Hadley small alternative?

<p>Hello everyone, this isn't a "I have such and such, will this fit?" nor is it a "XXX brand vs. YYY brand" thread. I tried researching extensively, as I always do before posting but sadly couldn't find any relevant information. </p>

<p>My simple question is, whether there is a bag known to anyone that can be an alternative to the Billingham Hadley small. I already have a Hadley pro, but I find that for my present kit, it's a tad too big, and with all bags with a little too much space left over, I tend to stuff in a little extra than I need. And then it becomes a tad heavy.</p>

<p>Of course there are alternatives, but I am looking specifically for certain things;<br>

1. A handle. Granted the small Hadley has no handle, but after using my pro, I find the handle very useful. And it would be nice if there was an alternative with such a handle.<br>

2. Space for an iPad somewhere in the bag. Whether it's between the insert, or somewhere around.<br>

3. Space for extras, i.e. passport, notebook, pen, flashlight, tickets, maps etc etc(ok so it seems I have to mention what the main is so you can gauge the extras, basically a Leica M with 50/2 and 24/2.8 and about 10 rolls of film).<br>

4. Doesn't look like a box with a strap. Boxes don't ride as nicely with you on your side as slimmer satchels do.<br>

5. Has to be smaller than the Hadley Pro.</p>

<p>Now of course the small Hadley does all this(sans handle), but that's not my question. Do you know an alternative to it? I want something that looks a bit different from my pro, though I'm not saying it's a bad design.</p>

<p>The alternatives I found were;<br>

Billingham f/2.8 - The issue I had with it was that it didn't pass point number 1 and 4. This is the epitome of box with a strap, a very nice looking box, but far too boxy, heh.<br>

Billingham L2/Alice, or Leica combination - It's a box.<br>

Fogg b-sharp - A wee bit boxy in my opinion, but I quite like it. I might even order it but it'll take quite a few months for it to get to me, and I need a bag before the end of this year.<br>

Stash small DSLR bag(bags made by Mari on etsy.com, that I found out from a mention on some photog forum) - again boxy, don't quite understand what the whole boxy look is about, but I may order it if she is willing to customise it for me the way I want it.<br>

Domke F6 - I have this too, boxy and not too secure on the closure in my opinion.<br>

Domke F803 - I quite like the form factor, except it's as large or only a wee bit smaller than the Hadley Pro.<br>

Crumpler X000000 home - I used to use Crumpler, for my laptop at least. Found it heavier because of the nylon.</p>

<p>And that's about as far as I can remember. Sorry if I come off as a fussy, picky person. But just wanted to know if there are/were alternatives to the Hadley small that I may have missed or if my particular fussiness and preferences only allow for the Hadley. Thanks!</p>

<p>I don't know of any bags in this size range that have a handle. One other that is not on your list is the Domke F-5XB. </p>

<p>FWIW, I have the Small Hadley, f/Stop 2.8, and the L2, and while the L2 looks boxy, it is very comfortable to carry, because the padding is not stiff. Plus those metal feet mean I can set it down just about anywhere without the bag touching the ground. The Small Hadley, which is a very nice bag, is the "boxiest" to carry, because of the stiff padding.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Hmmm, the Fogg B-sharp does have a handle, although it is a wee bit larger than the Hadley small, but still smaller than the Pro. But like I said, that one is going to take months to arrive, so it's an alternative, but not for me at least for this year.</p>

<p>And is the L2 truly that comfortable? Maybe it had to do with how new the one I tried in the shop was. Because of the thick base, I found it far more rigid than my Hadley Pro. But there isn't much in the way of separate compartments in the L2 is there? As far as I recall, I thought it resembled the Domke F6's form factor quite a bit. But of course, I'm open to suggestion. What do you think of the f/2.8?</p>