Prestige camera bag maker Billingham updates its iconic Hadley Pro bag with new features
(Image credit: Billingham)
Billingham makes high-quality, traditional-looking camera bags, and the Hadley shoulder bag is its most popular range. The new Hadley 2020 builds on this with a design that suits newer, slightly larger mirrorless full frame cameras.
Luxury leather and canvas camera bags are popular right now amongst photographers fed up of the usual black nylon. Billingham says the Hadley Pro 2020 is not just for mirrorless cameras as it can also accommodate most DSLRs too, plus three small to medium-sized lenses. Equipment is protected by a removable padded insert (the Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 can also be used as a regular general purpose shoulder bag), which has individually configurable padded dividers. Billingham bags are not cheap, but they are amongst the best messenger/shoulder bags for photographers.
The Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 is designed with full-frame mirrorless cameras in mind, but can also hold DSLRs. (Image credit: Billingham)
Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 new features
Billingham says it’s developed this new Hadley design with features requested by users – who also wanted a bag with the same dimensions, capacity and ergonomics of the regular Hadley Pro bag. The new model will be distinguished from other models by an embroidered ‘HP 2020’ label.
New features include a high-strength handle in the lid with a leather underside for comfort and a fibreglass reinforcement for heavier kit, plus a removable shoulder/sling strap made from rugged spun polyester.
The back of the bag has a weatherproof zippered document pocket and a luggage trolley strap, which could be useful for frequent air travellers who don't want the bulk of a full scale roller bag for their camera gear.
Billingham bags look very traditional but actually use very modern design and materials – and they have a strong and loyal following among photographers.
The padded insert can be removed if you want to use the Billingham as a regular bag, and the internal dividers can be reconfigured too. (Image credit: Billingham)
Availability and price
The Billingham Hadley Pro 2020 will come in two materials – Billingham’s 3-layer waterproof Billingham Canvas, or its FibreNyte material.
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You can choose from six color combinations:
Black Canvas / Tan Leather,
Black FibreNyte / Black Leather,
Burgundy Canvas / Chocolate Leather,
Khaki Canvas / Tan Leather,
Khaki FibreNyte / Chocolate Leather,
Sage FibreNyte / Chocolate Leather
The new bag is available from 7 August and will cost around £240/$290.
Rod is an independent photography journalist and editor, and a long-standing Digital Camera World contributor, having previously worked as DCW's Group Reviews editor. Before that he has been technique editor on N-Photo, Head of Testing for the photography division and Camera Channel editor on TechRadar, as well as contributing to many other publications. He has been writing about photography technique, photo editing and digital cameras since they first appeared, and before that began his career writing about film photography. He has used and reviewed practically every interchangeable lens camera launched in the past 20 years, from entry-level DSLRs to medium format cameras, together with lenses, tripods, gimbals, light meters, camera bags and more. Rod has his own camera gear blog at fotovolo.com but also writes about photo-editing applications and techniques at lifeafterphotoshop.com
