so ive been wanting to get into drones for a while now and i finally have some money saved up, around $200 maybe $300 if something is really worth it. i dont really know what im looking for tbh. i just want something that wont crash immediately and maybe take decent video? i have zero experience flying anything like this. my neighbor has one but i forgot what brand it was, something with a blue logo i think. anyway i dont want to spend a ton because i might hate it, but also dont want to buy junk. any suggestions would be great

honestly for your budget the DJI Mini 2 SE is probably the move if you can find it around $299. its super stable, hard to crash due to the obstacle avoidance, and the footage looks really clean for the price. i started with a cheaper hubsan thing and regretted it because i spent more time frustrated than actually flying. the mini 2 SE just works out of the box which is what you want when youre learning. only downside is you gotta register it with the FAA if youre in the US since its just over 250g but thats like a 5 minute thing online

the mini 2 SE is fine but also worth looking at the Holy Stone HS720E if budget is tight, ive seen it go on sale a lot. not as polished as DJI stuff but its a real drone with GPS hold and decent cam. i flew one for about 6 months before i upgraded. just dont expect pro footage, its more like decent youtube footage lol