Best prices on Billingham bags in the US?

[patricks]

My local dealer only offers list price on these bags - anyone know a

good online dealer and also what bag would you recommend for a SLR

system (1 body, 1 zoom, 2-3 primes, flash gun, sekonic lightmeter,

perhaps space for a foldable reflector - I'd like to have ONE bag

for it all (I got plenty of smaller bags)

[skip_converse]

Patrick:

The only place I've seen with below MSRP is www.bh.com

 

Glen

[lee hamiel]

I agree - B&H is the best choice in the US

 

See:

 

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=FetchChildren&Q=&ci=4354

 

Good luck making up your mind

[stuart d]

Patrick - As a Billinghamoholic, I'd recommend the 335 for that gear. Among other models I have the 225 and it's a wee bit tight for the system you describe. My 550 (now replaced by the 555) is great as a weekend bag but I'd hate to lug something of that size full of camera equipment.

[furcafe]

Just order them from Robert White (http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/bags.htm#LabelBillingham) in the UK (but visit B&H in NYC to check out the bags in person).

[barefoot]

Robert White (UK) does a good deal on Billingham bags. No VAT for US residents.

[stuart_richardson]

I use a 445 for my bigger kits, and it works quite well. It will easily take an R9 with

motordrive/dmr and 3 or 4 lenses, or a Hasselblad kit with three lenses, winder, finder and

two magazines. The nice thing about it is that, though it is big, it carries very well. For some

reason the billingham strap is balanced better for me than others I have tried. You can also

get the backpack harness which can help in a pinch. It is not as good as a regular backpack,

but the billingham is much better to work out of than a backpack, so if you convert it to a

backpack for the walk to wherever you are going to shoot, you can take the harness off and

work out of it as normal once you are there.

[stuart_richardson]

Oh, and I was definitely one of the skeptics until I had a chance to check one out in person.

They are very well made and designed just right.

[stuart d]

Damn! Robert White's special price on the black on black 445 is pretty sweet. Must resist. Do not succumb to tempation...

[patricks]

I guess the <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=218547&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation">Hadley</a> would be to small for my kit? Hence, I'm not planning on carrying all that gear at any given time, but I would like to have ONE bag where I can store it all and take it along if necessary. </p>

 

Or perhaps that <a href="http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=157325&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation">Packington</a>? - I like the shoulder/messengar bag style myself. </p>

 

At the same time, I don't want a bag that is too big. I used to have a Lowepro Stealth Reporter 650, but that thing was just way too big to schlepp around on airplanes or around town.

[stuart d]

The Hadley's not really geared up for today's DLSRs - it's perfect for rangefinders and non-motordriven SLRs of yesteryear. The Packington is a possibility, but I think you'd come to find the lack of a handle on top a PITA for the times you are carrying everything at once.

[todd_phillips1]

Patrick,

 

Try Rich Pinto at Photo Village. I got my Hadley small from him and it was $8 cheaper than B&H. His shipping was IMO a little steep...but probably in line with NY stores.

[patricks]

Sorry to keep beating this ol' horse, but I have a hard time inspecting these bags around here - if I want the option to fit a laptop sleve in there as well, I guess the minimum size I can go with is the 445, is that correct? why does it show in green in the photos, but not in the order list?

 

man, it is hard to go "retro" - those family business website sucks ;-)

[jerry_lehrer]

Pat,

 

The best Billingham prices in the US are from Jimmy Koh's in New York.

[stuart d]

Can't answer you about the colour of the laptop sleeve, but if you want to carry a laptop in addition to your photo equipment, then yes, the 445 is the smallest that would work. However the design is such that the laptop would be in the outside pocket, furthest away from the body. Ergonomically that isn't ideal. Without photo equipment, a 15" laptop would fit in a Large Hadley or a Packington - both are tall enough.

[jack_lam1]

I saw a dealer in Hong Kong selling Billingham bags for around 30% off from the price in the US.

 

The hadley pro is selling for HK$1155, which is about US$148. Pretty amazing.

 

I am from HK myself. Every year when I go back to HK I pay a visit to that store to shop for photo gears. It is one of the more reputable photo stores in HK. I don't know about their shipping policy though.