FORMAT: Video 8     DATE: 1990 PRICE: £250 [2005: £380] 16x25x8cm 2.5 kg

The C3 was the baby of the Sony Video 8 VCR range, and was intended for use as an edit deck when post-producing your camcorder tapes. Consequently it has no tuner or timer, but does have edit and synchro edit facilities, when used with other Sony equipment.
The tiny 8mm mechanism and lack of tuner / timer make this a very compact unit, about the same size as a large book. All the usual controls are present, with the record switch a slider at the bottom -- a typical Sony feature, intended to prevent accidental recording, and just like some of the very earliest Betamax decks.
The counter is real-time (hours, minutes and seconds) and there is a Go To Zero facility. Extra controls on the remote give freeze-frame and frame advance, plus slow playback at 1/5 and 1/10 normal speed -- all useful for accurately locating an edit point. There is also double speed playback, though this is less useful!

	No real surprises inside. You can clearly see the tracks either side of the head drum, along which pins pull the tape: this machine laces in the M pattern, like VHS. I bought this machine new, intending to save wear on the heads of my camcorder while editing. The plan only half worked, as I wore out this machine instead...
See the next room for more information on the Video8 format