DJI Lito 1 Review - Your New First Drone • Digital Reg

Last April, DJI announced the new DJI Lito series offering two new camera dones: DJI Lito 1 and the DJI Lito X1. We’ve reviewed two beginner-friendly drones before like the DJI Neo and Neo 2, and think they are pretty good too. The new Lito series, however, is different. It is for new drone hobbyists or content creators who want to have cinematic shots posted for social media.

We were sent both of these models but we will talk about the DJI Lito 1 review first. Could this be everyone’s first drone?

Table of Contents

The Unboxing

A small box means we only have a standard package of the DJI Lito 1.

Inside the box are the DJI Lito 1, DJI RC-N3 Remote Controller, DJI Lito 1 Intelligent Flight Battery, User manual, Type-C to Lightning cable and DJI Stickers. Not in the picture are the Type-C to Type-C Cable (found inside the controller) spare propellers and screwdriver.

The Built and Design

The DJI Lito series doesn’t have a new design. It actually looked like it was part of the DJI Mini series from the body to its legs. The spare propellers of the Lito can also be used for the DJI Mini series. Why are they the same? From what we were told, the DJI Lito series is replacing the Mini, meaning the Mini 5 Pro which I currently have is its last model.

The DJI Lito 1 is lightweight weighing only 249 grams. For drone users who are beginners, they don’t need a license to legally fly this drone anywhere. This is also good news for those who want to bring along the drone especially on the plane.

The front of the Lito 1 are the two cooling vents on top that manages the internal temperature of the drone. The camera, which we will discuss later, is attached to a 3-axis motorized gimbal. It prevents the camera from having shaky videos during a flight.

There are sensors located on top and bottom of the drone. They’re not cameras, but they are sensors used for omnidirectional obstacle sensing. Like the previous drones we have reviewed in the past, this feature prevents the drone from crashing to large objects like people, walls, large trees and buildings. This should help beginners worry less about flying a drone.

Behind the Lito 1 are the detachable Intelligent Flight Battery, Type-C USB Port, MicroSD Card slot, and a battery meter on top. Similar to the Mini series, the Lito 1 has four propellers with 2 blades on each. Folding and unfolding the motor arms are also the same. There is also an LED indicator on each of the arms in the rear.

Obviously there are no propeller guards in the Lito 1. In case it gets damaged, you can have it fixed with the spare propellers and screwdriver included in the package.

The Cameras

The DJI Lito 1 is equipped with 48 Megapixel camera with a 1/2-inch CMOS image sensor and f/1.8 fixed aperture lens. It produces good decent photos as long as there is ample lighting. The small image sensor prevents it from taking good quality photos during nighttime. I found out during my tests that it doesn’t let me take photos or videos in vertical mode. This might disappoint users who want to post their content on Reels or TikTok.

Here are some sample photos:

View post on imgur.com

For its base price, I was surprised it can already capture 4K video recording up to 60 fps. All of the videos we took during daytime turned out really well. What I didn’t like though is the use of digital zoom. Some scenes I took turned out degraded when I tried this feature. Also, the video will lose its sharpness if the Lito 1 is too close to the subject. Honestly, I can’t complain for this is an entry-level camera drone.

Watch the sample video below:

The Performance

The DJI Lito 1 is controlled by a DJI RC-N3 that comes with the package. This is my first time to use this controller, and honestly I really prefer the RC 2 since it has a built-in display. After using the RC-N3 for the whole afternoon with one of my smartphones, I got used to it and thought it wasn’t bad at all.

Flying the Lito 1 was stable in light to moderate winds. Obstacle avoidance worked too as I saw the drone avoiding a tree and a moving car during flight. Flight time was impressive as I was able to fly over 25 minutes with one battery. This is longer than the Neo 2 we reviewed before.

What I found lacking in the Lito 1 is the lack of built-in memory. I wasn’t aware of this until I tried to fly the drone for the first time. It was a good thing I brought with me a spare memory card I could use for capturing photos or videos.

DR’S CONCLUSION

I am convinced the DJI Lito 1 is an excellent drone for first-time drone users. Yes, there is a better drone for beginner like its sibling, the DJI Lito X1, but I think the Lito 1 would appeal to those users who simply want a drone for its lower price and capturing memorable vacations with the family.