LEDs on or off?

[lancecov]

Hi all. First time poster here. I have been reading this forum for months as I pondered my first dashcam purchase. I decided to get a BlackVue DR900S 2 CH and am now in the process of setting it up. I noticed that I have the option to turn off and on various LEDs (indicating status for WiFi, recording, etc) As I see it, there are two viewpoints on whether having these LEDs on is a good idea.

Option 1 - LEDs on: You will instantly know the status of your dashcam. Anyone thinking of vandalizing your car will think twice if they see the blinking LEDs and realize they are being recorded.

Option 2 - LEDs off: The dashcam is in “stealth” mode. Possible dashcam thieves will not see the dashcam as easily. Vandals will not be as careful about hiding their identity.

I would love to hear opinions about which option is better. Thanks in advance for your comments.

 

[kamkar]

Stealth all the way baby at least that is what i prefer, but rarely have due to having 4-5 dashcams just on the windscreen, so there are a few downsides of people sending me free dashcams to test / beat on.

I don't mind a LED on the inward facing side of a camera, but regarding the outside i prefer to have things blend in and not be seen.

 

[SteveFL]

I leave my camera's, (I have three,) LED on. I have noticed that they are barely visible outside of the car in the dark.

 

[SawMaster]

If the LED is obnoxious I'll do something to dim it- a tiny piece of colored tape or if it's exposed a swipe with a sharpie marker. I do want to know the working status of my cams at all times, as more than a few times one or another has had problems in mid-drive and were it not for the LED I wouldn't have known.

Phil

 

[Ralph2]

Covered mine over with a piece of tape. Keep it as un noticeable as possible.

 

[mcmanus]

I have the same cam and I turned mine off. The front one is actually really bright when its dark out.