ok so ive been wanting to get into drones for like a year now and i keep going down rabbit holes on youtube and then just closing the tab because theres too much information and i dont know where to start. my budget is probably around 200-300 dollars maybe a bit more if its worth it. i dont really care about doing crazy aerial photography or anything, i just want to fly around outside and maybe get some decent video of like hikes and stuff. someone at work flies drones and mentioned something about the DJI mini but i have no idea if thats the right one or if theres cheaper options that are just as good for a beginner. also i live near an airport so i guess there are rules i need to know about? anyway any help is appreciated im genuinely confused

the DJI Mini 2 SE is probably where id point you, its right in that price range and honestly its hard to beat for what it is. the stabilization makes it really forgiving when youre still figuring out the controls and the video quality is way better than you'd expect at that price. ive seen people buy cheaper stuff thinking theyll save money and then just end up frustrated because the flight characteristics are so twitchy. regarding the airport thing yeah you definitely want to look up the FAA B4UFLY app or just check airspace on something like AirMap before you go out. if youre near class D or C airspace youll need to get LAANC authorization which sounds scary but its literally just an app approval that takes like two minutes. and if your drone is over 250 grams youll need to register it with the FAA for like 5 bucks. the mini 2 SE is actually right under 249g which keeps things simpler for recreational flying.

honestly dont overthink it. i spent three weeks researching my first drone and then bought the mini anyway lol. just get the mini SE if budget is tight or the regular Mini 4 Pro if you can stretch a little, fly it a lot before you worry about anything else. the rules stuff is real but its not as complicated as forums make it sound, just dont fly over crowds or near airports without checking first and youre probably fine for casual hiking shots.