Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow)

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

Expensive and not dependable. Better product would be Pelican Bags. They are tested to Army Specs and are less expensive

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

best waterproof camera bag for the money...

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I was looking for a waterproof pack. This would be very waterproof but the pack is way to hard to unzip. It was also too heavy and bulky.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I just love it, it fits all my equipment, very easy to adjust and great quality.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

Things to note about this bag:
a) SPACE: I carry a Tripod (fantastic mount system, really only need one clip up top, and you can sit with bag on, and tripod moves up/down; I usually carry, Grip DSLR + 4-5 Lenses: I took the dividers out, as all my gear are enclosed seperately in their LowePro Case. You would need the DryZone 200 if you carry any more than the camera and 2 or 3 lenses in my opinion.
B) Zipper: There are 2 zippers: the first one encloses the equipment, the 2nd one is the TZip. I have had NO trouble zipping it up and down. Its definitely tougher to zip than the regular zipper, but not so much so, that I would want to carry some other bag. Note: usually, I only zip the inner zipper anyway, and no problem at all with carrying everything. Solid.
C) STRAPS: There are sooooo many adjustments on this bag, it about drove me crazy. The first day I just hassled with just a couple, and after 8 hours walking, I was ready to take it off immediately. The non careful adjustments found one side tigher than the other, and weight unevenly distributed. The 2nd week, I took the time to adjust it properly... I couldn't believe the difference, after a 10 hr hike, I barely felt I had the bag on at all. I'm amazed by this...

C) COLOR - I for one only wanted the yellow one, stands out, wife finds me easily in crowd; and makes pics of me have increased contrast.

THE NOT SO GREAT:
a) the straps: I assume the texture of the material on the straps was intended to grab onto clothes so it doesnt move; but its so rough, that my first carry with it, I had to remove the pack and put a towel arround my neck, the straps just about removed a top layer of skin it is so abrasive. I learned my lesson quickly. Put a jacket on every since. Its colder outside now, so not too much of a problem. I"ll have to devise a summer solution...maybe a hand towel wrapped around each strap?... we'll see.
B) none

This is my primary carry bag; I have 100% confidence when shooting outdoors on less than sunny days. Was at the beach; about 3 hours into walk, deluge!!!... thru the camera in bag, zipped up the TZip... and walked slowly to car. Toweled off the bag and tripod, not a single drop of water inside bag. (True Story :) great pics of the brooding clouds right before the deluge...)

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I am with others in that the Tizip is hopeless. I am a pro who took this bag to Antarctica where I was on and off inflatables. I bought this bag thinking that the Tizip system would provide adequate waterproofing for my gear. I was sadly wrong. The Tizip broke within a week of owning it and even after multiple tries with silicon grease, I could not repair it. I ended up having to store the bag in another dry bag for transportation because I didn't trust it. So it defeats the purpose of a waterproof bag completely.

It is also large. With the front compartment attached, it does NOT fit into the overhead compartment of International Airlines without some pushing. On smaller planes I've had to put it on a spare seat. It is a bad use of space.

I am a fervent, 20 year veteran user of Lowepro products and this was the worst bag I've had from them. I am now seeking another model that is not waterproof to go in a dry bag for another trip to Antarctica. So I am right back where I was before I bought this one.

The only plus is that the harness is comfortable and I have taken it on long hikes in good weather. In foul weather I've had to use a rain jacket to protect my gear because I couldn't trust this bag to do what I wanted.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

For a month of photography in Hawaii, where it can (and did) rain daily, this pack excelled at keeping gear secure and out of the rain, ocean sprays and splashes. The watertight outer shell is great for keeping water, dust, dirt and mud from getting to your gear.

On subsequent trips, I learned this pack FITS PERFECTLY in the overhead bin of a regional jet! Yes those skinny little bins that WON'T fit a roller bag of any sort and barely fit a laptop bag. Unsnap the outer cover and the Dryzone 200 fits perfectly!

I carry the following in the pack:
Nikon D3 body, D700 w/grip and 17-35mm f2.8 attached, 24-70 f2.8, 70-200 f2.8, 16mm f2.8, TCE-2 III, TCE-1.4 II, 200mm f2.0. Memory Cards, Arctic Butterfly, lens tissue, filters, color meter, extra D3 & D700 battery

Straped to the waistbelt in Lowepro pouch #1; (2) SB800 flashes, (2) SD-8As
Pouch #2, 105 micro lens.

