It has been a while BUT, I am back to posting some reviews that I have had queued up and nothing better to start with an a good old bag review.
Now after having this bag for just over one year and getting compliments daily, I can say its been the best overall bag I have ever owned.
To start off
Billingham has been making bags in Britain since 1973 for photographers and others alike. The bags are extremely well crafted and are made from some great materials. The brown trim is made from leather, and has aged nicely over the year i have had this bag, and the hardware on the buckles and such is brass and again it ages well. As far as the material of this bag is made of canvas that is water resistant. With it being canvas it will age and wear very nicely depending on how you wear the bag and how ofter you use it. One of the man reasons for getting this bag is I need something on a daily basis that I could carry some cameras and what ever else with me with out it looking ugly or screaming "I have expensive stuff in me". Billingham really combines functionality and looks in to one. What I really liked about this bag is that it had no zippers or velcro to open the bag because to me that would inconvenient and a bit noisy, and we all know velcro isn't cool. The bag has a camera insert that comes out so you can use it as a messenger bag. Also you can adjust the camera insert to different sizes with inserts and really organize your gear. The straps are adjustable depending on what you put in there and there is a zipper pocket on the back that could fit an iPad or small book. The Hadley Pro is capable of holding a 13" laptop as well.
what the bag looks like closed, now it does have a handle which is my only gripe with the bag because it throws off the sexiness of the bag but it does become helpful sometimes. The Hadley original is the same as the pro but no handle ,but Billingham has stopped making them.
I have pretty much used this bag everyday for a year wether it was for my photography gear or my bag for college, it did it all. Now I would always have a camera or two in there when i was going to class and what not even if i didn't have a photography class. This bag has been on my shoulder or back through extreme down pouring rain with cameras and important notebooks and other things that can't get wet an not a drop has soaked though this bag. To give context i was in Boston and had to walk to the T stop and my pants shoes and part of my rain coat where soaked though but the bag was dry as the dessert inside and the rain just beads off. It also has a rain guard that covers the camera area but i have it tucked away.
This is what my daily school bag as well as my street bag set up looked like, F3 in the big pocket, water bottle in the next side and then the Sx-70 in betweent the bag and the camera insert (not really a pocket but it works) and in the front bag pockets held various things such as an iPhone charger, pens, notebooks and sunglasses headphones.
this as been my set up most recently and for when i go to work leica mini and JCH film case and water bottle and usually a red bull to get me through the day and the front pockets are the same.
the front pockets come with a button i guess you could call it that allows the bag pocket to become bigger or smaller depending on what you put in there which is really helpful.
Now you do get a lot out of this bag and it sure is tough, but with that being said it isn't cheap, around $260 USD you can pick one up in all black or black and brown like this one or for more you can get limited edition ones. So this bag isn't really for everyone but you are paying for looks style and quality and you can't beat something that is made pretty damn well. This will be me everyday bag unless I ever get my hands on one of ONA's bags. You can get a ton of Billinghams bags on B&H or directly though them. Is this the best bag ever made?! And to that I say no, but it is the best bag for me.