Scheinwerfermann, you make an interesting point. I've always looked for a really sharp cutoff in low beams. I guess that makes the lamp easier to aim against a measured height on a wall. And it's important to me that I don't have upward glare, both because of oncoming vehicles and for use in fog and snow. But if that beam when shone on a wall simply faded to nothing instead of cutting off sharply, it would still be useful. I do realize that a bit of upward light has to come from my low beams, enough for the other drivers to see them and for me to see roadside signs and reflectors. But I'm a rural driver and not overly concerned about high level signs.
Lately, after hearing some of the comments here, I've started paying more attention to even distribution of light. As I sort through my things and put them away in the shop, I can't resist lighting up some of the lights I've had for years. I note that some low beams have a sharp cutoff but less than ideal distribution below that. Others, like the old Cibie H1 you mentioned, have a sharp cutoff, relative darkness above it, but then stray light at high angle above the beam. This is still going to bother me in fog.
I finally ran across my second 7701 sealed beam and put them both in the same place. Some years ago, I bought the lamps because I wanted the Dietz housings, so the bulbs sit on the shelf. I note this was an auxiliary low beam; they made a big deal about the "dual" reflector and you can see a horizontal line across it. But this is not by any means a "sharp cutoff" beam. Yet was apparently an acceptable auxiliary low beam in its time.
I'll start looking at low beams with a more critical eye. :duh2:
