Beautiful, comfortable, and functional. This is what most photographers look for when shopping for camera bags. As it turns out, few offerings deliver on all three bullets. Even fewer are successful when it comes to larger camera bags. Billingham is known in the industry for beautiful bags that are built to last, which is reflected in the price. As someone moving to a medium format sensor, I was curious to see if the Billingham Hadley Large Pro could deliver style, comfort, and functionality. Could it be as successful as the original Hadley?

Table of Contents

Too Long Didn’t Read

Pros and Cons

Pros

Cons

Gear Used

Innovations

Tech Specs

Ergonomics

Build Quality

Ease of Use

Conclusions of the Billingham Hadley Large Pro Review

Likes

Dislikes

Too Long Didn’t Read

The Billingham Hadley Large Pro camera bag is beautiful and functional. An add-on purchase of the SP50 shoulder strap makes it comfortable. It’s designed to carry a lot of gear in style. The addition of a luggage trolley strap and their renowned quick-release straps would make this quality bag even better.

Pros and Cons

Pros

It’s beautiful

Well-constructed

Plenty of room for gear

Doubles as an overnight bag

Waterproof FibreNyte

Cons

A bag of this size needs a luggage trolley retainer strap

It doesn’t have the quick release system

FibreNyte gets dirty easily, although the sage green wears it very well

Gear Used

We tested the Billingham Hadley Large Pro with a 16” MacBook Pro, Sony a7 IV with the Sony 35mm f1.4 GM lens, Sony 50mm f1.2GM lens, Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 50mm f1.2L lens, Hasselblad 501cm, Sekonic light meter, film, and accessories.

Innovations

The Billingham Hadley Large Pro isn’t very innovative. It follows a very classic design and pairs it with beautiful materials. The bag is more attractive than many of those on the market. Plus, it’s built to last.

Tech Specs

All technical specifications are from Billingham.

External Dimensions: W440mm (17¼”) x D180mm (7⅛”) x H320mm (12⅝”) (excluding top handle), W440mm (17¼”) x D180mm (7⅛”) x H340mm (13⅜”) (including top handle)

Internal Dimensions (Main compartment): W400mm (15¾”) x D135mm (5⅜”) x H280mm (11″)

Capacity with padded insert: 10 litres (0.35 feet³)

Capacity without padded insert: 13 litres (0.46 feet³)

Weight: 1.64 kgs (3.62 lbs)

Front ‘dump’ pockets (x2) Dimensions: W165 to 205mm (6½” to 8″) x D40 to 60mm (1½” to 2⅜”) x H250mm (9⅞”)

Capacity (each): 1.5 to 2.5 litres (0.05 feet³ to 0.09 feet³)

Internal laptop slip pocket: W390mm (15⅜”) x D Nominal x H300mm (11⅞”)

Rear zipped pocket: W390mm (15⅜”) x D Nominal x H270mm (10⅝”)

Capacity Nominal

Padded Insert External Dimensions: W400mm (15¾”) x D140mm (5½”) x H290mm (11⅜”)

Padded Insert Internal Dimensions: W400mm (15¾”) x D135mm (5⅜”) x H280mm (11″)

Capacity: 10 litres (0.35 feet³)

Weight: 0.44kg (0.97 lbs)

Shoulder Sling Measurements

Length: can be adjusted between 970mm (38⅛”) to 1550mm (61″) approx.

Width: 50mm (2″)

Ergonomics

The first thing you will notice about this Billingham bag is that it lives up to its name. It looks like a much larger version of the Hadley Pro 2020. The Hadley Large Pro fits on my Vespa and allows plenty of legroom, making for a comfortable commute.

The bag is designed to be carried in several different ways. The adjustable shoulder strap can be worn cross-body as well as single shoulder carry. Although, it’s best to wear the Hadley Large Pro cross-body style when it is loaded with gear.

A leather grab handle is located on the top and allows you to carry it like a suitcase. The handle is a nice feature as the amount of gear this bag can carry can get heavy.

Here is a look at the optional SP50 shoulder pad. It is one of the most comfortable that I have encountered, and I think it really should come standard with this bag. As you can see, the Hadley Large Pro is the only camera bag offered by Billingham that does not have quick-release straps. Instead, you will find traditional brass buckles.

A large zippered pocket is locate...