We don’t know if DJI is phasing out their Mini series of drones, but they’re introducing a new pair of entry-level models designed for outdoor flight that seems to be an entirely new line. The better of the two, the DJI Lito X1, takes the budget drone to the next level by incorporating features only previously found in their more expensive quadcopters.
Designed for outdoor flight, the new compact 4K drone comes with both a LIDAR and 360-degree obstacle avoidance, allowing you to let it loose in the outdoors without having to worry about crashing into a tree or post. Basically, it’s capable enough to handle most of your outdoor drone filming needs, all while being very portable, making it an ideal choice for most hobbyists and independent creators.
The DJI Lito X1 is a compact drone that measures 5.7 x 3.7 x 2.4 inches when folded, making it compact enough to slip into most slim backpacks for easy transport. It’s equipped with a 40-megapixel 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor mounted on a three-axis gimbal, allowing you to capture jitter-free videos up to 4K at 60 fps, with slo-mo option up to 100 fps at 4K and 200 fps at 1080p. The drone also supports 10-bit D-LogM for capturing footage with plenty of dynamic range and HDR recording. Need vertical video? Not a problem, as this drone supports it, too, up to 2.7K, allowing you to easily capture footage for TikTok, Reels, or Shorts.
It has sensors at the top and bottom that help it to avoid obstacles during flight, as well as a LIDAR sensor out front for even greater precision when calculating how far potential obstacles are. The outfit claims the LIDAR comes especially handy during low-light conditions when the standard camera sensors might struggle a bit. Like their other drones, it has ActiveTrack, which automonously manages the stable and safe tracking of your subjects at speeds of up to 12 meters per second, minimizing the amount of camera work you need to do while operating the drone.
The DJI Lito X1 can handle wind speeds of up to 21 mph, allowing it to stay in the air in most outdoor conditions, all while flying at speeds of up to 40 mph in Sport mode (27 mph in Normal). It has two battery options, standard and Plus, with the former allowing for 32 minutes of flight time and the latter beefing that up to 52 minutes. Do note, these are flight times in ideal conditions (wind tunnel testing), so expect actual runtimes to be noticeably shorter (around 30 percent less, usually). Battery is swappable, of course, so you can just bring spares to get back up again while the other cells are charging.
It has all of DJI’s intelligent shooting tools, such as QuickShots, MasterShots, and more. Other features include 42GB of onboard storage with microSD card expansion, included RC-N3 controller (requires a smartphone for display), smart takeoff and return-to-home capabilities, max transmission range of 9.3 miles, and a weight of 249 grams, so it should be free from licensing and registration requirements under most local regulations.
The DJI Lito X1 is now available in the EU for €309. Like other new DJI products, it’s not likely to be coming to the US unless they can sort something out with the regulators.