Meh. The itp A6 Polestar is about 80 bucks, uses 6xAAs and hits 700 lumens.
Using D cells is nice because no need for a battery pack. However it is only 6 volts (vs 9 volts for 6xAAs in series) which I am not sure would be enough to really power the MC-E at 2.5 Amps.
Also the Polestar would be a heck of a lot lighter and more compact as its only 9 inches long or so. It fits nicely in hand. It is also pretty well received, is waterproof, hardware anodized, glass lens, decently built, etc. Also 3 brightness levels and strobe.