Mike,

Hmmm...brightness can be rather subjective and tricky to compare. Here is my take on it:

Either one will cause a very rapid pupil response and almost immediate tears in your eyes due to the rather intense and direct light from a distance of two feet.

Lamp differences:
Minimag has a better "throw" or ability to project a beam of light out a distance and show a spot. Obviously this would also depend upon the actual setting of the lens, somewhere between extreme spot and flood settings. The Minimag also has a dark shadow & shadow/light rings that vary depending upon the setting.

The photon does not project or throw the light the same, due to being light emitting diode (LED) based. In general, most LED type lights will provide better flood lighting than distance throw.

Please check out Doug's writeups on lights elsewhere on this website, and when you have a moment, go to www.candlepowerforums.com and do a search on "photon" "minimag" and cruise around the LED thread as well. There is a wealth of information and links to other good flashlight sites as well.

Regards,
Comanche7