I’m new to drones and really want to buy my first one. My budget is tight, but I found the DJI Mini 4K on Amazon for $239, and it seems perfect for me. The only thing I’m unsure about is the lack of obstacle or collision avoidance. Otherwise, it looks great, and I’m almost convinced to buy it. Does this sound like a good first drone? Anything I should know before making the purchase?
This forum gets a lot of posts about picking the first drone. Maybe check out the main thread if there’s one here for advice on beginner drones. If this was flagged by mistake, don’t worry, your post is still visible to everyone.
What’s your main goal with the drone? Have you thought about what you want to do?
There are really two main kinds of drones: FPV and camera drones.
The one you’re looking at is a camera drone, and it’s great for photos and videos. It’s very easy to fly but not super exciting in terms of maneuvering—it’s more like a flying tripod that helps with videography. On the other hand, FPV drones are trickier to fly but a lot of fun, kind of like real-life gaming.
@Tru
I’m mostly interested in videos for now. Plus, as my first drone, I want something that’s easy to handle. This one feels like a good starting point for me.
Dara said:
@Tru
I’m mostly interested in videos for now. Plus, as my first drone, I want something that’s easy to handle. This one feels like a good starting point for me.
Sounds like a great choice then. Just a heads-up, though—flying skills don’t really transfer between camera drones and FPV drones. Even if you get really good with this DJI drone, starting FPV will feel like learning from scratch. There are DJI FPV drones that are a mix of both worlds, but they’re not as powerful as traditional FPV racers. Think of it as the difference between driving an automatic car and a race car—both cool, but totally different experiences.
The Mini 4K is super easy to fly and sounds perfect for what you want to do.
Is the Amazon seller you’re looking at reliable? Sometimes deals like that can be sketchy.
Ellis said:
Is the Amazon seller you’re looking at reliable? Sometimes deals like that can be sketchy.
Good question. I hadn’t thought of that—do you know if Haydon Photographic is trustworthy?
@Dara
I’ve heard mixed things. If you want to be safe, maybe stick with the DJI official store.
That price seems low. Normally, it’s about $299. It could be a Black Friday deal, but double-check to make sure it’s not a scam. Safer to buy directly from DJI.