Handycam is a Sony brand used to market its camcorder range. It was launched in 1985 as the name of the first Video8 camcorder, replacing Sony's previous line of betamax-based models, and the name was intended to emphasize the "handy" palm-size nature of the camera, made possible by the new miniaturized tape format. This was in marked contrast to the larger, shoulder-mounted cameras available before the creation of Video8, and competing smaller formats such as VHS-C.
