so every single thread i read ends with just buy the dji mini whatever and im starting to wonder if this community is just kind of a dji fanclub or if theyre actually that much better than everything else. like are there no other brands worth considering for a first drone. i dont have a problem spending the money i just want to know im not missing something

for context i want to fly mostly in open fields and maybe some coastal stuff, wind is probably going to be an issue where i live. budget isnt really the main concern, more like i want something that wont just fall out of the sky while im still figuring things out

its not blind fanboying, they really are just that far ahead for this price range. ive owned an autel evo nano and a dji mini 3 and the dji wins on wind resistance, obstacle sensing, and the app is way more stable. autel is a legit alternative if you want to avoid dji for whatever reason, and their customer service is actually better from what ive heard, but for a first drone in coastal wind conditions id still say mini 3 or mini 4 pro if you want obstacle avoidance. the mini 2 SE doesnt have that so worth knowing before you decide

tbh i thought the same thing when i started. tried a cheaper hubsan thing first because i was skeptical of spending that much and regretted it pretty fast, spent more time fighting the thing than actually flying. ended up with a mini 3 anyway. coastal flying you really do want something with decent wind resistance, i fly near the water sometimes and anything under about 25mph wind the mini handles fine but past that its a struggle regardless of what you buy