Billingham 335 Camera Bag First Impressions:
If you’re someone like me who sometimes just has a decent amount of gear or at least, larger gear to carry around, you’re probably in the market for a good bag that not only can carry all your stuff but also something that is made to last, and at the same time, is also comfortable to carry around. If you’re looking at something from Billingham, they have plenty of choices. Currently, my daily bag is their 307, which a love. I’ve been using it for several years now, and if you’re interested, you can read more about it in my review. Another model you might want to consider is the Billingham 335. It’s similar to the 307 but it definitely has its own unique features. I was lucky enough to get a sample from Billingham to test, and here are my first impressions of it.
So, the Billingham 335 has been around for a long time but there’s good reason for that: it’s a proven bag that is designed to carry a good amount of gear. What is a good amount of gear? Well, that depends on the individual, and what he or she has but in general, you can carry two DSLRs with small to medium lenses attached or 1 DSLR with a bunch of different lenses. Currently, I don’t own a DSLR system but I am carrying my Leica SL mirrorless system, which includes the SL2, a few of the native lenses, and M lenses. So, now that you get an idea of what it can carry, let’s take a look at the overall build real quick.
↑ The Billingham 335 in Black Canvas/Khaki Leather.
As some of you know, Billingham makes some seriously high quality bags, and the 335 is no exception. The bag isn’t cheap but you definitely get what you pay for here because the 335 is one of the best bags that you can buy in its class. Like other Billingham bags, you can also get many, many years of service out of it, so in the end, it’s actually not as expensive as one would think. The 335 is beautifully made with such care and attention to detail. The stitch work is perfect, for example, and all the pieces of the bag are put together in a neat and proper fashion. The materials used to construct the 335 are top quality: real full grain leather, and solid brass fixings can be found throughout the entire bag. The 335 is even made of a 3-layer waterproof canvas, and trust me, the waterproofing really works!
↑ Here’s the side of the bag.
I’ve been a Billingham user for several decades because one of the main reasons is these bags are just made so well. They really stand up to years of hard use, and never seem to wear down to the point where they aren’t usable anymore. I have bags that are over two decades old that I still use all the time. Of course, I’ve reviewed many other bags, and there are other great brands as well. I don’t dispute that but Billingham has been around for a long time now, and throughout that period, they have always been consistently making some of the best bags out there for camera gear. I’ve been through nearly the entire collection (see my reviews), and they’ve all been truly exceptional. So, let’s take a look inside the Billingham 335, and start with the pockets.
↑ Here’s the back of the Billingham 335.
There are actually a total of nine decently sized pockets, which makes sense because this is a bag designed to carry a larger system. Of course, I will go into more detail in my review, and there will be tons of photos but basically, there are two at the front under the flap, two in the inside zipped front compartment , four internal slip pockets in the main compartment , and a zipped rear pocket. It’s worth nothing that you can also slip a tablet or smaller laptop in the front zipped compartment. So, there’s plenty of room for accessories, chargers or whatever you can think of, and great ways to organize everything as well. Let’s now take a look at the main compartment.
↑ In addition to the main flap, the main compartment and the larger pocket both have zippered openings.
↑ This is, in my opinion, a great pocket, which I wish I had in my 307.
You open the main compartment by simply unlocking the main flap, and opening the main zipped compartment with its TukTop feature. What’s theTukTop feature? The Tuktop feature allows the two sides of the zippered opening to be tucked behind the bag’s internal front and rear dividers allowing the photographer an easy and quick way of accessing his or her gear. You can see below how this operates.
↑ Here’s a photo of the main compartment without my gear.
↑ Leica Gear that I have here include a 75mm Summilux-M (top left), APO-Summicron-SL 90mm f2 ASPH (bottom left), Leica SL2 with Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-90mm f2.8-4 ASPH (center), Summilux-SL 50mm f1.4 ASPH (bottom right), and Summilux-M 50mm f1.4 ASPH (top right).
When the main compartment is fully opened, you are greeted with a huge open area that is fully padded. Speaking of, the padding in Billingham bags are really just hard to beat, and this is definitely evident in the 335. The padding is just ridiculously good. Even the bottom has its own padding, which is also quite thick.
↑ Here’s the padding that is included with the 335.
↑ The Billingham 335 has been great to use with my SL system so far.
Overall, this has been a great bag to use so far, and expect a very detailed review of the 335 in the near future. I’m also thinking about writing up an article comparing the 335, and the Billingham 307. There are actually a few key differences between these two bags. Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more!
If you want more info or to even purchase this bag, check out Billingham’s site.
