Billingham Mini Eventer Camera Bag Review

Billingham Mini Eventer Camera Bag Review:

If you’re in the market for a new camera bag, you’ll probably come across Billingham.  Billingham has been around for decades, and they make some of the best bags on market.  They aren’t cheap initially but that saying, “you get what you pay for” definitely applies here.  These bags are designed to last what may seem like forever, so in the long run, you do save quite a bit of money.  They also have tons of designs that will fit nearly every photographer’s needs.  Recently, they added another bag to their collection: the Mini Eventer.  Thanks to Billingham, I was able to spend some time with it, and here’s what I think of it.

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Billingham Mini Eventer Camera Bag Build Quality:

So, let’s take a closer look at the new Mini Eventer starting with the overall build.  Like the rest of the Billingham collection, the Mini Eventer is beautifully made.  As I mentioned earlier, Billingham has been making bags for years, and even to this day, the quality never drops.  In fact, it looks as if they’ve only improve.  The stitch work, for example, is flawless with all the raw materials assembled perfectly.  Speaking of raw materials, there are solid brass fittings and full grain leather found throughout the Mini Eventer.  You can also get it in several different color combinations.

↑ Here’s the Billingham Mini Eventer in Black FibreNyte/Black Leather.

Now, having a beautiful looking bag is great but it doesn’t make sense, if it isn’t built tough enough for use in the field.  Luckily, Billingham bags offer some of the best protection that you can get for your camera gear, and the Mini Eventer is no exception.

↑ The Mini Eventer is perfect for something like a Leica M system.

It starts off with the choice of the outer material.  You can choose traditional canvas, which will still last for years or go the Billingham’s synthetic route, FibreNyte.  For those who don’t know, FibreNyte is a material that looks, and feels very similar to traditional canvas with the added benefits of being more durable, and a bit lighter.  I am a huge Billingham fan, and over the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of their bags including reviewing nearly the entire collection.  So, I don’t just spend a month with these bags reviewing them, and stop using them afterwards.  I’ve used both materials thoroughly, and they both will last for years.  However, FibreNyte is pretty much my go-to choice these days because it really is close to the look, and feel of canvas but with those benefits I mentioned.  The example here is the Black/Black Leather FibreNyte version.

↑ The design of the Mini Eventer is beautiful yet still understated.  There are no real huge labels on the bag.  There’s just a discreet one on one side of the bag.

Another great feature of their bags is they’re designed to handle rough weather.  Like their other bags, the Billingham Mini Eventer has 3-layer waterproofing which includes a butyl rubber core that is impermeable to water.  During the time that I was reviewing this bag, I only encountered one rainy day.  However, I have taken my own Bilingham bags into very harsh weather, and something like rain is nothing for this bag.  If the Mini Eventer is anything like the other bags in the Billingham collection, which I have no doubt it is, it will be able to handle the worst storms out there.  I say this in most of my Billingham bag reviews but it is definitely true: my own Billingham bags have been through many major storms, and the results are always the same.  My gear is always dry.  I’ve even had small puddles form on top of my Billingham bags, with not a hint of dampness inside.

In addition to the excellent outer protection, I’m happy to say that the padding in the Mini Eventer is second to none.  I don’t think one could ask for better padding in a camera bag.  The padding is nice and thick.  It’s also very soft, so it’s not going to damage your gear in any way.  You can definitely tell it’s designed to protect your gear from some serious impacts.

Additionally, the main insert, which is held in by heavy duty press studs, is completely removable, and can be done so in seconds.  There are two benefits to this: One is the Billingham Mini Eventer can be turn into a casual bag adding to its versatility.  I actually have a professor in college that used to use a Hadley Pro just like this for work.  The other is a removable insert will also increased longevity of the bag.  When the insert gets old, you can simply replace it instead of the entire bag.  I’ve already done this once with my original Hadley, which also has a removable insert.  So far, my Hadley has been in constant use for over two decades.

↑ This is what is included with the Mini Eventer.

As for dividers, the Billingham Mini Eventer comes with a good amount of them to give you a lot of flexibility as to how you want to place your gear in the bag.  There are two vertical ones, and two small hinged dividers.  I use the hinged ones to stack lenses.  The dividers can pretty much go anywhere inside the removable insert, thanks to their sticky velcro.

Billingham Mini Eventer Camera Bag Capacity:

Now that we went through the overall build, and design of the Mini Eventer, let’s talk about what it will actually fit.  As you can probably guess, the Mini Eventer is basically a smaller version of the Eventer.  It was designed for people who liked the Eventer but found that bag too large for their needs.  So, in terms of size, think of the Mini Eventer as a bag that fits right between the Hadley Small Pro, and the Hadley Pro 2020.

