[quote author=swoop1156 link=topic=65245.msg1119953#msg1119953 date=1167073915]
Well, with that great write up is it possible you could take some decent pictures from a camera on a tripod with about a 5-7 second exposure? Of all the photos of HID's on a Fusion -- they all look like shit and it looks like roots of a tree on a flat surface.
If there is something that you did to produce a "cut-off" that is normally attained through a projector housing with such associated hardware -- lets see it.
[/quote]
Ouch!
You wrote about how much of a constant heartache it is for you to drive your Fusion at night. All I offer is a suggestion, which you can take or leave at your leisure, from one Fusion owner to another. I make no profit from this.
That said, here are some thoughts:
1. A reflector's "cut-off" can never be as sharp as a projector's, as the bulb shield is by definition out of the focal position. It can be improved upon (as was the case with mine) by using a smaller light source (a small arc vs. a large filament). I'm using the stock bulb shield.
2. As I said in another post, I seriously doubt I could beat the quality of noisuf's gallery. Night shots with visible light digital cameras will never do automotive lamps justice. Even pro photographers find those a challenge. I also never want to be accused of "photoshopping."
3. I'm not looking for an ideal solution - I can't afford it. I just hoped for an improvement and was pleasantly surprised. The Fusion's HID reflectors easily outperform the '03 Acura RL's HID reflectors (comparing oranges to oranges here): More light on the road, further down the road.
4. Hotspots seen on proximate white walls are unavoidable with reflectors, even those designed with HID in mind. The idea here is that these spots broaden and join each other on the road, resulting in fairly even illumination.
Luck may have had something to do with the results I got. But I also feel that I got a great quality kit - and you do get what you pay for, sometimes even a little more.
FWIW.
