Why do people like projector beams so much?

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: GenSan
I LOVE the projectors on my wife's 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited. The near 180 degree field of vision at night on a lonesome country road will make you smile since it's a great way to see them deer in the ditches.


Yup, the Xenon HID projectors on the M5 are incredible. It has separate halogen high-beams that complement the wall of light thrown down the road by the low beams and result in absolutely incredible night vision.

They don't blind on-coming drivers, but they illuminate the ditches incredible well and so yes, seeing things like deer and other creatures working their way along the side of the road is massively improved over other cars I've driven or owned with conventional lighting systems.

 

[meep]

The only mark "against" projectors that I can think of is that the items on the road seem more "harsh" to me. I think it's because in a reflector housing, the light comes from a bigger source, reducing some of the shadows in a side-to-side fashion.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: meep
The only mark "against" projectors that I can think of is that the items on the road seem more "harsh" to me. I think it's because in a reflector housing, the light comes from a bigger source, reducing some of the shadows in a side-to-side fashion.


I think that's because you're using HIDs in yours. I don't like HID lamps and this is why: they fatigue my eyes more than good halogen lamps do because there's such a "harsh" tone to the light (to my eyes anyway).

 

[bmwjohn]

broad question. I see cheap h-4 square headlights (not cibie or bosch) with projector beams. These seem to be (often) sold for HID conversions. Does this seem to help beam control? Also there is an HID bulb referred to as an H-4-2 or H-4-3, apparently in both 35 and 55 watt bulbs. Any comments? Anyone know the difference between the -2 and -3? I assume that they are a DS -2 or similar at heart. Thanks.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: bmwjohn
broad question. I see cheap h-4 square headlights (not cibie or bosch) with projector beams. These seem to be (often) sold for HID conversions. Does this seem to help beam control? Also there is an HID bulb referred to as an H-4-2 or H-4-3, apparently in both 35 and 55 watt bulbs. Any comments? Anyone know the difference between the -2 and -3? I assume that they are a DS -2 or similar at heart. Thanks.


All of these products are likely junk and shouldn't be used. You will not find Cibie or Bosch making stuff like this, and for a reason. It's not quality stuff. An HID "bulb" designed for an H4 application may trying to approximate dual filament operation to keep the high beam function. This is not how a projector system would work (there are no H4 projectors in the OE market). OE projectors that are used for high and low use a movable shutter, and do not use a dual filament bulb. Such projectors likely have very poor field operation; they likely have a straight cutoff, and that's all most people look for, and how many people define a "good lamp". But there's much more to lamp design than a cutoff, and these cheap projector retrofit lamps very likely offer very poor performance as a lamp.

I would stay away from everything listed above.

There are some pretty good H4 lamps designed for a number of rectangular applications, but they should be used with a good H4 lamp, and not an HID retrofit bulb. OSRAM makes an excellent 65/70W H4 bulb.

 

[friendly_jacek]

IMHO, projector lights concentrate light better, but it doesn't necessarily give you better lighting in low beams.

My newest toyota has projector lights with 55W H11 bulbs that are worse than the old school reflectors with 51W HB4 bulbs. Not to mention, my spare HB4 bulbs are no good.

The main advantage is smaller headlight assembly making the car potentially more aerodynamic.

 

[UG_Passat]

Originally Posted By: friendly_jacek
IMHO, projector lights concentrate light better, but it doesn't necessarily give you better lighting in low beams.

My newest toyota has projector lights with 55W H11 bulbs that are worse than the old school reflectors with 51W HB4 bulbs. Not to mention, my spare HB4 bulbs are no good.

The main advantage is smaller headlight assembly making the car potentially more aerodynamic.


for projectors... like regular "old school" lights... bigger is better in terms of performance.

In a more extreme case, the 3rd gen Lexus LS... when they did the refresh, the projectors blew away the old Freeform reflector in performance.