By Chris Main

US$229.95 The Python blur by booq (http://www.booqbags.com) is a photo backpack designed to carry all of your digital camera gear plus up to a 17″ laptop with accessories. Booq is known for the quality construction of its bags, and the Python blur is no exception. The exterior is constructed of 1680 denier ballistic nylon with water-repellant coating. That means this bag has a rigid, tough exterior that protects everything you put into it.

As for storage, there’s plenty of room for all your gear. Two large zippered pockets on either side of the bag each contain two expanding neoprene slip pockets that can hold small lenses, hard drives, and more. There’s a large compartment at the top with room enough for a camera body with lens and a second lens. The floor of this top compartment can fold down and become part of the main compartment, which is accessed via the front zipper. With the floor folded down, there was plenty of room for my Nikon D80 with a Sigma 100–300mm f/4 lens attached. And there are lots of other pockets in this bag for your filters, Wacom tablets, flashes -- you name it.

But once your gear’s loaded, the bag becomes quite heavy (even empty, this bag weighs 5.7 pounds -- a tradeoff for the very solid construction). The strap system can be adjusted at the chest, shoulders, and waist to help distribute the weight for a more comfortable ride. But as with most packs, the weight still tends to rest on the lower back. Also keep in mind that this bag is big, so make sure you have plenty of room to maneuver with it on your back.

So would I recommend the Python blur? Yes. I loved having access to all my gear in one sleek-looking bag, along with the knowledge that everything was protected.

Rating: 9 out of 10

(This review is brought to you courtesy of "Layers Magazine": http://layersmagazine.com/).