In terms of gear, the Mini Eventer fits a small to medium sized mirrorless, DSLR or rangefinder system with two to three lenses.  So, think of cameras like a Canon 5D Mark IV, a Fuji X-T4 or a Leica M10R.  In addition to the main camera gear that goes into the main compartment, you can also fit miscellaneous gear like chargers, batteries, and filters in the two front dump pockets as well.   In the back of the removable insert in the main compartment, there is also a padded area for an 11inch iPad (or similar smaller device).  Lastly, there is a back pocket with a weather-proof zip for documents.  Below are a few photos with a mix of gear to give you an idea of what will fit in the Billingham Mini Eventer.

↑ Here’s the Mini Eventer with its zipped main compartment.

↑ Here’s the main compartment with nothing in it.

↑ From left to right: 35mm Summicron f2 Version 4, Leica MP with the Summilux-M 50mm f1.4 ASPH Black Chrome, and the 75mm Summilux.

↑ In this photo, I stacked an Leica SF-20 flash on top of the 35mm Summicron, and a Summicron-M 35mm f2 ASPH on top of the 75mm Summilux thanks to the two small hinged padded dividers.

↑ The Mini Eventer has two front dump pockets.

↑ Chargers and batteries can easily fit into the dump pockets.

↑ Accessories like smaller flashers can fit in the dump pockets as well.

Billingham Mini Eventer Camera Bag in Use:

Now that we’ve talked about the build, design, and what it can carry, let’s look at how the Billingham Mini Eventer actually performs in the field.  In terms of the overall size, I would imagine that this is pretty much perfect for many photographers out there.  It’s big enough that it can carry a decent amount of gear, and the type of gear that many photographers are currently using but at the same time, it’s a bag that can be used for those days when you’re carrying the bare minimum.  I think that’s not easy to achieve for any bag manufacturer, and I feel Billingham really did a great job in this respect.

In addition, it’s worth noting that the Mini Eventer also feels comfortable when I have it around my body.  It does hug the body, which is good because that helps when I’m weaving around pedestrian traffic in New York City.  At the same time, there is a little structure to this bag, which I really like.  The lower third of the bag is covered in top-grain leather, which looks really nice but it also serves a purpose other than just aesthetic reasons.  It helps give the bag a little bit of structure, which is actually one reason I prefer the Mini Eventer over my Hadley.  Unlike the Hadley, I found that the Mini Eventer has an easier time staying upright instead of tipping over as well.

↑ The lower part of the bag is wrapped in full grain leather.

There are also a lot of cool features that further enhance the user experience.  For one, it’s great to have a top handle.  It’s not just any old top handle either.  It’s high quality, and has a nice, solid structure, so it doesn’t feel flimsy.  There’s also a Luggage Trolley retainer strap on the back of the bag, which can be quite useful when you’re at the airport, for example.  Lastly, the Billingham Mini Eventer comes with the SP50 Shoulder Pad, which is one of best out there from any manufacturer on the market.  This shoulder pad is made just as well as the bag itself, and offers a lot of support for your shoulders.

↑ There’s a top handle.

↑ The back of the bag has a zippered pocket and a Luggage Trolley.

↑ The SP50 Shoulder pad is very comfortable and supportive.

↑ Here’s the back of the shoulder pad.

Gaining access to the contents of the bag is pretty quick and easy as well.  The main flap is open with what Billingham calls their Quick Release System.  To operate it, you simply slide the top of the leather straps off the brass Clogballs to access the bag.  I am a big fan of this system for several reasons.  First off, it is silent in operation.  Second, it’s very secure.  I would not suggest anyone do this but you can flip the bag upside down, and the flap will still not open.  Third, it’s very quick, and easy to operate.  As the leather wears a bit, you can use just one hand to open the bag all while walking as well.

↑ The main flap is open with what Billingham calls their Quick Release System.

Once you open the main flap you have to unzip (weather-proof zip) the main compartment.  I’ll admit that this is a bit slower than say the Hadley because unlike the Billingham Mini Eventer, there is no zipper.  But this is just a different design for those who prefer this style.  Plus, it’s still pretty quick to operate, and once unzipped, you can tuck the two sides behind the padding like I did in the photos above, giving you easy access to the contents inside.

