Lowepro DryZone Duffle 20L Review – For the Adventure Photographer in You

Gear Diary is independently owned and operated. We receive compensation through advertising and from the companies whose products we review, usually in the form of the reviewed product. We test the products supplied to us, and the opinions expressed are our own.

Gear Diary is also reader-supported. When you buy through links posted on our site, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.

You can learn more by clicking here.

Lowepro DryZone Duffle 20L Review

The Lowepro DryZone Duffle 20L

A regular old camera bag is fine for regular old photography, but what if you are headed out on an adventure? What if you are taking your camera and gear somewhere where there is water, ice and other environmental hazards just waiting to claim your camera’s last shot? That’s where Lowepro’s new DryZone line of camera bags comes in.

The DryZone line consists of the DryZone Backpack 40L, The DryZone Duffle 20L and the DryZone 200. And while the Backpack 40L and Duffle 20L are IPX6-rated the Backpack 40L ups the game and offers an IPX7 rating making it “the world’s first waterproof, soft-sided camera backpack—like a drysuit for your gear!”

Lowepro sent one of the DryZone Duffle 20L camera bags for review, so lets take a look at it on camera and then dig a bit more deeply into its features.

Lowepro DryZone 20L Camera Bag 004

As noted, the DryZone Duffle 20L has a waterproof rating of IPX6. It fits:

A Pro DSLR with attached lens (up to 70-200mm)

1-2 extra lenses

A flash, accessories and personal items at a recommended split of 80% gear and 20% personal items

The bags internal dimensions are 16.34 x 9.25 x 6.30″ and it weighs in at just 2.64 lbs.

This isn’t a camera bag you are going to wear, but if you don’t mind carrying your gear, and you need to extra protection the DryZone line of bags offers, it may serve you quite well. As LowPro notes,

Outdoor photographers and watersport enthusiasts who document their adventures will appreciate this lightweight, technical and durable design that keep camera and personal gear high and dry.

Lowepro DryZone Camera Bag 56 001

A rating of IPX-6 means the DryZone Duffle 20L is splash-proof and will protect the gear inside if a stream of high-pressure water is directed toward it. This is accomplished thanks to a design that sees a flexible interior camera bag set inside a water-tight shell.

Lowepro DryZone Camera Bag 38

To ensure the contents are splash-proof — something that is especially important if you are taking your camera gear on a boat, kayak or raft — the inner bag is placed into the shell and then the shell must be folded over itself a minimum of three times and the side buckles secured.

Lowepro DryZone Camera Bag 52 001

In addition to the side release buckles the duffle features grab handles, zipper pulls and an easy-to-grab carry handle. Daisy chain webbing loops on either side of a small pocket let you quickly, easily and safely secure items to the duffle. In that way the Lowepro DryZone Duffle 20L doesn’t just protect the gear inside the bag, it helps protect the gear outside of it too.

Lowepro DryZone Camera Bag 06

If you are an adventure photographer or are planning a trip that includes a lot of water, the DryZone Duffle 20L may be just the thing for you. While it isn’t a waterproof bag, it will keep the contents dry so long as you properly roll the top and don’t try to actually submerge the bag in water. The ability to remove the interior camera compartment and use it as an independent camera bag is a nice feature, but it introduces my one big issue with this product — getting the inner bag out of the shell and back into it is a time-consuming and challenging process. It isn’t a huge issue if you don’t plan on separating and then reconnecting the two on a frequent basis, but it is something about which anyone considering this bag should be aware. After all, that bit of inconvenience is a small price to pay for keeping your expensive camera gear safe and protected. You can learn more and order yours here.

MSRP: $149.99

What I Like: Waterproof material offers IPX6-rated protection; Inner bag can be used as a separate camera bag; Gear space can be organized to meet your needs; Quality material and good build-quality

What Needs Improvement: Challenging to separate and replace the inner bag from the outer shell

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for your support!


About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.

7 Comments on "Lowepro DryZone Duffle 20L Review – For the Adventure Photographer in You"

  1. this is great to take on those outdoor adventures when you are afraid of getting your electronics wet. i also love the color. you will never lose it.

  2. i like the fact that the inner bag can be used as a camera bag as well.

  3. i like that i can carry my camera and some extra lenses as well as my personal gear.

  4. i like the easy-to-grab carry handle

  5. i like the bag is soft-sided and not hard-sided.

  6. the weight of the bag is great for its size and functionality.

  7. i like that the duffle is IPX6-rated.

Comments are closed.