No matter the price, what drone would you say is the best for someone just starting out? What’s your first pick? Really curious to hear your thoughts.
Appreciate any advice!
Depends on what you’re looking for. DJI drones are great for beginners, but they remind me of GoPros—lots of people buy one, then barely use it unless they’re making videos. If you’re thinking about FPV, I’d say get a tinywhoop. It’ll teach you to fly with and without auto-leveling, and you can use it indoors or outside without worrying about breaking anything.
If you want to fly indoors and don’t want to spend too much, go for a tinywhoop. You can still take it outside when there’s no wind, and they’re the toughest drones out there. Plus, they never really get old—always fun to fly around the house!
Just to throw in another option since most people here are suggesting DJI—there are FPV drones too (Mobula 8, Baby Ape, Nazgul, etc.). They’re harder to fly, but you get total control and can do tricks. Here’s an example: https://youtu.be/is9uEJCqhVo?si=6P_e1mjZ7q6UOFFE. If you just want smooth video and don’t care about learning to fly manually, DJI is great. It really depends on what you’re after.
@Tennyson
Yeah, the Nazgul Eco ($199) is a solid choice.
Tinywhoop all the way. No stress about crashing, cheap to fix, and you’ll learn fast.
DJI Mini (any model)
Zen said:
DJI Mini (any model)
Where’s the best place to buy one online?
I got the DJI Mini 3 for €379 and think it’s the perfect starter drone. Super happy with it! Shoots 4K (though not true HDR), small and lightweight, and with an extra battery and a case, you’re good to go for about €500. The Mini 4 Pro costs almost double, but its HDR looks great from what I’ve seen.
@Dex
Good point! Another thing to think about is how much money you’re okay with risking. I do aerial cinematography, and my go-to is still the Mini 2 (unless a client needs log gamma). Less stress when doing risky shots. I’ve crashed mine at least 10 times—once down five flights of metal stairs in a lighthouse—and it’s still fine. Great indoors and outdoors, super easy to fly, and solid image quality (except in low light).
FPV is a different beast, though. If you’re interested in FPV and have zero flying experience, I’d say start with a simulator first.
@Taylor
Appreciate the insight! Where’s the best place to buy one with a good warranty?
Taj said:
@Taylor
Appreciate the insight! Where’s the best place to buy one with a good warranty?
Haha, warranty… well, there’s DJI’s Refresh program, which helps with repair costs, or you can look into flight insurance like SkywatchAI that covers drone damage. Otherwise, welcome to the cycle of flying, crashing, fixing, and repeating!
DIY 10-inch 8S FPV quad with HDZero and ELRS.
Vance said:
DIY 10-inch 8S FPV quad with HDZero and ELRS.
Might as well throw in a quantum computer while you’re at it.
DJI Mini 4K
Crux35
No experience? Just get any DJI model your budget allows.
DJI Neo
If you’re okay spending around $1,000, check out the DJI Mini 4 Pro. The Mini 3 Pro is cheaper, but the 4 has better obstacle avoidance and other upgrades. Both are great choices.
I started with a DJI Mini 2 SE. Later, I got into FPV and picked up a Baby Ape V2, Crux35, and a Nazgul 5-inch (which I still need to test out).
It really depends on your budget and what you want—are you more into filming, or do you just want to fly for fun? Or both?
If I had to start over, I’d probably go for a DJI Avata 2. It has a great camera, good speed, and lets you ease into FPV flying instead of jumping straight into full manual mode.
That said, I still love my Mini 2 SE. The video quality and range are impressive, but it could be faster, and the airspace restrictions can be annoying.