It's certainly a possibility, but then again, he may be in the right. I don't know, I haven't seen OP's light. In fact, I haven't even seen my own (E3 Supernova), except for when I'm on my bike. So, OP, have you seen your light from the other guy's perspective? Maybe you should go out with a friend some dark night and trade bikes, and see what it's really like...
This "your light is too bright!" problem is becoming a recurrent theme here, and we should be looking for solutions, rather than just ignoring it.
I also use a Supernova E3, and while it's an insanely bright light, it can be aimed such that the main spot isn't blinding people. There is still some top-spill, but unless (as you stated) an oncoming rider has problems with his eyes not adjusting properly, the amount of spill from the E3's side/top glow isn't blinding.
The easiest way to determine if your light is too bright is to find a storefront and ride straight toward the front windows. Your reflection will tell you if your light is aimed properly or not.
Originally Posted by
woodway
Just wear it on your helmet. When another cyclist approaches, aim it off to the right side of the trail until they pass. That's what I do and it works fine.
I have my reading/spotting light on my helmet (Princeton Tec Quad), but my main lamp is dyno driven so there's no chance of helmet mounting it.
Originally Posted by
Mendel
Makea hood for the light to block the upper reflected part of the beam. It seems to me that the upper portion of the beam gets wasted anyways.
It depends on the riding conditions. I'm putting a focused beam light (IQ Cyo) as a secondary on my commuter/brevet rig because I can use that on areas like the MUP or the well lit suburban streets. The symmetrial beam E3 is nice for some side-spill on the country backroads when I'm concerned about seeing what's going to come bounding out of the woods in front of me. (Yesterday a fox loped across the road in front of me during my first long descent.)