SUNPAK RL-20 Readylite 15 Watt Super Compact Video Light

by SUNPAK

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 4 inches ; 15.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006JQBU
• Item model number: 55RL
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: August 28, 2002

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The world's most compact cordless videolight for use on any camcorder, the Sunpak Readylight 20 provides improved color, sharpness, and image quality, yet weighs only 7 ounces (including battery). The supplied CHG-16 charger charges the CL-10 NiCd battery in 5 hours, providing up to 17 minutes running time. The shoe mount and compact size allow this unit to work on a variety of camcorders.

Product Description

Readylight 15-Watt Compact Cordless Video Light

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eleven minutes of illumination, October 6, 2007

By 

J. Chien (Pearland, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: SUNPAK RL-20 Readylite 15 Watt Super Compact Video Light (Electronics)

I purchased two of this video light. Each would light up for 10 to 11-minutes on a full charge. I have tested each light for four times and the results were fairly consistent. In the tests, the lights were switched on immediately after five hours of charging and switched off when they became dim.

This light seems brighter than the built-in camcorder light. It enhances the video quality when filming indoors or under low light conditions. However, it also appears to have added a slight orange tint to the picture. The light can be mounted onto the hot/cold shoe of a camcorder or a tripod. It is not so small compared to the size of a palm-held camcorder and its glass lens is about 34mm in diameter. The 15-Watt halogen bulb is replaceable, so is the rechargeable Ni-Cd battery (the replacement bulb is $18 and the battery is $20 directly from ToCAD America, Inc., the Sunpak distributor).

The drawback is the battery's short illumination time per full charge. Five hours of charging would yield only 10 to 11-minutes of constant use. The Ni-Cd battery could suffer the voltage depression (memory effect) and further reduce the usage time. The DC port (opposite the red on/off switch) is for charging the battery only. It cannot be used to power the light by a DC adapter.

At the $30 price tag, it is a decent and useful video light, despite the short usage time per charge. I would suggest keeping at least two of this light in the camera bag, instead of just buying the spare batteries.

Note: 55RL is the "Cat no." for this Sunpak ReadyLite 20.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great light, short lifespan, January 3, 2006

By 

Cinema Paradiso (Commack, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SUNPAK RL-20 Readylite 15 Watt Super Compact Video Light (Electronics)

This light is great, but make sure you get at least two, three would be better. On the plus side: the battery is an amazing 15 watts -- that's 5x more light than the average consumer video light. The drawback: the light lasts about 15 minutes on a full charge; it takes 5 hours to fully charge though. Would have given it 5 stars, were it not for the short lifespan. Lamp life is 50 hours. Worth the investment!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars SUNPAK RL-20 Readylite, August 14, 2006

By 

R. L. Liu (Fairfax, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SUNPAK RL-20 Readylite 15 Watt Super Compact Video Light (Electronics)

It's small and convenient. It fits well on my Olympus Digital camera and Hitachi DVD camcoder. However, 5 hrs avg. charging time will last for only 15-20 or less minutes usage. I had Phillip 30W, cost $80, lighting last for ~ 20 minutes per 3 hrs charing. I am not complaining too much as it fits my needs well.