coffee spilled inside my first Billingham. Luckily no equipment was present. The interesting part was that moisture caused a rigor to overtake the fabric and after a few days it was stiff as a board. It never recovered. My favorite and most used travel bag is the M combination bag followed by the old Leitz 70's canvas bag.
 
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