SmallRig RC 120D Daylight Point-Source Video Light Review

The SmallRig RC 120D is a Daylight Point-Source Video Light that can be used for almost any type of video production. The size is relatively compact, and the design adheres to a tried and tested format that will be familiar to anyone working in the video sector.

What makes the SmallRig RC 120D stand out is its flexibility. It features a standard Bowen’s style mount, enabling you to mount various light modifiers or diffusers. Then there are two different power options: AC mains power or V-Lock battery.

On the surface, the SmallRig RC 120D may only be a daylight-balanced lamp, but with those small additions of dual power and Bowen’s mount, you get a very versatile piece of production equipment.

The compact design of the RC 120D makes it an ideal on-location lighting solution, and the relatively inexpensive price and common features such as the rear carry handle and Bowen-style modifier mounts make it a great lighting solution.

The light is straightforward to use with a standard lighting stand mount consistent with other standard lighting. As the light is daylight balanced, it only produces light at 5600k; gels can be used if you need to change the colour temperature.

When it comes to light modifying, the fact that the lamp features a standard Bowens mount means that there are hundreds of options out there, from Gel holders to diffusers and modifiers.

The lamp is solidly built with the small yet incredibly powerful LED light at the front. It does need some form of modifier or diffuser to use, but this is just standard practice.

In this test, I used a few light modifiers to give the lighting effects that I needed, while SmallRig produced their own in this test; I used some old diffusers that I had in the studio that fitted perfectly – although I realise that they’re a little tatty through age.

While there is no option to adjust the colour temperature, a dial on the back does enable you to adjust the brightness with an excellent range of control.

The SmallRig RC 120D has so much going for it and is used alongside the RotoLight ANOVA and Neo II lights. The 5600k colour temperature fitted in smoothly, with all lights producing a matching colour temperature.

Over the Rotolights, I liked the ease of attaching the lighting modifiers, which made a huge difference to the use.

As with most of the other lights that I use, the option to run them from AC or V-Lock battery was a huge advantage on long shoots. I find running a cable down to an electric generator such as the Bluetti EB70 is a great idea and avoids having to run cables around a set.

Ultimately it would have been nice to have the option to adjust the colour temperature, but when you consider the quality of the illumination, the brightness of the lights and the Bowens mount, there is little to fault at this price. The SmallRig RC 120D ticks every box for being an affordable lighting option.

Lighting has evolved quickly with the introduction of LEDs and the huge range of options available. The new lighting systems enable you to adjust colour temperature, RGB values and all sorts.

This advancement in lighting brings so much more choice to how you light a scene or use constant lighting for product shots. However, quite often, all you need is a really good daylight-balanced lamp.

The SmallRig RC 120D Daylight Point-Source Video light provides abundant lighting power with absolute versatility. The compact form and standard Bowens mount enable you to either fix this in with similar lamps to create advanced lighting rigs or use it as a standalone.

During the test, the performance from the RC 120D was solid, producing the lighting I needed with plenty of flexibility over the brightness.

The SmallRig RC 120D is a lamp you can rely on to provide you with the illumination you need. The lamp is bright, perfectly daylight balanced and simple to use. It just works perfectly for what it is designed to do.