Anyone have 5000K hids??

[Apex]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I have HID headlights in my car. Personally, I think they have kind of a bluish tint to them. They are completely stock and I've never considered changing them...I have no idea what K they are.

The Elise comes with HID lights now?

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
While we're on the subject of quality lights, is there any bulb/color spectrum frequency that is good for rain and wet ground at night? I have the hardest time seeing the ground during this time and get really wary of driving and only drive if I have to.

Thanks!

Yellow.

Blue/violet scatters the most. Red/yellow scatters the least. This is why true fog lights are yellow as well. You will perceive yellow lights as "dimmer" because of less glare, but you will actually see better.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I have HID headlights in my car. Personally, I think they have kind of a bluish tint to them. They are completely stock and I've never considered changing them...I have no idea what K they are.

HID's don't have a tint. A tint allows only a certain portion of the spectrum through (blue tinted halogen bulbs emit _only_ blueish light). HID bulbs emit the full spectrum, which includes a discrete blue componant.

ZV

 

[exodus454]

I have ProLumen 5000k's in my car, very white with a hint of blue. Make sure your housing can handle the heat, I know I never would have thrown them in my BMW's stock lights. Euro lights + projector lows + HID's = FTW.

Soon to come yellow HID fogs!

(honestly, the difference between HIDs and halogens is night and day to me.. I was skeptical when I bought the kit but now I need more )


I'll snap a few pictures tomorrow night for you, and I'll also get some shots with the high's on because you can really see the differences in color temps. Highs are H1 55w Silverstars.

 

[Twista]

Originally posted by: exodus454
I have ProLumen 5000k's in my car, very white with a hint of blue. Make sure your housing can handle the heat, I know I never would have thrown them in my BMW's stock lights. Euro lights + projector lows + HID's = FTW.

Soon to come yellow HID fogs!

(honestly, the difference between HIDs and halogens is night and day to me.. I was skeptical when I bought the kit but now I need more )


I'll snap a few pictures tomorrow night for you, and I'll also get some shots with the high's on because you can really see the differences in color temps. Highs are H1 55w Silverstars.

thanks! you own

 

[jamesbond007]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: jamesbond007
While we're on the subject of quality lights, is there any bulb/color spectrum frequency that is good for rain and wet ground at night? I have the hardest time seeing the ground during this time and get really wary of driving and only drive if I have to.

Thanks!

Yellow.

Blue/violet scatters the most. Red/yellow scatters the least. This is why true fog lights are yellow as well. You will perceive yellow lights as "dimmer" because of less glare, but you will actually see better.

ZV

Thanks for the reply! I only have a 2003 Neon SXT right now, as I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg, I don't have the front bumper that has the spots for fog lamps, unfortunately. When I get out of school next year, I am going to make dang sure I get all the lights in front. I would really like a Legacy GT for a daily driver...

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: exodus454
I have ProLumen 5000k's in my car, very white with a hint of blue. Make sure your housing can handle the heat, I know I never would have thrown them in my BMW's stock lights. Euro lights + projector lows + HID's = FTW.

Soon to come yellow HID fogs!

(honestly, the difference between HIDs and halogens is night and day to me.. I was skeptical when I bought the kit but now I need more )


I'll snap a few pictures tomorrow night for you, and I'll also get some shots with the high's on because you can really see the differences in color temps. Highs are H1 55w Silverstars.

US Silverstars are junk. Pure and simple junk. They put out fewer lumens than the much cheaper (and non-tinted) Sylvania XtraVision bulbs (in the pink/purple packaging) and because the US Silverstars are tinted, they put out most of their light in the blue/violet end of the spectrum, which means that they produce large amounts of glare. This glare is perceived as "brighter" even though actual seeing ability is diminished.

Furthermore, photographic tests are essentially worthless. A camera is not a human eye (and therefore is not susceptible to phenomena such as blue/violet light failing to trigger proper pupil constriction), and a camera will adjust shitter speed based on available light, so a photograph will _never_ accurately show total light output. At best a photograph is useful ONLY to illustrate the beam pattern, but it is ALWAYS useless for comparing actual light output.

ZV

 

[steveox]

I just recently got some 4300k installed in my car. They are 95% white with a slight hint of blue... but they look awesome and the road looks super white. Especially with the fresh snow that's been coming lately, they are BRIGHT! Very nice blueish purple cutoff line as the color mod was done as well.


Front of the car
and
Cutoff Line

There was a problem with the one projector being aligned which is now fixed.. but that's an older pic

i also have a comparison shot with my old stock bulbs
Comparison

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: exodus454
I have ProLumen 5000k's in my car, very white with a hint of blue. Make sure your housing can handle the heat, I know I never would have thrown them in my BMW's stock lights. Euro lights + projector lows + HID's = FTW.

Soon to come yellow HID fogs!

(honestly, the difference between HIDs and halogens is night and day to me.. I was skeptical when I bought the kit but now I need more )


I'll snap a few pictures tomorrow night for you, and I'll also get some shots with the high's on because you can really see the differences in color temps. Highs are H1 55w Silverstars.

US Silverstars are junk. Pure and simple junk. They put out fewer lumens than the much cheaper (and non-tinted) Sylvania XtraVision bulbs (in the pink/purple packaging) and because the US Silverstars are tinted, they put out most of their light in the blue/violet end of the spectrum, which means that they produce large amounts of glare. This glare is perceived as "brighter" even though actual seeing ability is diminished.

