Ok, sorry to revive an old thread here - I didn't want to start a new one, but wanted to bring this up as a point again:
1) I love my MiniMag. Bought an LED conversion kit from
www.thinkgeek.com that included blue and red gel filters, plus a "fancy" replacement endcap that allows for 3 different brightness settings, 2 strobe settings, and sporadically blinks with a SMALL red LED so if you've lost/dropped it somewhere in the dark backstage, it's easy to find again. As for batteries, I usually snag the leftover Duracell ProCells from our Mic packs since they're only used for one performance and then go in a box to sit until they're needed (for Flashlights, 2-way radios, etc.). They seem to last quite a while in my MagLite, so I can't complain!
2) I was going to start a new thread inquiring about the usefulness of Headlamps, but I think this thread answered it pretty well. From what I'm reading, the Petzl E49P is a good one (three brightness settings, a "flip-down" red filter), but I was curious if anyone had personal experience with any other brands/models that they absolutely loved/hated?