Consider these before you buy anything.
I just bought tonight from elektrolumens via email an AA flashlight running a focusable 5watt cyan luxeon for $149. It is custom built into a garrity flashlight. It is resistored for rechargeable batteries. It has a custom holder for 6AA batteries. It is fully focusable. Elektrolumens told me that the side emitter for the cyan 5watt sucks; its beam is to wide and unfocusable. So he's building it out of a lambertian cyan emitter 5watt. It will get 2 hours bright runtime. My maha c401fs charger will recharge 4 2000 mah batteries in 100 minutes. So I can have 8 fresh batteries in 3 hours.
I also bought the madmax sandwich because it is adjustable via a trimpot on the circuit board and it's graph on dat2zip's webpage shows better output with rechargeables than the badboy. People say it will damage nimh if left running but phooey look at the graph. You'd have to be an idiot not to notice the drop off and switch batteries. Well worth it.
http://home.attbi.com/~theledguy/hobby/images/graph_red_mini_comparison.gif
I bought the crystal saphire lens for it as well. Also, dat2zip said in his instructions that the conversion needs a switch for the minimag because the minimag on off twist head function dislodges the sandwich. You can buy his kroll switch or fry's ram switch. I bought both and will decide which is best.
Kroll switch
http://home.attbi.com/~theledguy/cpf_store/misc.htm#Kroll%20tailcap%20Switch
Ram switch
http://shop2.outpost.com/product/3407283
You can get an arc ls2rev2 for $90 from arc. It's water proof but you have to ask Peter Gransee if he has solved the flex problem with his flashlights. It would be annoying to have it flicker and turn permanently dim and have to send it in for repair. Beautiful flashlight. Just make sure to ask if it is fixed from the flex bug.
http://store.yahoo.com/flashlight/blemishedls2.html
Always check here to see what custom jobs are offered on ebay:
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?GetResult&SortProperty=MetaHighestPriceSort&query=led&from=R5&ht=1&category3=16037&combine=y&st=2
Lambda has a nice pill but he's always out
http://home.mchsi.com/~lambda/lambda3.htm
You could go direct drive with elektrolumens brinkman or lambda's Q2 or mr bulk lgi or whatever. Make sure to ask for resistor to be added if you want a 3AA direct drive.
But all in all, I'd say get the 6 AA 5watt cyan lambertian focusable resistorred for rechargeable battery use GARITTY flashlight by elektrolumens for $149 is the best value. It is one of a kind. Every one else offers only D cell 5 watt luxeon mods and only collimated not focusable.
If you'd want another flashlight get elektrolumens to build you a collimated cyan 5watt lambertian flashlight using 6AA batteries and resistorred for rechargeables in say a maglite 2d flashlight body. I think elektrolumens will build this for you for $69, maybe a little more. You may have to settle for the 5 or 6 D cell
flashlight for the $69 or $79
price; I think it's more
work to make it accomodate the AA batteries. I
may be wrong, so ask him.
THe 5 watt cyan collimated light puts out so much more light than the 1 watt luxeon that it isn't funny. The 1 watt lights up a circlular area. The 5 watt lights up the entire side of my room. However it doesn't cast any further than the 1 watt because the optics suck. That's why you need a focusable flashlight to get good casting with the 5 watt cyan emitter. Elektrolumens told me side emitting 5 watt cyan's suck; lambertians actually focus better.
When you buy a sandwich mod for the minimag you'll spend 40 for sandwich, 7 for minimag, 5 for tailcap switch for $52. For just $17 to
$27more you could get a collimated 6AA or 6d flashlight (I'm not sure which he'd build for this price). It'd blow everything else away.
I know 6AA batteries sound like alot. But my maha c401fs charger does 4AA 2000mah batteries in 100 minutes. 6AA is no problem.
http://www.elektrolumens.com/