Overall, this bag is designed beautifully.  I would imagine many who are contemplating on purchasing this bag are probably also taking a close look at one of the Hadley models like the Hadley Pro 2020 or the Hadley Small Pro.  The Hadley is the “go-to” bag for many people, and with good reason.  I feel it’s one of the best bag designs out there from any bag manufacturer.  It fits a decent amount of gear, it’s easy to use, it’s dependable, well-made, and lasts forever.  There’s not much to complain about.  My original Hadley, which is similar in size to the Hadley Pro 2020, has been one of my “go-to” bags for decades.  I will admit though that I actually prefer the Mini Eventer a little bit more now.

↑ The Mini Eventer fits right between the Hadley Pro 2020 and the Hadley Small Pro (in this photo, it is the Hadley Small) in terms of size.

As I mentioned earlier, the Billingham Mini Eventer slides right between the Hadley Small Pro and Hadley Pro 2020 in terms of size.  I find that size ideal for me if I were using it for a regular size mirrorless or rangefinder system.  I think sometimes the Hadley Small can feel a bit…well…small, and jumping right up to the Hadley Pro 2020 might be slightly overkill.  So, I feel the Mini Eventer is really a nice size and a good compromise between the two Hadley bags.

Specifications:

External Dimensions

W360mm (14¼”) x D160mm (6¼”) x H250mm (9⅞”) (excluding top handle)

W360mm (14¼”) x D160mm (6¼”) x H300mm (11¾”) (including top handle)

Internal Dimensions (Main compartment)

W330mm (13″)* x D100mm (3⅞”) x H210mm (8¼”) (inside padded insert)

*Please note that the bag is narrower at the top and bottom. The ‘W’ value is approximately 270mm (10⅝”) at the narrowest point. This will reduce what camera gear can be packed inside if you use the full height of the bag.

W350mm (13¾”)* x D120mm (4¾”) x H230mm (9⅛”) (with the insert removed)

Capacity (Main Compartment)

5 litres (0.18 feet³) (inside padded insert)

9 litres (0.32 feet³) (insert removed)

Internal Tablet Area (sewn in into the back of the removable padded insert)

W260mm (10¼”) x D Nominal x H210mm (8¼”)

It will be impossible to get a 13inch MacBook Pro in this area.

Weight

1.26kg (2.78lbs)
This figure includes the removable padded insert and the SP50 shoulder pad.

Front Dump Pockets (x2)

W140mm (5½”) X H160mm (6¼”)
Capacity 0.75lites (0.03 feet³)

Rear Zipped Pocket

W290mm (11⅜”) x DNominal x H170mm (6⅝”)
Capacity Nominal

Shoulder Sling Measurements

Length: can be adjusted between 820mm (32¼) and 1400mm (55⅛) approx.
Width: 50mm (1½”).

Luggage Trolley Strap Retainer

Luggage trolley strap retainer will fit handles approximately 250mm (9⅞) wide – however if the top of the handle is slightly bigger than this you can ‘jimmy’ it over the top handle to put the bag on.

Billingham Mini Eventer Camera Bag Verdict:

Billingham makes a lot of downright amazing bags, and the Mini Eventer is definitely one that is part of this list.  I will state right now that this is my favorite in this class of bags by any manufacturer.  I’ve been a Hadley user for decades but I’m afraid to say that this is the one I prefer now.

↑ One more photo of the Billingham Mini Eventer.

Like other Billingham products, the Mini Eventer is absolutely beautifully made (seriously speaking, it’s pretty much perfect).  Besides the superb craftsmanship, the materials used are some of the best out there.  At the same time, this bag still has an understated elegance to it.

To top it off, the Mini Eventer is designed to protect your gear extremely well.  It’s weather-proofing is phenomenal, and so is the padding.  The asking price is $460, which isn’t cheap but the peace of mind you get when you place your gear in this bag knowing it’s all safe, and sound is priceless in my opinion.  Gear isn’t cheap, and investing in a good bag is definitely worth it in the long run, especially when you know the bag is made so well that you can probably use it for decades.  I am not particularly careful with my bags as I believe their purpose is to protect my gear, and I’ve used several Billingham bags for that long.  They’ve never failed me, and while I have not used the Mini Eventer that long yet, I have no doubt it will perform just as well as my previous bags.

So, if you’re in the market for a new bag, and you want something that will fit a decent size mirrorless or DSLR kit, you might want to take a closer look at the Mini Eventer.  In my opinion, it’s one of the best designs to come from Billingham.

If you want more info you or purchase the bag, you can take a look at Billingham’s website.