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Billingham L2 (Alice) Bag?


kenneth

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Good Morning

 

Does anyone have any experience of the above bag which Billingham make for Leica? From the pictures I have seen it looks as though it will take an M camera and lens pointing downwards in the centre section with two more lenses, one at each side. Also, I believe Billingham make a Combination M bag for Leica which may be more suitable. Are these available in the UK

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Since posting the above I found a picture of the Billingham Combination M Bag. It looks as though this model meets my needs but advise would be appreciated on this and any other bag that you would consider suitable

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I used to use an Alice with M6, 35mm, 50mm and 25mm.

 

When I bought mine it didn't come with the rubberised shoulder strap shown in the above illustrations. I found that to be mandatory as the webbing would slip off the shoulder very easily without it.

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I used to use an Alice with M6, 35mm, 50mm and 25mm.

 

When I bought mine it didn't come with the rubberised shoulder strap shown in the above illustrations. I found that to be mandatory as the webbing would slip off the shoulder very easily without it.

 

Excellent non-slip pad is now available from Billingham as an add-on extra.

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...i have both...

 

...the L2 (which i use for the digi3 w/ 25 lux + 14-50) is slightly larger than the M bag, does not contain a separate zipped pouch, does not have a padded shoulder cushion, and has four brass "feet" at the bottom of the bag...

 

...the M bag is smaller, has a separate zipper pouch, has a padded shoulder cushion, and does not have the four brass feet at the bottom...it accommodates any m camera (either face down as you described or sideways down) and two lenses...

 

...in the states, the price of the L2 and M bag are virtually identical (bh)...around usd200...imho a small price for protecting '000 of equipment...

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I am currently using an all black size small Hadley bag and love it. It will fit an M8 with grip and lens, plus four more lenses and a few odds and ends. I think it is really the same thing as the Leica M bag without the pad (which I added).

 

These are amazing bags and very comfortable. Worth the price. I have an all black 335 showing up tomorrow for DSLR and medium format gear. I wish I had of gotten these bags years ago instead of monkeying around with the lower cost alternatives.

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As usual, thank you for your informative response, much appreciated. Having looked further into the subject another much less expensive option is the Billingham Hadley insert. I just happen to have an old game bag exactly the same dimensions as the Hadley insert which retails for £30.00. Unless I can find an old Billingham Bag second hand

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I have an L2 purchased as a small bag for an M8 and modest accompanying parts. Yesterday the main compartment held an M8 with a 35/2 attached and a 50/2 and 75/2, both wrapped in Domke pads that I like, with space to spare. In the narrow front compartment I put an extra battery and pelican case with extra sd cards.

 

From my point of view, the L2 is fine for the purpose intended.

 

Btw, mine is the nice dull green canvas.

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  • 5 months later...

The L2 Alice is a nice bag, and many would have you believe that its better than the Leica bag, but if you put the body into the Leica bag rather then resting the body on top of the dividers and dropping the lens in, this will prevent the bag from being top-heavy and rolling over when on a table or tipping forward when its on you. Knowing this, I much prefer the smaller Leica bag then the Alice bag. Its smaller and fits two bodies and three lenses, one body with lens attached. Small bags are the holy grail for me, that and ruggedness and practicality. Having a body and lens together in a bag are essential.

 

(incidentally the Leica rep told me that alice is an anagram of leica)

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What does the insert of the Small Hadley look like? Last time I visited the Billingham site the all-important inside shots were just missing, there were only those little squares with question marks inside that tells you the browser cannot find the picture file. Bad site mamagement.

 

Any bag where you are supposed to rest your camera with the lens down in the central compartment, must have protective flaps over the outside ones. Like my Tamrac bags. These work well but cry 'camera!' and the general look is of course quite non-u. Not county, really.

 

The old man from the Age of Domke Bags

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I use the Billingham Hadley insert in a Hadley Pro. Offers good protection but is very tall. I store film in the bottom, then a horizontal divider, then cameras on top. If you have a game bag with the right dimensions it could be a good choice.

 

Occasionally I carry Leicas in other bags and then I use these from Lowepro as they take an M with a 50 'lux attached, and will even take one with a Motor M too. Useful as they offer good protection and you can slip a camera in any bag any time.

 

Cheers, Paul.

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I have quite a few customers of mine use Filson made bags. Filson is a Seattle based hunting apparrel company who make extremely high quality clothes and bags. A little prices perhaps, but their bags are truly made for heavy use in nasty climates. I have one of these myself and use a domke wrap inside it. (I have so many bags though, its just not funny).

 

Filson - Field Bags: Small Field Bag

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There are a lot of nice camera bags that are cheaper than a Billingham, not to mention stuffing an insert in to a non-camera bag. But the original poster didn't ask about them. I have an Alice (since renamed the A2) and a Leica-M bag. The feature comparison someone made above is accurate. Whoever said the strap on the A2 is much shorter maybe got a factory second by mistake, or else the Alice had a longer strap, because mine can be lengthened to the same.

 

The Alice/A2 is definitely roomier in the main compartment, especially good if your lens kit includes some of the bulkier ones. The brass feet and leather end protectors of the Alice/A2 are definitely a plus if you will put the bag to real-world use. The Alice/A2 gives you features for your money, the M-Leica version gives you a little tag inside that says "Leica", a plus for anyone with OCD I guess :D

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