Billingham Hadley Pro

[skovbo13]

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Good day everyone,

 

Would anyone have a photo of a well-worn Billingham Hadley Pro, in black or canvas, and post it here?

 

Many thanks,

Skov.

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[pgk]

Sorry Skov

 

Mine looks grubby rather than worn;).

[skovbo13]

Grubby would qualify too!

You wouldn't have a photo of the bag in its current (grubby) state at hand?

 

 

Sorry Skov

 

Mine looks grubby rather than worn;).

[Paul Verrips]

It takes a really long time before it looks worn. I have used a khaki Billingham for my DSLR gear for 4 years and it only had some dirt spots.

 

Now i have a black Hadley Small and it looks rather new. Maybe i have to play football with the bag or something like that.

[cbretteville]

Bought mine in October (I also have an L2 and a Pola). Using it all the time, sometimes just camera equipment (Leica M, Leica R or Hasselblad 500C/M) and sometimes also a 13" Macbook pro.

 

Works and looks great. Get the shoulder pad in addition to the bag.

Carl

[pgk]

OK Skov

 

Rather against my better judgement (I'm really not into bag threads) here's a pic of mine (the shoulder pad is far older by the way). Handy size - as Carl says, it will take a MacBookPro, several books, sandwiches, miscellaneous junk, etc., oh yes, and Leicas too. These bags wear slowly but mine seem to get mucky, though I can't think why. My very first Billingham ended up being snaffled (in the late 80s) and disappeared with its new 'owner' to the west of Ireland as a fishing bag - its a long story and, since it probably smelt of fish, it was replaced with a newer one when the mistake was realised. Whilst Billinghams are supposedly for cameras, they have more uses! Once visited the factory (I was passing it and popped in) - an interesting, unassuming spot!

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[Paul Verrips]

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Some Billingham collector items. Travel

[skovbo13]

That bag is more than 20 years old? Amazing in what good shape it's still in.

I'm curious to see if the black canvas ones fade at all.

 

 

 

 

OK Skov

 

Rather against my better judgement (I'm really not into bag threads) here's a pic of mine (the shoulder pad is far older by the way). Handy size - as Carl says, it will take a MacBookPro, several books, sandwiches, miscellaneous junk, etc., oh yes, and Leicas too. These bags wear slowly but mine seem to get mucky, though I can't think why. My very first Billingham ended up being snaffled (in the late 80s) and disappeared with its new 'owner' to the west of Ireland as a fishing bag - its a long story and, since it probably smelt of fish, it was replaced with a newer one when the mistake was realised. Whilst Billinghams are supposedly for cameras, they have more uses! Once visited the factory (I was passing it and popped in) - an interesting, unassuming spot!

[250swb]

Bought mine (tan canvas) in 2004 and it still doesn't look worn or grubby.

 

Steve

[bill]

That bag is more than 20 years old? Amazing in what good shape it's still in.

I'm curious to see if the black canvas ones fade at all.

 

I have a feeling that Hadley Pros have not been around quite that long; my Son is 18 and mine is definitely younger than him, and I think I had one of the first. That said, Hadleys themselves have been around longer - the Pro is an evolution, and a good one, adding the back pocket, handle on top and the provision for AVEA pockets on the ends.

 

Mine is khaki canvas, btw, bought from new, used heavily and still going strong after, er, a lot of years. I have by comparison a Domke of the same vintage that looks well lived-in. That can be, in and of itself, an advantage, but you pays your money and takes your choice.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[Tietje]

OK Skov

 

My very first Billingham ended up being snaffled (in the late 80s) and disappeared with its new 'owner' to the west of Ireland as a fishing bag - its a long story and, since it probably smelt of fish, it was replaced with a newer one when the mistake was realised. Whilst Billinghams are supposedly for cameras, they have more uses! Once visited the factory (I was passing it and popped in) - an interesting, unassuming spot!

 

Didn't Billingham begin life making fishing bags. No wonder it got snaffled !

[pgk]

NO! The one in the pic is only about 2 years old(ish). It doubles as a laptop bag. Its currently drying out after a rather wet walk.

[Tietje]

I don't have a Hadley but I do have a L2 which is about 13 years old. It too was mistaken for a fishing bag by a very keen fisherman (a work colleague), but not a photographer. He just wanted to know why I was carrying my camera around in a fishing bag. It was the fishing aspect that caught my attention in your post

[Manolo Laguillo]

I own ten bags (two Lowepro, two Domke, four Billingham, and lately two A&A), but when I have to carry when on assignment the full batttery of lenses, etc, the Hadley Pro is the only sensible choice: nothing can hold so much in such a small space. I have mine since 2007, and it still looks as new. It is the bag I would have if only one would be allowed.

The question, then, is why do I have the others? Because I had already the Lowepros and Domkes before buying the Hadley Pro, and because the A&As are beautiful for strolling around... The other Billinghams (Hadley Digital and Billingham-for-Leica) are seldom used now.

[swamiji]

I love my Hadley Pro. The most useful bag I have. The only concern I have these days is the the way it closes. These days I am spending more time on the bus, and the Pro is just too easy a target and too easy access. I am looking PacSafe for those public transit days, but then there is the TT Retro 5 or 10. Argh

[skovbo13]

Too easy a target? Mind elaborating on that?

 

 

I love my Hadley Pro. The most useful bag I have. The only concern I have these days is the the way it closes. These days I am spending more time on the bus, and the Pro is just too easy a target and too easy access. I am looking PacSafe for those public transit days, but then there is the TT Retro 5 or 10. Argh

[The_hog]

swamiji

 

What about turning it around - flap towards the body?

[swamiji]

I thought about that, but all you have to do is get your hand between the bag and strap and the strap pops off. Unless the bag is really full. Here zippers is not enough. And we are talking about my Nocti, 24 & 75 Lux.

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[roydonian]

Billingham sells replacement flap straps - since these are stiffer than well-used ones, fitting them would make the bag harder to open.

 

Best regards,

 

Doug

[paisatge]

I love my Hadley Pro. The most useful bag I have. The only concern I have these days is the the way it closes. These days I am spending more time on the bus, and the Pro is just too easy a target and too easy access. I am looking PacSafe for those public transit days, but then there is the TT Retro 5 or 10. Argh

 

I live in Barcelona and Hadley Pro is the only camera bag that I will bring out without having to worry that someone would try to open it. I've used ThinkTank Urban 30 and Domke F6. The ThinkTank can be opened easily because it's just a zip without any flap and mine has been indeed opened a few times but they didn't manage to get anything. The Domke F6 is relatively soft and there were hands that managed to sneak into it easily and again, luckily, they didn't manage to take anything.

 

There's no zip in the Hadley Pro main compartment. The bag takes it form with the padding and it's almost impossible to put a hand in without you not noticing.