ok so ive been watching a bunch of youtube videos about drones for like the past month and i keep going back and forth on what to actually buy. my budget is around 300 maybe a little more if its worth it. i dont want something super cheap that just breaks the first time i crash it but i also dont want to spend a fortune on my first one because i know im probably gonna crash it a lot lol

i keep seeing the DJI mini series mentioned everywhere but then someone in a comment said theres better options for beginners and now im confused again. i mostly want to just fly around my neighborhood and maybe take some decent video of like hiking trips and stuff. nothing professional. do i need to register it? do i need a license? i genuinely have no idea how any of the legal stuff works either

honestly for your budget and what you want to do the DJI Mini 2 SE or even the Mini 3 if you can stretch a bit is probably the move. the mini series is under 250 grams which matters a lot because in the US at least you dont have to register it with the FAA for recreational flying if its under that weight. still worth reading up on local rules though because some parks and areas have their own restrictions that have nothing to do with the FAA.

the mini 2 SE specifically shoots decent 4k video and the obstacle avoidance isnt there but honestly for learning to fly you kind of want to be paying attention yourself anyway rather than relying on sensors to save you. i started on a mini 2 and crashed it maybe twice in the first week, both times totally my fault, and it survived both. theyre pretty robust for what they are. just get a couple extra batteries because the flight time goes fast when youre having fun.

im pretty new too so take this with a grain of salt but i started on a Holy Stone HS720 before upgrading and kind of wish i had just gone straight to a DJI. the cheaper brands feel sluggish and the app is kind of garbage compared to DJI fly. not saying dont go budget but like the mini 2 SE is already pretty affordable and youre getting a much better experience out of the box