<P> Video cameras originally designed for television broadcast were large and heavy, mounted on special pedestals and wired to remote recorders in separate rooms . As technology improved, out - of - studio video recording was possible with compact video cameras and portable video recorders; a detachable recording unit could be carried to a shooting location . Although the camera itself was compact, the need for a separate recorder made on - location shooting a two - person job . Specialized videocassette recorders were introduced by JVC (VHS) and Sony (U-matic, with Betamax) releasing a model for mobile work . Portable recorders meant that recorded video footage could be aired on the early - evening news, since it was no longer necessary to develop film . </P> <P> In 1983, Sony released the first camcorder, the Betacam system, for professional use . A key component was a single camera - recorder unit, eliminating a cable between the camera and recorder and increasing the camera operator's freedom . The Betacam used the same cassette format (0.5 inches or 1.3 centimetres tape) as the Betamax, but with a different, incompatible recording format . It became standard equipment for broadcast news . </P> <P> Sony released the first consumer camcorder in 1983, the Betamovie BMC - 100P . It used a Betamax cassette and rested on the operator's shoulder, due to a design not permitting a single - handed grip . That year, JVC released the first VHS - C camcorder . Kodak announced a new camcorder format in 1984, the 8 mm video format . Sony introduced its compact 8 mm Video8 format in 1985 . That year, Panasonic, RCA and Hitachi began producing camcorders using a full - size VHS cassette with a three - hour capacity . These shoulder - mount camcorders were used by videophiles, industrial videographers and college TV studios . Full - size Super-VHS (S - VHS) camcorders were released in 1987, providing an inexpensive way to collect news segments or other videographies . Sony upgraded Video8, releasing the Hi8 in competition with S - VHS . </P> <P> Digital technology emerged with the Sony D1, a device which recorded uncompressed data and required a large amount of bandwidth for its time . In 1992 Ampex introduced DCT, the first digital video format with data compression using the discrete cosine transform algorithm present in most commercial digital video formats . In 1995 Sony, JVC, Panasonic and other video - camera manufacturers launched DV, which became a de facto standard for home video production, independent filmmaking and citizen journalism . That year, Ikegami introduced Editcam (the first tapeless video recording system). </P>

When did the first vhs camcorder come out