Morimoto Mini D2S 5.0 - Output Shot Released

[SicilianStyle]

Today Lightwerkz released the output shot of the upcoming Mini D2S 5.0. It's supposed to be released by December. What do you guys think?



We can see that they have changed from a step cutoff to a sloped cutoff. It is also reported that the new projector will have a straight shield instead of the curved shield previously seen in the Mini D2S 4.0.

Lightwerkz has not yet provided any photos of the high beam, nor have they made any videos facing it off against the 4.0 or the G5-R. This photo was taken at their recent trip to TRS's shop, so it's unconfirmed whether or not they received their own version to make videos with.

[gold94corolla]

As with all previous TRS/Morimoto releases, we really do need to wait until the actual final product hits the shelves and is compared against benchmarks like the 4.0 and G5R before any sort of hype can be believed.

[Haloruler64]

Yep, gonna wait till it's in people's hands.

[SicilianStyle]

As with all previous TRS/Morimoto releases, we really do need to wait until the actual final product hits the shelves and is compared against benchmarks like the 4.0 and G5R before any sort of hype can be believed.

I agree. I've been holding off my G5R retrofit since June because I thought these projectors would have dropped by September. So I'm really waiting until these are put against the G5R before I go ahead and make my decision. I must say, I'm a bit disappointed with the slope cutoff, I always found the step to look a lot cleaner.

[jkuroverlander]

It looks like the Mini D2S 5.0 will be available soon. Lightwerkz has posted some initial shots and comparisons.

D2S 5.0 (top) vs G5R (bottom) low beam comparison (no lux values given):

D2S 5.0 lux testing (mention of "hyperspot" and deadspot) & color comparison to D2S 4.0:

High Beam comparison D2S 4.0 (top) vs D2S 5.0 (bottom):




I can't say that I'm a fan of the blue tinted lens and the warmth that it adds to the output.. maybe it'll grow on me. It also looks like the D2S 5.0 may still need a shield drop.

The high beam does appear better though, both more intense and the wide beam band across the cutoff.

I like the sloped cutoff and better high beam, but I'm not sure that's enough of an upgrade for me to pull the D2S 3.0s out of my retrofit and upgrade them to the 5.0. The G5R still looks like the best bang for the buck IMO.

[niZmO_Man]

G5-R still looks better

[jkuroverlander]

Lightwerkz posted some more testing results today:

Mini D2S 4.0 (top) vs D2S 5.0 (bottom) lux testing:


Mini D2S 5.0 (top) vs D2S 5.0 with shield drop (bottom):

They felt that the shield drop didn't have a real improvement. There was a slight increase in lux, but with sacrificing width as the edges bow more.





And a shield comparison, D2S 4.0 (left) vs D2S 5.0 (right):

[Eddie]

In a previous video LW compared the 4.0 to the G5R (same wall), It was 293 vs 540 lux, an 84% increase. This latest comparison of 331 (4.0) vs 561 (5.0) comes out to a 69% increase

So the 5.0 is almost as good as the G5-R

[jkuroverlander]

Lightwerkz posted some comparisons to the RX350 today. These were with Osram CBI bulbs and the new xb35 2.0 ballasts.

RX350 low beam lux testing (389):


RX350 high beam lux testing (657):


D2S 5.0 low beam lux testing (504):


D2S 5.0 high beam lux testing (783):


RX350 (top) vs D2S 5.0 (bottom):


Reduced exposure (notice the warmer spot on the D2S 5.0 and the small "hyperspot" of intensity that Lightwerkz referred to and are measuring the lux from):




RX350 high beam:


D2S 5.0 high beam:


I'm not a fan of the blue AR (anti-reflective) coating on the lens and the yellower warmth that it adds to the center of the output. I'd be interested to see how much lower the lux reading is at that spot. They seem to be performing their lux testing at the "hyperspot", the very small bright spot at the bottom corner of the slope. They supposedly tested a clear lens swap on the D2S 5.0 and it "drastically reduced lux readings". The coating "reduces reflections preventing light loss, eliminates stray light, improves contrast and optical efficiency".

Some additional pictures of the projector itself:

[niZmO_Man]

Pretty good, but that RX350 minimal foreground mmmmm

[SicilianStyle]

I agree with everything said above. Lightwerkz is now officially selling the Mini D2S 5.0 for $145. I've been holding off my retrofit since last June in anticipation for this release. I'm not quite sure if I should choose this over the G5R. I'll still be waiting on Lightwerkz to put this head-to-head in a video against the G5R before I make my final decision. My only gripe with the G5R is the bowing, moderate width, and that the light output on the road seems to have a few dark/dim spots (if that makes sense).

[Haloruler64]

RX350 could be tuned "better" for sure. Nuvolari did a brilliant job shifting the EU shield to the side to make the hotspot under the slope instead of mainly concentrated under the lower cutoff.

[jkuroverlander]

I agree, I'd still choose a tuned RX350. Lightwerkz has posted a full review and comparison to the 4.0 on youtube..

Unfortunately, they didn't do a width comparison or provide a lux reading for the warmer "deadspot" on the 5.0. I'm curious to see how much lower the intensity is as that's a fairly large area in comparison to the small "hyperspot" where they're measuring the max lux value. The high beam does look fantastic. I'd still like to see a full comparison to the G5R and what the output looks like in the 5.0 with a cooler bulb like the Osram CBB.

[jkuroverlander]

They've also confirmed that the 5.0 has the same footprint and mounting points at the 4.0 and G5R meaning that it'll work with any of their existing retroquick kits.

[PatrickGSR94]

Hey folks, haven't been here on HID Planet in a minute! Well somehow I just happened to come across these new Mini 5.0's when I did a search for "E55 projector upgrade". I still have my original E55 projectors in my Integra headlights, that I retrofitted in almost 15 years ago, February 2004! I only just replaced my original 85122 bulbs about 2 years ago, and I'm still using my LVQ-212 ballasts from my olllddddddd OG 9006 HID kit from way back in December 2002! Yes, my ballasts are currently 16 years old.

Anyway, I found these projectors today, and it appears they would be a "drop-in" replacement for my old E55 units, with the TRS mounting plate adapter bracket thingy. What do y'all think? Good option for an E55 upgrade? For years I've thought about changing my projectors, but just never got around to spending the time and money. If I do it, I want it to be the least amount of work as possible.

Pics of my original retrofit from almost 15 years ago, still in the car today and still working great, just that the performance isn't up to par with newer tech.







These lenses are looking pretty bad these days, hopefully if I change projectors I can do some restoration work while the lenses are off:


How they look now, after removing PPF that had been on there for more than 10 years: