JVC VideoMovie GR-C7

The JVC VideoMovie GR-C7U is a VHS-C camcorder that's from JVC's VideoMovie camcorder series. It was manufactured within 1985 to 1986. Unlike the GR-C1U [the exact model used in Back to the Future (1985)] being a shoulder-mounted camcorder, also using Newvicon tubes—the GR-C7U is itself considerably the very first VHS-C camcorder, if not the very first camcorder to use a CCD image sensor ever. It's rival within the time of their popularity was Sony's Handycam CCD-M8U. Hence an advertisement for the GR-C7U went as far to dub the Handycam an "Eightball."

It also was for it's time, capable with more features than any other camcorder. Including Playback and (one of the first or if not,) the very first camcorder to contain VTR; capable to record from another source to the camcorder! Sony's CCD-M8U is smaller than the GR-C7U, but was strictly only for recording due to its limited features. Only ranging from three fixed focus options, two fixed white balances and one purpose only: just to record to tape (an echo of the Betamovie camcorder). Sony's Handycam series copied this neglected inspiration, in the mid-to-late 90s expanding the Player mode to VTR mode. Hence adding recording capabilities to Video8/Hi8 tapes, while VHS-C camcorders after the GR-C7U in the 80s and 90s didn't carry recording capabilities to VHS-C, as an option only found on the GR-C7U for its time.