Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/10/21
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Frank, If you know them well, tell them to update their website - all examples of cameras given for the products are film era ones - Nikon F5/F100, Leica M6 etc. Cheers Jayanand On Thu, Oct 21, 2010 at 2:46 PM, Frank Dernie <Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com>wrote: > I did not know Billingham had started using polyester for their bags. I > checked their web site - wow, what a lot of bags! > When I got mine it was cotton canvas. It looks like a trout fishermans bag > with padded dividers, since that is in fact the origin, presumably that is > why they started off only making tan. Mine must be over 30 years old. I had > a Billingham trout bag (still using that too) so when they made a camera > bag > I got one. Photographers must be much richer than fishermen, since they > only > seem to make camera bags nowadays. Billingham bags do not have this rich > guy > image here in the UK where they are made, as far as I know. > > Fogg bags started off in the UK, bee is English and Nigel South African, > they moved to France for cost and quality of life reasons many years ago > IIRC, though the last email I had from bee she was keen to move back home, > finding France difficult nowadays. > Anyway the Fogg bags are the very best I have seen. Not only that they are > a real artisan hand-made creation and the friendliest "manufacturer" I have > ever dealt with. > Billingham are equal second best (though I am unfamiliar with recent ones) > equal with Domke, which are very expensive here in the UK, for what they > are, but I like them. > cheers, > FD > > On 21 Oct, 2010, at 09:14, Mark Rabiner wrote: > > > Billingham bags look great but feel terrible it ruins it for me, Frank! > > They feel like polyester only because they ARE polyester. a cotton > polyester > > blend The emphasis being on the polyester. I really think its 80% poly > 20% > > cotton. My fingertips have preppy sensors. To me that's just plan odd and > a > > truly misplaced choice on their part sure it makes the bag lighter and > not > > fade and do better in the wash but if you put a short stack of filters in > > there it gets rid of any difference in the weight department and there is > > nothing more annoying than a bag which always looks new. Never fades or > > ages. To me that's not a bag that's formaldehyde with straps and a > handle. > > > > Fogg bags are all cotton. Feel great. Fade and shrink wonderfully. > > Just like Domke bags are. cotton canvas. Thick. The semi stiffness acts > in a > > way like padding even though its not. > > > > Billingham bags are ubiquitous with rich guy types they can be acquired > at > > the usual suspect outlets. > > Fogg bags are centered in the UK and require some doing to figure out how > to > > grab onto over here in the US. They also cost twice as much. > > And are also it looks to me designed twice better. And have better names. > > > > I'm hard on Billingham bags. But this hardness comes from my reaction to > > people who think they are the be all and end all in a luxury camera bag. > > They've just NOT done their homework. And people should always do their > > homework. THEN go out and play. > > > > But I have a Billingham 300 bag I got used for 99 bucks used and as it > was > > in Oregon no tax or license. Its comparable to the 555 they sell now > which > > goes for 555 bucks give or take. > > I can pack lunch for a week in it and have room left over for all kinds > of > > cameras plus a spare pair of socks and long sleeve shirt. > > Who needs a car and an apartment when you've got this camera bag? > > Its not a life style its a life. > > With a savings of 444 bucks I can deal with the polyester. Just don't > tell > > Caroline Kennedy. > > And this size a bag if it was heavy cotton canvas like a Domke that would > > add a few real pounds to it. So maybe I got off easy. But wish it was > black > > not rich guy tan. > > > > Gear is like clothing it all starts with the fabric. If the cut is good > than > > that's nice too. > > > > > > -------------------- > > Mark William Rabiner Photography > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/ > > Cars: http://tinyurl.com/2f7ptxb > > mark at rabinergroup.com > > > > > > > >> From: Frank Dernie <Frank.Dernie at btinternet.com> > >> Reply-To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> > >> Date: Thu, 21 Oct 2010 07:37:39 +0100 > >> To: Leica Users Group <lug at leica-users.org> > >> Subject: Re: [Leica] Your photos would be better if you had this $850 > Belstaff > >> Leica M8/M9 camera bag > >> > >> I own 2 Fogg bags, a B-Laika and a backpack. They are the best quality > bags I > >> own, with a beautiful finish and effective padding which is not bulky, > unlike > >> many maker's. > >> The B-Laika is old now and battered but holds up well. The backpack is > newer > >> and made for me by be and Nigel whilst there was no UK distibutor, a > level of > >> personal service which is IME un-paralleled. > >> OTOH you are a bit harsh on Billingham ;-) > >> I have one of the original Billinghams, un-named since they only made > one > >> photo bag then. It also is battered, has stood up well and has non-bulky > >> padding. > >> The most disappointing bags for me have been Crumpler. I love their web > site > >> and the multiple choices of size and colour, but the stiff straps, > excessive > >> velcro and thick padding make them too inconvenient to use for me. > >> FD > >> > >> On 21 Oct, 2010, at 00:21, Mark Rabiner wrote: > >> > >>> Fogg bags make Billingham bags look like Kmart specials. > >>> > >>> http://www.foggspecialistbags.com/range.htm > >> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Leica Users Group. > >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Leica Users Group. > > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >