been lurking here for a few weeks trying to figure out what to buy and honestly the more i read the more confused i get. every post is either someone saying get DJI no question or someone saying DJI is overpriced and you should get some brand ive never heard of. im not a kid, i can handle something with a bit of a learning curve, i just dont want to blow 400 dollars on something and then find out i needed a license or something or that i bought the wrong thing for where i live. i live in a suburban area with a decent sized backyard. not sure if thats relevant. is there like one drone thats just genuinely good to start on without all the drama

the drama is real lol. ok so the short answer is yes the DJI minis are genuinely the easiest entry point and the hype is mostly deserved, the fly more combos are worth it if you can swing the cost because extra batteries matter way more than people think. but you mentioned licensing, just to clarify you dont need a license to fly recreationally under 400 feet and away from airports and stuff like that, you just need to pass the TRUST test which is free and takes maybe 20 minutes online. if youre in a suburban area you might have some restricted airspace nearby so download the B4UFLY app or just check on the almap before you go out. that stuff tripped me up early on and its annoying to deal with after the fact.

i mean i started on an Autel Nano+ and thought it was great but half my friends on here will tell me im wrong so take that for what its worth. i do think poeple overcomplicate this. pick something in your budget, watch some youtube videos before you first fly, and dont take it out on a windy day your first time. thats basically it