When needed the tripod and monopod are strapped to the outside cover. These items are checked for flights on regional jets.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

This would be a great bag except for the fact that the waterproof zipper breaks. I have used the bag once and the zipper is now broken - won't seal at one specific point about 20 cm from the end. I have spent hours trying to fix this and can not. So I have a expensive cumbersome non-waterproof heavier than normal backpack. I regret buying this bag. I have really been impressed by all Lowepro gear I have purchased before but this is not the quality I expect from them. Very disappointed.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

This bag provides a complete solution for extreme weather and accidental dunking. It is comfortable to wear and holds a lot of gear. The only drawback for me is that when it is completly closed your gear is not "quickly" accessable, but that is because it is water proof so there is a trade off. B&H were most compedative.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

This is an excellent way to protect your gear in seriously wet conditions.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

Carrying my camera and gear
Love the waterproof features
haven't found anything yet that isn't good

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I have hiked in horrible weather with my gear safely stored in this backpack. It easily swallows my 1D body, a 24-70 2.8L, 70-200 2.8L IS, 50 1.8, lens hoods, assortment of filters, BH-55 Ballhead, 580EX II flash, cleaning supplies, and usually about anything special I need to take along. The one negative is that it doesn't open up fulley to the end/botton and getting long lenses and such out of that area is a bit challenging. As other reviewers have mentioned, if you don't need the weather sealing feature use jsut the inner zipper and leave the waterproof zipper open. It makes it much quicker to get into the bag. The tripod carrying system works well. The shoulder straps and belt are well padded and I find this to be a very comfortable pack, even when pretty heavily loaded. I have used it as a carry-on on several airlines with no problems.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I'm a professional photographer in Naples Florida which means 95% of all my work is done on a beach. Not only is wind and sand always a concern but the summer months, June thorugh October, rain is a daily occurrence. At times these summer storms can come out of nowhere, especially being on the water. I needed a bag that was 100% WATERPROOF. Water or weather resistant was not going to work. The bag has plenty of room for the larger SLR's as well as the accompanying lenses and accessories and is built to last. Overall if the need exists to shoot on location and that location is weather prone then this is your bag.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

Hi,i buy this bag for my D700,Nikkor 24-70 2.8 and other equipment.Is a robust and very confiable bag, but is to heavy and hard to access. The zipper is not confiable and is very easy to broke,almost the same day.Don´t work well.Otherwise,is a surprising comfortable bag.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

[...]fantasic backpack.1 million% satisfied.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

First off, in contrary to another reveiwer this pack is adjustable for taller folks. If you look at the back pad you will see there is velcro between the pad and the shoulder harness mounting plate. You can adjust the torso length of the harness with this. Once you have it correctly sized it is uber comfortable. It actually has a frame!! As always read the manual and fully inspect gear before you use it to figure out what it is capable of. I found it to fit well once adjusted properly.

Most packs this size don't have this level of adjustability. I demoed one before I bought. I did a full weekend of packing around shooting creeks and nature shots. I carried my full compliment of gear. Nikon D3, 12-24mm,24-70mm,70-200mm, 2x converter, 60mm macro,50mm 1.4, 2 sb800's, Manfrotto cf tripod with pistol grip ballhead, filters and accesorries, trailmaps and guide books, and two liters of water plus clif bars. Heavy load in comfort. Plolly about 50+ lbs or so.

The pack is of course hard to get into for fast access of lenses so I put a lowepro 4s slip lock lens case on one side and a 5s slip lock on the other. This way I have fast access to all my zooms without removing the pack. If I had a stream crossing I would remove the glass from the cases and seal them up in the pack. No worries other than getting wet or drowning if I fell in the creek.

The netting on the back is good for holding water and guide/maps stuff with quick access and there is tons on pockets inside to keep stuff organized.

A word for longevity and easing access a little. Only zip up the dry zipper if you really need it. I am a WW Kayaker and have extensive experience with drysuits and keeping stuff dry. Dry zippers will wear out with heavy use so keep it CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN, did I mention clean, and LUBRICATED and only use it when needed. Sand or dirt in the zipper will kill it in no short order. I learned this the hard way with 1000 dollar drysuits, gets really miserable when those leak. There is a regular zipper inside to close the padded section off when no using the drypod.

It has all the usual plusses of a lowepro so no need to go into those and its built like a tank even for a lowepro, but it is heavy, thats what you get for durabilty and security.

If you have valuable gear and expose yourself to the elements and/or want to carry moderate heavy loads without buying a big trekker framed pack in comfort I reccomend this bag.

Think about it, if you carry 5,000 to 10,000 bucks in glass and bodies is 270 sum bucks worth it to protect your investment from that uplanned deluge or fall into the water?