Furthermore, photographic tests are essentially worthless. A camera is not a human eye (and therefore is not susceptible to phenomena such as blue/violet light failing to trigger proper pupil constriction), and a camera will adjust shitter speed based on available light, so a photograph will _never_ accurately show total light output. At best a photograph is useful ONLY to illustrate the beam pattern, but it is ALWAYS useless for comparing actual light output.

ZV

A photograph is OK at illustrating the comparative difference though, as long as the viewer is familiar with a constant in the photo (ie. one photo of front of car, with stock in left headlight, HID in right).

As you say, not ideal though.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Apex
A photograph is OK at illustrating the comparative difference though, as long as the viewer is familiar with a constant in the photo (ie. one photo of front of car, with stock in left headlight, HID in right).

As you say, not ideal though.

No, it's not. The camera will adjust aperture and shutter speed which will make the photographs look different from reality in terms of brightness. Even if aperture and shutter speed are held constant, cameras don't respond to light the same way, and for digital, the white balance is not constant, which can make a huge difference. Cameras also don't react the same to back-scatter and glare.

The only thing it's useful for is beam pattern. Or for marketing photos trying to convince people to spend far too much money on bulbs.

Some of the best information can be found here and here.

ZV

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Apex
A photograph is OK at illustrating the comparative difference though, as long as the viewer is familiar with a constant in the photo (ie. one photo of front of car, with stock in left headlight, HID in right).

As you say, not ideal though.

No, it's not. The camera will adjust aperture and shutter speed which will make the photographs look different from reality in terms of brightness. Even if aperture and shutter speed are held constant, cameras don't respond to light the same way, and for digital, the white balance is not constant, which can make a huge difference. Cameras also don't react the same to back-scatter and glare.

The only thing it's useful for is beam pattern. Or for marketing photos trying to convince people to spend far too much money on bulbs.

Some of the best information can be found here and here.

ZV

I absolutely agree cameras don't react the same to scatter and glare as our eyes do. However, if both lights are in 1 picture, and pictures are taken both within the intended illumination area and outside, it gives you a basic yardstick to estimate brightness difference.

Stern has of the best information, and also some of the worst logic out there.

 

[steveox]

although i do agree with you guys with the camera stuff... in my comparison shot above.. you can see how the foglights make the headlights look yellow the old way... and vice versa with the new lights. although not necessarily a perfect comparison.. you can see the differences in the lights that way

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Apex
Stern has of the best information, and also some of the worst logic out there.

Not sure what you mean about the worst logic. I haven't seen anything to take issue with.

ZV

 

[Aimster]

5000k is almost close to stock.. 4500-5000 is stock but I believe most are 4500..

the lower the number the brighter

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: steveox
although i do agree with you guys with the camera stuff... in my comparison shot above.. you can see how the foglights make the headlights look yellow the old way... and vice versa with the new lights. although not necessarily a perfect comparison.. you can see the differences in the lights that way

The comparison shot is two separate pictures. A simple difference in white balance can account for 100% of the difference in coloring of the two shots.

ZV

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: Aimster
5000k is almost close to stock.. 4500-5000 is stock but I believe most are 4500..

the lower the number the brighter

For the last fvcking time, color temberature has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with lumen output. NOTHING.

The only way to tell the lamp's brightness is to measure the lumen output. Color temperature has ZERO impact on the brightness of the light.

ZV

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I have HID headlights in my car. Personally, I think they have kind of a bluish tint to them. They are completely stock and I've never considered changing them...I have no idea what K they are.

HID's don't have a tint. A tint allows only a certain portion of the spectrum through (blue tinted halogen bulbs emit _only_ blueish light). HID bulbs emit the full spectrum, which includes a discrete blue componant.

ZV

They have even emission across the full spectrum? You sure there aren't any peaks at all?

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: Apex
Stern has of the best information, and also some of the worst logic out there.

Not sure what you mean about the worst logic. I haven't seen anything to take issue with.

ZV

There's one clearcut example in the second link you gave, about aftermarket HID retrofitting. His basics are great (light source pattern and optics determine usable output), but his conclusion that because there's a mismatch you'll get less usable light is wrong.

There's 2 issues here:

1. HID puts out more light (up to 5200 lumens vs 2100 for the best halogen)
2. The lens may reduce the output of usable light

Whether or not the HID retrofit will produce more usable light overall depends on whether issue 1 or 2 plays a greater role in that combination.



Other places, he's just plain wrong:

For instance, in your first link:

There are *NO* legitimate or safe HID retrofits for the headlamps of any car which didn't have HID lamps as a factory option.

Hella's 90mm headlamp module, part # 68137 is made for H9, and 68139 is D2S. Internally, they're the same except for the bulb.

http://www.hella.com/produktion/HellaPo...eadlamps/Modules_90mm/Modules_90mm.jsp

 

[Alprazolam]

What would mine be in my 750Li?

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Alprazolam
What would mine be in my 750Li?

Depends on how old it is.

OEM HID start at between 4100k-4300k. As they age, their color temp goes up. When they're nearly dead (takes awhile, especially on these latest models), they should be close to the 6000k range.

 

[Alprazolam]

2007

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: Alprazolam
2007

Old in terms of hours of usage on the bulbs.

I'm guessing you'll be very close to 4300k though.

 

[Alprazolam]

Originally posted by: Apex

Originally posted by: Alprazolam
2007

Old in terms of hours of usage on the bulbs.

I'm guessing you'll be very close to 4300k though.

Thanks, I was just curious.