Billingham has been making its distinctive canvas-and-leather camera bags since 1973 and is widely recognised as being one of the best camera-bag manufacturers on the market. All Billingham bags are handmade at the company’s Cradley Heath factory in the West Midlands using a mixture of traditional and modern manufacturing processes.
The Hadley shoulder bag range is based around Billingham’s classic satchel design and has been in production for nearly 20 years. There are currently four sizes to choose from, with the Hadley One sitting between the Hadley Pro and the Hadley Large. Available in khaki, sage and black, the Hadley One provides approximately 8.75 litres of internal space that can be customised to your liking. In addition, the Hadley One contains an internal pouch big enough to accommodate a 13-inch laptop, plus two ‘dump’ pockets on the front for everyday items. Rounding things off is a rear zipped pocket for storing A4 documents.
In keeping with other Hadley bags, the top flap is secured by two leather straps using Billingham’s signature ‘clogball’ fasteners. These are quick and easy to undo and, unlike Velcro, completely silent. The top also features a padded carry handle. Constructed from Billingham’s proprietary FibreNyte canvas, the Hadley One offers complete protection from the elements and can be relied upon to keep your camera equipment safe and dry.
Thanks to its internal press-stud fittings, it’s possible to set the Hadley One up in a number of ways. The bag comes supplied with one padded insert that’s about half the length of the bag and big enough to store a mid-sized DSLR with telephoto zoom attached. This padded compartment can be fitted at either end of the bag, or in the centre. This configuration provides enough space to store your camera securely, with some general (unpadded) bag space for accessories and everyday items. Should you want to pad the whole bag out then Billingham also sells an additional half-width padded compartment (£30), along with a full-width padded compartment (£55).
Price: £265