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

Got this bag 2 years ago took it to 6 expeditions in the Andes already.
- Heavy, buway too bulky.
- Very bad zipper system; get stocked and hard to open. If you are very fast you need 30 to 40 sec to take it off your back open the 2 zippers and get your camera. You'll miss every shoot in the world. The only Pro: it is water and dustproof.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I'm a pretty active person and new to the world of semi-professional photography. I bought this so that I can take my camera and various L-lenses around without worry. Some of my trips include overnight hikes in the mountains and rainforests of the northwest so snow, mud, and rain is of familiarity. I also kayak and mountain bike. There are lots of positives to this:Waterproof, lots of pockets, great adjustability in the inside for various hardware, hide-away tripod holder, and a lifetime warranty.The cool thing is that it's waterproof!!! I plan on taking it on some kayak trips. Maybe without camera gear first to make sure I don't encounter any product failures with them.Nice things I found:1) It sits low on you, so you have a lower center of gravity.2) It has a hip support (this pack is heavy for a backpack!)When I first took this out of the box, I thought, Dang, this thing is a suitcase! Unfortunately, this is a camera bag made to be a backpack; not a backpack made to be a camera bag. I will explain in the next section.3) The TIZIP is very impressive and robust. This is where a guy would say, Now, this is a man's zipper!!! This thing has a lot of loops to hang your stuff on and lots of zippered mesh to store your stuff. Storage is on the outside AND inside of the outer flap.4) The mesh and padding is comfortable for your back.I recommend this for sideline sports shooting, sightseeing, and weddings where rain is a factor. Since this pack is heavy I also recommend not going on anything longer than a very short hike. This would be ideal for trips where you will be riding a vehicle instead of walking (e.g. car, kayak, bicycle).

Expertise: Amateur

Problems Encountered: This is not designed to be taken on long trips up and down heavy terrain or hills. I think Lowepro could have done some more research on their design. Although not ultimately made to be a hiking backpack the design could be more user friendly. The adjustable shoulder harness is a one-piece backplate attached two shoulder straps. Even though it's adjustable, you have to pull it out to it's limit so that the hip harness will reach down to the iliac crest of your hips. Doing so will allow the weight to sit on your pelvis; taking pressure off your shoulders and back.I am 5'10 tall, 31 inseam, and 180 pounds. If you're smaller this pack may fit you better. If you're my height, you pretty much at the limit of the pack's shoulder strap adjustment. If you're taller, I would say that 6'1 is the max for this pack (my opinion).Some design improvements I would like to see:1) the top shoulder straps are hard to access because their long and flop around. It's like trying to scratch your own back. You have to contort to try and find them when you have the pack on. A simple loop on the shoulder harness would keep them in place.2) It's just way too heavy as a pack and that's without camera gear. Granted it's waterproof and has a ton of pockets and dividers, it's not worth the extra weight on medium to long hikes. I would say to take out some pockets, zippers, and/or use lighter materials. For a backpack this expensive I think we could lighten it up a little. I can't imagine carrying this with a camera, my 70-200mm IS, a wide angle, tripod/monopod, food, water bottle, rain clothes, on top of the weight of the pack on a day hike. Most day or overnight backpacks weigh around 3-4.5 pounds. This one weighs 7.4 pounds!!!3) Reflective piping for safety would be nice.4) The bag comes out a little too far from the back pulling your center of gravity backwards, but that can't be avoided given the nature of the size of our cameras.5) Given that I just said that less weight would be nice, I'm going to contradict myself by saying that It would be nice if the bag was a little higher. This would give more support to the shoulder straps and would increase adjustability and fit more people.6) Although comfortable, the mesh padding that is against your back could use more ventilation. Recessed portions of the padding could achieve that.

Comments about Lowepro DryZone 200 Backpack (Yellow):

I've owned this gadget bad since it was released in 2003. To this date only Lowepro is offering a variety of bags which have their (inner) compartment as being completely waterproof.I've owned a variety of bags from other manufacturers, yet none offer this type of water protection. Even though some of the other manufacturers offer a water resistant fabric and also covers, I've (unfortunately) found that water still finds it's way into the inner chambers.This series (DZ) or bags can take literally any weather environment on a consistant basis. Not only is it waterproof, but the seals also protect against items such as sand. I've even witnessed one of these bags take a full submersion, with no water making it past the seal.Consider the protection that this bag offers as a type of insurance for ones gear. Anything less is simply taking a considerable risk.

Expertise: Professional

Problems Encountered: None. Although many fail to read the instruction books, which clearly state that the seals don't protect the contents stored outside of them.

Previous Equivalent Item Owned: Nature Trekker AW, Professional AW

Items I Recommend: Slip Lock additions