Did anyone else’s family have a video camera setup like this?
Posted by Thee-lorax-@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 27 comments
You had the camera that was shoulder mounted similar to the one in the picture. Meanwhile you had a portable VCR recorder strapped to you. We were the only people I remember having anything like this. I still remember people not being comfortable being recorded because they just weren’t used to it yet.
My mom would use to pirate videos from the library too. We had a bunch of movies but we didn’t buy any of them.
Creepy_Throat8335@reddit
Not my mom, but my Uncle Terry did.
Emotional_Signal7883@reddit
Chessapeak-play@reddit
That very same one I think
flabergasterer@reddit
We opened a Christmas club account to save $1000 for this bad boy.
https://youtu.be/oY9tOMG9E5o?si=XNANe5fzrk6K1qRp
Ineedavodka2019@reddit
My grandpa. He also had all of the premium channels and set it up to record the movies so his basement was like a free blockbuster.
Psychological_Mind_1@reddit
One set of grandparents in the mid 80s. Other set got the integrated unit a few years later.
mr_tomorrow@reddit
We did growing up. We took it to Williamsburg VA so my parents could film me for a report on Thomas Jefferson in the 4th grade. First day we walked around the historic center looking for locations, like the governor's mansion, etc. When we returned to the hotel the camera was gone. Most likely by someone on the hotel staff. We switched hotels that night. My parents were pissed. I never got to make the video and ended up having to hand write my report like a common peasant.
CliftonHangerBombs@reddit
Yup. But ours was Betamax.
hamburgler26@reddit
Same here, dad was all in on Betamax.
SeaSkimmer2@reddit
Yep, my grandfather got one before my second birthday in 1984. We have hours and hours of family footage from my early youth that I’ve since digitized. My favorite clips are when he’d just set the camera up on a tripod during a get-together and let it record for hours wherever we happened to be…Around the Christmas tree opening gifts, out back during a bbq, family reunions out of state, etc. A large number of since-deceased ancestors (including several of my great-grandparents) and relatives on those too that are just so clear to see and hear that you just want to reach through the TV and give them a hug. I also shared the digitizations with the extended family who now have clear audio and video of their corners of the family from long ago too.
StillhasaWiiU@reddit
My grandpa did, he recorded all his church activities.
augustwest30@reddit
I think my dad had one of those for his business and he would bring it home to use once in a while. I think he just liked to play with the latest tech gadgets and he would buy stuff if he could write it off as a business expense.
torklugnutz@reddit
I have this setup in Beta
TheWorldIsNotOkay@reddit
My dad had maybe that exact camera, assuming that you had to basically carry 3/4 of the VCR around in a satchel in order to use the camera, and the slot the bit from the satchel into a large dock once you got home in order to actually use the VCR. He probably spent a couple of paychecks on the thing, but he got kind of a documentary filmmaker bug in the early 80s and carried the thing to every event of any significance.
heresmytwopence@reddit
Yup. My father picked one up second-hand in the early 90s when they were obsolete. I used the VCR as my personal VCR into the 2000s.
SensitiveArtist@reddit
We had one. Made it really easy to copy tapes since the tape deck didn't automatically scramble the input signal like most VCR's did back then.
choppafoah@reddit
That all looks very expensive, we got by storing memories in our brains.
Plumeria9798@reddit
Yes and since it cost so much in 1984 we used it until 2000. Haha, then we finally convinced my dad to upgrade to a modern camcorder.
Rustymarble@reddit
My grandad did! When my family was finally going to get a VCR in '87, I was ten and totally thought a VCR was a video camera you aimed at your tv.
Sad_Training_1595@reddit
I want to walk around town holding that and pick up chicks.
peeinian@reddit
We had that exact camera either the marching RCA VCR.
I recently came into possession of a VCR and started digitizing our old home videos.
Borracho_Bandit@reddit
Hell yes.
Chicca77@reddit
Sì, mio padre ne aveva comprato uno nel 1987
Fun_Skirt8220@reddit
Yup! Was the house VCR for years as well!
MarkedByCrows@reddit
No way, we weren't that rich. I remember having to rent a VCR.
austex99@reddit
My rich friend’s family had one. My family rented VCR’s along with tapes for years!
Scrapla1@reddit
My aunt had one back around 87. We couldn't afford one so when we went to visit she would let my mom use it. I'm so glad she recorded so many memories. I remember at the time it was kind of annoying but I'm glad she documented so much.