ok so ive been watching a ton of youtube videos about drones and i think i want to get one but theres like a million options and i have no idea where to start. my budget is probably around 200-300 dollars maybe a bit more if it's worth it. i dont really know what i want to do with it yet, maybe just fly around my neighborhood and take some videos? nothing professional or anything. someone mentioned the DJI Mini series to me but i dont know if thats overkill for a first drone or if i should get something cheaper to learn on first. i also live near some parks so outdoor flying is probably what id be doing mostly. anyway just looking for any advice really, i feel like every article i read just tries to sell me the most expensive thing possible

honestly just get the DJI Mini 2 SE if you can find it on sale, or stretch a little for the Mini 3 if budget allows. i know people always say "get a cheap one to learn on" but those cheap no-name drones from amazon are genuinely terrible to fly and you'll just get frustrated and quit. the Mini series flies itself pretty well, has decent obstacle avoidance on the newer ones, and the video quality is actually good enough that you wont be embarrassed showing the footage to anyone. the sub-250g weight thing matters too because you avoid a lot of the heavier registration requirements depending on where you are. i started on a Tello years ago and honestly wish i'd just bought something decent from the start, would have saved money overall

im pretty new too so take this for what its worth but i got a Holy Stone HS720 like 6 months ago as my first one and its been fine for learning? it doesnt have the greatest camera and the GPS can be a little twitchy sometimes but i havent crashed it into anything yet lol. that said everyone i talk to on here keeps telling me i shouldve just gone DJI from the start so maybe listen to them and not me