so ive been watching a lot of youtube videos about drones for maybe a few weeks now and im pretty sure i want to get one but i genuinely dont know where to start. theres so many options and every video just seems to be pushing whatever sponsor they have that month so its hard to trust any of it.

im not looking to spend a ton of money, probably like 200-300 dollars maybe a little more if its worth it. i mostly just want to fly around outside, maybe take some videos of like hiking trips or just my neighborhood. nothing crazy. i dont have any experience at all, i have never flown anything remote controlled before not even as a kid really.

is there like a standard thing people recommend for someone totally new? or should i just buy something cheap first to practice crashing lol

honestly the mini 3 or even the older mini 2 SE if you can find it on sale are probably the most recommended starting points right now for someone in your budget range. the mini 2 SE especially since it sometimes dips under 300 with a combo package. dji stuff just works, which matters a lot when you're starting out and dont want to be troubleshooting firmware issues on top of learning to fly.

the under 249g weight thing is also kind of a big deal depending on where you live because it keeps you out of some registration requirements in certain countries. not saying go read the regulations right this second but its worth knowing about before you start flying near airports or parks and stuff. the dji fly app is pretty intuitive too, took me maybe one afternoon to feel comfortable with the basics when i started.

the cheap practice drone route is kind of a myth imo, you end up spending money twice and the cheap ones fly so differently that the habits dont really transfer. just get the real thing and fly slowly in an open field for the first few sessions. you'll be fine.