Retrofitting is a time consuming job. We believe it's wise to invest in the best products to make your hard work give the best result possible. We've found out that there are a lot of misconceptions and a lack of knowledge about the different Mini H1 projectors. They have become extremely popular projectors within a few years, since their first release in 2010. Nowadays, there are a lot of different versions on the market, and of course everyone claims to have the best light output. In fact, there are pretty big differences between the performance of the different Mini H1 projectors. So it's time to get some facts on the table, instead of only claims! Today you can find probably more than 10 versions, names and types of the Mini H1 projector. We've tested the most important ones, but we will not cover them all in this post, only the most important ones. To understand the differences in performance, it's important to know that the reflector (the shiny metal rear of the projector) is the most significant part. The design of the reflector plays the biggest part in brightness and shape of the beam pattern. At first, all Mini H1's look pretty much the same, but if you look closely you'll find important differences which can make a huge difference in performance. Method for testing: we have used the exact same camera settings on our Canon EOS 550D camera. Bulbs, ballast and power source are exactly the same. The only difference is the projector. The lux meter has been set to show the maximum measured value. We move the sensor over the entire beam pattern to make sure we measure the brightest spot. Let's get to the test!

Mini H1 classic

This is definitely the version that you'll find the most on the world wide web. This is the exact same design of the very first Mini H1 from 2010. This projector has been sold as version 1.0 to 5.0. There are some minor differences and updates in these versions, but the beam pattern and performance is more or less the same because they all have the exact same reflector. It is most recognizable by the side of the reflector. It has a flattened side with in the middle two round projections.

Mini H1 6.0

The 6.0 version has a completely different reflector. It consists of as it were 2 halves, a wide top half and a smaller lower half.

Test results show that this one is the best performer in terms of light output, next to the 6.1 version. The only drawback is the relatively short thread. On a lot H7 reflectors, it's not exposed enough to tighten the nut far enough and leave enough room for the bulb spring holder. This makes it necessary to grind down the H7 fitting. (click for example).

The real 6.0 version is only available from a limited number of sellers around the world. Make sure you don't buy the fake ones!

Mini H1 6.1

This is the latest addition to the Mini H1 family. We describe it as the best of both 5.0 and 6.0 versions. The reflector has a similar design as the 6.0, with a wider top half of the reflector. The length of the thread is a lot longer, like the classic design. As a result of that, in a lot of H7 fittings it's not necessary to cut or grind. Another advantage of the 6.1 is the fact that halogen bulbs can be used without any modification to the bulb or projector.

Mini H1 projector Halogen bulb

We've compared the light output of these 3 different versions, you can see the test results here.

Conclusion

Now you know the differences between Mini H1 projectors and versions. We believe with this information, you should be able to judge for yourself and decide what's the best choice. If you still have any questions, feel free to contact us.