my brother got a DJI mini 3 and it looks incredible but its like 500 bucks and i cant really justify that for something i might crash into a tree the first week. but then i look at the 150 dollar options and people seem to always say theyre junk. so is there actually anything decent in the middle or do you basically have to choose between spending real money or getting something frustrating. also does the obstacle avoidance thing matter that much for a first drone, is it actually useful or is it more of a gimmick

obstacle avoidance on beginner drones is honestly kind of overhyped in my opinion. the sensors on the cheaper ones are so limited that theyll miss a thin branch completely and youll still end up in a tree, been there. the thing that actually saves you early on is GPS hold and a solid return to home function, those matter way more than obstacle detection when youre starting out. the Mini 2 SE sits around 300 and its a genuine sweet spot ? it doesnt have the upgraded camera the mini 3 has but youre not gonna notice that as a beginner, youre gonna be focused on just not flying it into things

honestly i crashed my first drone like 4 times in the first month and it was a cheap one so i didnt feel that bad about it lol. there is something to be said for learning on something you dont care about that much. that said i eventually upgraded and the difference in how it flies is pretty night and day, way less fighting the controls. i dunno i think either approach can work it just depends on how careful you think youll be and how serious you are about sticking with it