Customer Reviews

Leica 14855 Billingham Combination Bag for Leica M Series System (Khaki)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love Billingham bags so much, that I own several, including this compact litte bag that is sold directly by Leica Camera to those owning its 35mm rangefinder cameras. But it is a compact enough bag that will also interest owners of other 35mm rangefinder cameras, especially Zeiss Ikon and Voigtlander. This Billingham bag has ample room to hold one rangefinder camera with a lens attached, plus extra space for two additional lenses, depending on their overall sizes (However, I have used this bag with two Leica M rangefinder cameras with lenses attached with them, leaving enough space for a third additional lens.). There is one ample side pocket with a zipper lock that's large enough to hold a small handheld light meter like a Gossen or Minolta, a compact pair of binoculars such as the Zeiss Victory 8 x 20, and a few rolls of film. I also greatly appreciate the shoulder pad which comes with the bag, allowing me to carefully distribute the bag's weight across my back and shoulder. Billingham bags are extremely well made and are designed to take a lot of physical abuse. They may be expensive, but they will protect well your photo equipment for years to come.

Originally, I bought this bag to go with my Leica M8. Having sold the Leica and getting a Nikon D300 I thought this bag would be useless. I was mistaken. It is the perfect size to house my D300 and a 17-55mm lens. The bag is lovely and small, it holds everything I need and looks great. I used it all over Provence last year.[...]

It's the ideal bag for anyone who doesn't want to carry a large camera bag, but wants to protect their baby.

I have had several camera bags over the years -- too large, too small, not configured right, etc. This is the first bag I have had that really is built for the camera. My M8 with a 35mm fits perfectly over the 21mm on one side and the 50mm on the other. Digital recorder, memory card, extra battery and insect repellant (Georgia) in the zippered front.

Yes, it was worth the money.

Wow, this compact bag is super high quality and fits a TON of stuff. I've read many folks saying it was just large enough to hold the M9 and 2 lenses but that just makes me laugh. HA. HA HA.

On a recent trip, I had no trouble storing and accessing the following items in this bag: Leica M9 with lens attached. 2 additional lenses. Small flash unit. 2 pairs of sunglasses. Extra battery. VF magnifier. A wad of 20 napkins (we have messy kids). Travel size sanitizer. Travel size sunscreen. A large chocolate chip cookie. Folded Map. And I easily could have stored 2 more M lenses if they weren't always on backorder and impossible to buy.

In other words, this bag is magically delicious. It is very small and rugged, but has TONS of space inside, especially for compact Leica-M gear. It's like a clown car where you can keep pulling things out of the pockets and the contents never deplete.

Title says it all. I bought this bag because of all the raving from this site an others from people who apparently love this bag. It's a nice bag but not stellar. The price is the turning point. I use this bag for my M9 with 50 summilux attached and it fits well. Has room for another couple of lenses and accessories. It has a comfortable strap and the interior is sufficiently appointed to keep your gear safe. However, the quality is only average for a bag that costs this much. I have bought many purses for my wife. Everything from Coach to Hermes and Louis Vuitton. And I can tell you that a comparable purse at this price point from a designer purse maker is far superior. The materials and particularly the stitching do not have the quality that I expect from a bag of this price. Save some money for a Tenba or Crumpler messenger bag for less than half the price.