ok so im pretty new to all this, like i just got interested in drones maybe two months ago and ive been doing a ton of research. my budget is around $400-500 and the Nano series keeps coming up. im leaning toward the Nano+ because of the bigger sensor but honestly i dont even fully understand what that means in practice yet ? like will i actually notice the difference as someone just starting out, or is that kind of thing only matters once you know what youre doing.

also i live in a pretty rural area so mostly i'd be flying over fields and some wooded areas near my house, nothing crazy. i dont have any intentions of doing this professionally or anything, mostly just want to get into the hobby and take some cool video of the property and maybe some local hiking spots. any advice appreciated, sorry if this is a dumb question

not a dumb question at all. honestly for what you're describing ? rural flying, personal use, just getting into the hobby ? the regular Nano would probably serve you just fine. the sensor difference between the two is real but it mostly shows up in lower light situations and when you start doing more advanced color grading stuff in post. if youre just putting videos together for yourself or sharing with family youre probably not gonna sit there thinking wow i really wish i had that bigger sensor.

that said if your budget allows for the plus and you think theres even a small chance you'll get more serious about it later, the upgrade isnt huge but you wont regret having it. i'd say think about whether you want to buy up once or potentially upgrade sooner. either way both are solid little drones for the price, Autel doesnt really make junk

I went through this exact debate a few months ago and ended up with the Nano+. Coming from someone who also had zero experience ? I don't think I'd be able to tell you right now whether the sensor upgrade was worth it because I'm still figuring out the basics lol. But the camera does look really nice even on auto settings so no regrets. One thing nobody mentioned to me before I bought was to budget for extra batteries right away, the flight time on these smaller drones goes fast and you'll want at least 2-3 batteries or youll spend more time charging than flying