DJI has just launched another drone that slots above the Neo 2, and below the Mini 5 Pro. The Lito series will take the place of the venerable Mini series from DJI, offering a full camera drone experience, without the professional price.
This is DJI’s new entry-level camera drone, above the Neo, and below the Mini 5 Pro. The Lito series replaces the venerable Mini series of drones and offers better value and more modern features for a modest budget.
For context, the Neo series delivers on the basic drone experience with good range and image quality, meant for social media and prosumer applications. However, the Lito series seeks to expand on DJI’s offerings by giving its owners a more “conventional” drone experience with room to grow into more capable products down the line. As a beginning drone pilot myself, I decided to take the Lito 1 and Lito X1 for a spin to see if they are truly worthy of being called “beginner-friendly.”
Design
I’ve been around quite a number of drones throughout the years, mostly the DJI Mini in its many forms, a couple of Neos, and maybe one or two Mavics. The Lito X1 and Lito 1 are both similar in size to the Mini series—folded or unfolded —and they take up pretty much the same footprint when packed together with their accessories. Thankfully, it still folds like the Mini, but the main difference with the Lito Series (pronounced Light-Oh) is the weight. The drone itself is under 250 grams. Depending on where you’re from, it doesn’t require you to have a license to fly.
The X1 has front-facing LiDAR sensors paired with sensors and cameras, while the Lito 1 has everything but the LiDAR-based stuff, more on that later. The other difference between the Lito 1 and Lito X1 is the inclusion of internal storage. The Lito X1 has 42 gigabytes available, just in case you forget your micro SD card at home, while the Lito 1 doesn’t. Personally, I’d be happy with either, but having a secondary option for your storage can be a non-negotiable feature for some users.
Overall, the design is what you’d expect from a DJI Drone. It’s lightweight, portable, and the brand’s ecosystem of parts and accessories is also available for this. In case you damage the drone, DJI also provides replacement parts and a dedicated service center, so you can #JustFly. I will say, however, that the likelihood of you crashing and damaging this drone might be slim, though.
Performance
After you’ve set up the drone, signed into your DJI account, and done all your preflight checks, it’s time for takeoff. According to DJI, the drone can fly as fast as 40 kilometers per hour in normal mode. In sport mode, both drones can go up to 128 kilometers per hour. Being more standard drones, however, don’t expect any fancy tricks. The DJI Neo 2 is more for that, plus these drones aren’t compatible with DJI’s FPV goggles anyway.
Obstacle detection and crash avoidance were very consistent throughout my time with the Lito series, especially the X1. The Lito 1 does pretty well given that it doesn’t have a LiDAR sensor in the front. However, the drone does tend to struggle a little bit when the lights go out. If you want all-day, daytime, and nighttime crash protection, the X1 should be your choice. It’s great to see LiDAR technology in an entry-level (albeit a step above base) drone.
On top of that, I loved the tracking functions that are available on both drones. Of course, the X1 does this a lot better, avoiding obstacles with more consistency than the Lito 1. Regardless of which drone did better, both fulfilled their tasks at the end of the day. Focus track is consistent between the two, and DJI’s object detection is spot on as long as the drone has a line of sight. However, the tracking experience is much better in the X1 thanks to better crash avoidance. For tracking objects in open spaces, both drones are top-tier, but when you’re moving through some trees or other obstacles, I’d rather be flying the X1.
Battery life is what I’d expect from a drone. DJI says that you can get up to 36 minutes of flying time with a single battery pack. In my experience, I got about 20 minutes of flight time before I felt the need to land and swap batteries, and I was still left with over 33 percent charge. Granted, I was recording 4K video at 60 fps, so there’s that. DJI provides an extra battery in the base package, but if you see yourself flying more (pun intended), then I think the more expensive combos with the additional charging hub are a nice quality-of-life upgrade.
Photo and video
(Lito X1 Night Shot)
Now, onto the meat of this review. In terms of productivity, image and video quality, and consistency are some of the things that make DJI’s drones and other products a staple for content creation. In a nutshell, this is an Osmo Pocket that flies, depending on which model you get. Of course, I wholly recommend the X1 if you’re a pixel peeper (on a budget).
With its 1/1.3-inch sensor and f1.7 aperture, it makes for very clear video. Capable of up to 4K at 60 fps, and if you’re willing to turn down the resolution, you can get up to 100 fps, which will allow you to shoot smooth video or give you some headroom to slow down your footage.
