so my brother got one of those dji minis last christmas and ive been kind of obsessed ever since. been watching youtube videos for like two weeks straight and now i feel like i know too much and also nothing at all if that makes sense. theres so many options and everyone online seems to have a strong opinion about which one is the right first drone and half of them are contradicting each other.

my budget is probably around 300 maybe a little more if something is really worth it. i mostly want to fly outside, maybe take some videos of hikes and stuff, nothing crazy. i dont care about racing or anything like that. do i just get the mini 3 or is that overkill for someone who hasnt even touched a drone controller before? or should i start with something cheaper to learn on in case i crash it

honestly the "get a cheap one first to crash" advice is kinda outdated at this point. the mini 3 has obstacle avoidance and return to home and all that stuff that makes it way harder to lose or destroy your first drone compared to what people were buying five years ago. if you have the budget just get the mini 3, you'll be glad you didn't spend money on something you'll outgrow in two weeks.

the only thing id say is dont skip reading about airspace regulations before you go out. a lot of people get their drone and just fly it anywhere and then get surprised when theyre in controlled airspace. download the b4ufly app or whatever your country equivalent is before your first flight, saves a headache later.

i was in the exact same spot like 4 months ago lol. ended up getting the mini 2 SE because it was on sale and honestly it's been great for learning. the mini 3 is better for sure but if you find the SE cheaper its not a bad starting point either. just my experience tho