Whether its a ballet recital, soccer game or a wedding, camcorders have become a fixture in the American family. Recording the special moments in life is something we often take for granted now, but as anyone knows who's been apart from a loved one, a video can help bring all the memories rushing back. To make sure those memories are captured the way that you need, rather than rely on self-interested sales people to show you the way, we've put together this buying guide that'll help you pick the perfect camcorder for your situation.

Not all camcorders are created equal, and a few select features differentiate which camera is right for each person. The first step in determining which camera is right for each scenario is actually defining the situations in which the camera will be used. Is this camera for capturing quick memories? Will it be used to shoot short films with the kids? Or, are you more serious about finding the right camcorder and looking to shoot better quality video? Answer these questions before looking at specific models, as the answers will help guide your choice.

Once you've figured out how you're planning to use the camera, next think about the potential storage device. Users looking to nab a quick video here or there won't mind the fact that they can't archive the footage. However, users looking to keep memories for a while should at least consider a storage medium that can be backed up inexpensively.

There are a few options for storing footage. The old kid on the block is one of the most reliable options, and that's the tape-based MiniDV format. While in the digital age it might seem a tad archaic to store footage on tape, tapes are a time tested method for shooting and archiving footage. MiniDV is also the ideal format for users who would like to be able to edit footage on editing systems like iMovie, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. Users can capture footage by simply playing the tape back in the camera while hooking up a Firewire cable to the camera. MiniDV tapes hold about 63 minutes of footage, and cost around $2 - $5 per tape.

Just as VHS was replaced by DVD, MiniDV tapes are starting to be phased out of consumer camcorders in favor of Mini DVD. Like its name implies, Mini DVD records footage to eight centimeter discs record video that can be played back on most DVD players, which means watching the footage is very simplistic. Aspiring movie makers beware though, Mini DVD is tougher to edit than MiniDV, though it can be done. We recommend Mini DVD as a great storage mechanism for someone who's casually shooting video of family events and wants to be able to share the video without much editing.

On the other side of the storage coin is flash memory and hard drive storage. Rather than providing a removable storage option, some cameras opt to instead simply have a built-in storage mechanism that will record video, with the assumption that users will either delete the clips they don't need, or transfer the footage off of the internal storage to a hard drive or the internet. As you can imagine, flash memory and hard drive storage is best for short clips and for video that isn't going to be saved indefinitely. Aspiring movie makers should also note that high-end computers are required to edit most of the footage shot with flash memory and hard drive-based camcorders.

Once buyers have picked out the storage mechanism, the next major factor is price. Camcorders can be found for under $100, and can range all the way up to thousands of dollars. Most of the time, the price point will guide the style of camcorder. On the low end of the spectrum, at the sub $300 price point, expect to find camcorders that have a relatively low picture quality but that can do the basic job of capturing memories effectively. Most camcorders at the low end are created more or less equal, with the biggest difference being storage option. All four storage options should be available on inexpensive cameras, so pick the storage solution that fits your budget and shooting situation.

Camcorders ranging from $300 to $600 tend to add some interesting features like automated YouTube uploads as well as a digital picture mode that can shoot to memory cards. However, we don't find ourselves finding too many reasons to spend between $300 and $600. The next real budget tier is $600 and above. Once buyers hit the $600 range, HD video enters the mix. HD can help shooters create video that will look better when shown on HDTVs into the future, and on the consumer level the difference can be pretty drastic from SD to HD. However, don't expect the Hollywood epic cinema look. Video is more than resolution, and there are other factors like lens quality, sensor size and number of sensors to consider. HD video is a feature that's nice to have if you have the cash and an HDTV, but try to balance gadget lust with the price. Expect to spend up to $1,000 on an HD camera.

Lastly, users looking to get the most out of their camcorder will need to look for a few key things to create a high quality video product, even if the camera costs less than $300. The biggest feature that is easy to overlook is a microphone input. Having a microphone input on a camera allows external mics to be used, which adds quite a bit of production value to even the lowest quality camera. Also, make sure the camera has a way to be mounted to a tripod. Using a tripod keeps the shakes out of the video, and again adds a bit of extra production value.

Hopefully you've got a good starting point for picking out the right camcorder. The biggest tip to keep in mind is finding the proper storage for your situation, and then putting all the other parts in order based on storage. If you've got more questions about camcorders, let us know via our tips form or leave a comment on this post. Happy recording!