(Lito 1 Night Shot)
The same capability extends to the Lito 1, which has a ½ inch sensor with an aperture of f1.8; however, the main difference here is low-light performance. During the day, you’d be hard-pressed to see the minor differences between the images. However, if you want to capture clean night shots with your drone, then the Lito 1 might not be for you. Using the X1 at night to capture footage is much better, and the footage we were able to take is less grainy compared to the Lito 1.
Also, I’m totally happy with DJI’s stock color grading out of the box. While it is on the more saturated side of things, I’m sure that many content creators or hobbyists will be able to enjoy the standard grading that DJI has on both drones. However, if you want to crank up the colors yourself and tune it to your liking, D-Log is only available on the X1.
Photos are captured in 48 megapixels on both drones. They come out decently sharp. I will say, however, that the photos on the Lito 1 are closer to what your phone camera is capable of, while the X1 gets a slight bump in sharpness thanks to the bigger sensor and better optics. Truth be told, however, both are very similar, and you’ll really have to zoom in to see the difference if light is on your side. In low-light situations, however, similar to video capture, you will see more grain in the Lito 1’s images compared to the X1. The story is largely the same for the DJI’s color science here, and by that I mean, I can’t really complain.
Ease of Use
If you are a first-time drone user or just want to dip your toes into the world of flying Osmo Pockets, then you’re in good hands with both Lito drones. The only downside as a total beginner with no prior equipment is that you will have to buy at least the RC-N3 combo, as neither of these drones supports smartphone-only operation.
However, once you take it out of the box, set it up, and fly for the first time, it’s relatively easy to do so. You will have to be a little more careful if you buy the Lito 1. Added peace of mind does come at a cost, so the X1 would be my pick for ease of use and flight safety. However, I don’t want to take away too much from the Lito 1 because it was still able to avoid obstacles well, albeit in broad daylight. As such, it goes without saying, but at night, I felt more comfortable piloting the X1.
On top of actually flying, if you’re really not that confident in piloting your drone yet, the DJI Fly app, which is included in the DJI RC2 and free to download on your smartphone, allows you to engage in simulated flights. While the graphics won’t win awards, it does well enough to simulate how a drone operates. It’s a great way to familiarize yourself with the controls before you head for an actual flight. There are courses available, and if you want to hone your skills beyond the beginner level, there are more advanced simulations that you can practice at home.
Once you get used to flying and all of the rituals that come with it, everything becomes second nature. Where to take off, where to land, and even how to avoid obstacles properly. While the drone will help you avoid stuff, there’s nothing more satisfying than actually feeling like a pilot and avoiding some tree branches or whatnot.
Which Should I Get?
Now that the Lito 1 and X1 are out, now seems like the perfect time to get into camera drones. However, if you’re a bit non-committal to the world of flying camera drones, then fret not, because the most non-committal choice would be the DJI Neo 2. Not only is it cheaper than the Lito series, but it also covers an extremely small footprint, being able to operate without any of the DJI RCs, albeit with more limited capability.
For the Lito X1, I guess it will depend on your preference for which package you’ll get. If you do choose to go for the Fly More Combo Plus, you will get better batteries as a bonus, which means more flight time per battery pack. It’s a great upgrade, but it does cost P39,090. The best entry point would be the Lito X1’s Fly More RC-N3 bundle that costs a little under thirty grand at P29,590. I’ll say that the Fly More RC2 bundle is more than enough, and I’ll leave that RC2 remote option up to your discretion. If you plan on getting another drone in the future, think of it as an investment piece.
For the Lito 1, definitely go for the Fly More Combo (P24,590) with the RC-N3. While you will get the RC-N3 with the Standard Bundle, trust me, the extra batteries and charging hub will come in handy.
Based on Altitude PH Prices:
Lito X1
Standard Bundle – Php 21,690
Fly More Combo (RC-N3) – Php 29,590
Fly More Combo (RC2) – Php 34,790
Fly More Combo Plus (RC2) – Php 39,090
Lito 1
Standard Bundle – Php 17,390
Fly More Combo – Php 24,390
What we like:
- Fully-featured camera drone experience starting at less than P20,000
- DJI’s drone ecosystem
- Sensors and crash detection are good enough for absolute beginners
- Good Entry-Level Price
- Internal storage (Lito X1)
- Respectable flight times (about 30 minutes per battery pack)
- 1/1.3 or ½ inch sensors are good quality
- Focus Track and Active Track features are top-tier
What we didn’t like:
- LiDAR sensors only available on the X1
- D-Log is only available on the X1
- No internal storage for the Lito 1
- Add-ons tend to inflate the price quite considerably
- Low light performance is just okay (Lito 1)