DJI LITO 1 vs DJI LITO X1: DJI’s New Beginner Drones Are Surprisingly Powerful

DJI has officially launched its new DJI LITO drone series, made up of the DJI LITO 1 and the DJI LITO X1, and they could end up being two of the most important beginner drones the company has released in years.

Aimed at first-time pilots, content creators, travellers, and aspiring filmmakers, both drones combine compact lightweight designs with features that previously were reserved for significantly more expensive drones. At first glance, they may look like simple entry-level models, but after testing them across the UK — from the parks of Manchester to the coastlines of Cornwall — it quickly became clear that DJI is aiming much higher than “basic beginner drone”.

These drones feel like genuine successors to the DJI Mini series, particularly the Mini 3 and Mini 4K, but with far fewer compromises than older entry-level drones ever had.

A Lightweight Drone Designed for Modern Creators

One of the biggest selling points of both the DJI LITO 1 and LITO X1 is their size and weight. Both drones weigh under 249g, which makes them easier to fly legally in the UK compared to heavier drones with stricter regulations. That lightweight design also makes them ideal for travel. They’re small enough to throw into a backpack without taking up much room, but still feel solid and premium in the hand.

What makes the LITO range particularly impressive is that DJI hasn’t treated the cheaper model as a “cut-down” experience. Even the standard LITO 1 includes features like omni-directional obstacle sensing and ActiveTrack 360°, which were once premium-only features on DJI drones. Straight away, these drones feel far more advanced than what most people expect from beginner models.

DJI LITO 1 vs DJI LITO X1: What’s Actually Different?

Visually, the two drones look extremely similar. During testing, they were almost difficult to tell apart without checking underneath the body.

The main difference comes down to image quality, colour grading flexibility, and who each drone is aimed at.

The DJI LITO 1 is the more affordable option and focuses heavily on simplicity. It’s designed for people who want fantastic-looking footage without needing to spend hours editing or colour grading afterwards. The footage straight out of camera looks clean, sharp, vibrant, and surprisingly cinematic.

The DJI LITO X1, meanwhile, is built more for filmmakers and creators who want additional control over their footage in post-production. It features a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor, supports 4K HDR recording, and includes 10-bit D-LOG M colour recording.

That may not sound hugely important to beginners, but for anyone interested in filmmaking or professional editing workflows, it’s a massive upgrade. The larger sensor captures more detail in highlights and shadows, while D-LOG M allows for much more advanced colour grading.

In many ways, the X1 feels closer to a lightweight professional drone than a traditional beginner model.

Testing the DJI LITO 1 in Manchester

The DJI LITO 1 was tested around Manchester by Lucian, particularly at Fletcher Moss in Didsbury. It turned out to be an excellent location for testing a beginner drone because it offered a mixture of open parkland, trees, bridges, and tighter areas that require more confidence to fly around safely.

What stood out immediately was how approachable the drone felt for a first-time pilot. Flying drones for the first time can often feel stressful. There’s always the fear of crashing into trees, buildings, or simply losing control. DJI has clearly tried to eliminate as much of that anxiety as possible with the LITO series.

The omni-directional obstacle sensing system proved incredibly effective during testing. At one point, the drone was deliberately flown directly towards a tree to test how it reacted. Instead of colliding, the drone simply stopped moving forward and held its position.

That kind of safety feature completely changes the experience for beginners because it allows you to focus more on framing shots and learning how to move the drone creatively, rather than worrying constantly about crashing.

ActiveTrack 360° Makes Solo Filming Easy

Another standout feature on both drones is ActiveTrack 360°. DJI’s subject tracking technology has improved massively over the years, and it works surprisingly well on the LITO range.

During testing, the drone successfully tracked people walking through fields, followed movement across bridges, and even tracked trains and buildings around Manchester.

The simplicity is what makes it so useful. You simply tap your subject on the screen, and the drone takes care of the rest. For YouTubers, travel creators, or anyone filming themselves alone, this becomes incredibly valuable. Shots that once required a second camera operator can now be captured entirely solo.

For beginner users especially, it removes a huge amount of complexity from creating impressively cinematic-looking footage!

The Image Quality Is Shockingly Good for the Price

Perhaps the biggest surprise from the DJI LITO 1 was just how professional the footage looked straight out of camera. Despite being the cheaper model and lacking D-LOG M recording, the dynamic range still looked excellent. Colours appeared natural, detail remained sharp, and footage often needed very little editing at all before being ready to upload.

That’s exactly why the LITO 1 works so well as an entry-level drone. You don’t need advanced editing knowledge to get impressive results. Even in difficult weather conditions — including grey skies and windy conditions — the footage remained highly usable and stable. It never felt like a “budget” camera.

DJI LITO X1 Feels Surprisingly Close to a Professional Drone

While the LITO 1 focuses on simplicity, the DJI LITO X1 pushes much further into filmmaking territory.

Testing around Cornwall’s coastline immediately showed the advantage of the larger sensor. Bright skies, reflections on water, shadows around rocks, and difficult high-contrast scenes all retained significantly more detail than expected from a drone at this price point.

The 4K HDR recording and D-LOG M profile make a noticeable difference for creators who enjoy editing footage professionally. Rather than producing footage that’s already heavily processed, D-LOG M captures a flatter image with much more colour and tonal information preserved. That gives editors far more flexibility when grading footage later.

For creators using Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, or DaVinci Resolve, the X1 opens up a much more cinematic workflow.

Get the Best Results with Editors Keys DJI D-LOG LUTs

If you’re shooting in D-LOG M on the DJI LITO X1, colour grading can dramatically improve your footage.

The Editors Keys DJI D-LOG LUT Packs are designed specifically for DJI cameras and drones, allowing creators to quickly transform flat D-LOG footage into cinematic-looking video with richer colours, improved contrast, and more professional tones.

For creators who don’t want to spend hours manually colour grading footage, LUTs offer one of the quickest ways to improve the final look of aerial shots.

They’re especially useful for travel films, YouTube videos, cinematic drone montages, and commercial content.

Battery Life Exceeded Expectations

Battery performance on both drones was genuinely impressive throughout testing.

The standard Intelligent Flight Battery offers around 40 minutes of flight time, while the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus can extend that to around 52 minutes. That’s an enormous amount of flying time for drones this compact.

In real-world use, it meant there was far less pressure to rush shots before landing. Longer battery life makes a huge difference creatively because it gives you more time to experiment with camera movements and compositions.

The automatic Return To Home feature also worked flawlessly during testing, safely bringing the drone back to its launch point once battery levels became low. Again, this is another feature that makes the drones feel reassuringly beginner-friendly.

Which DJI LITO Drone Should You Buy?

DJI has actually made the decision fairly straightforward. If you’re completely new to drones and simply want excellent footage with minimal effort, the DJI LITO 1 makes a huge amount of sense. It’s affordable, approachable, easy to fly, and captures genuinely impressive footage without needing advanced editing skills. For many people, it will be all the drone they ever need.

However, the DJI LITO X1 feels like the stronger long-term investment for creators and filmmakers. The addition of D-LOG M, HDR recording, and the larger sensor gives the drone far more creative flexibility, especially considering it only costs slightly more. For filmmakers, YouTubers, and serious content creators, the X1 is likely the more compelling option.

Final Thoughts

The DJI LITO series feels like a major step forward for beginner drones. For years, entry-level drones usually involved compromises — weaker cameras, limited tracking, poor obstacle avoidance, or missing professional features. DJI has changed that formula completely with the LITO 1 and LITO X1. Both drones are compact, intelligent, easy to use, and capable of producing genuinely cinematic footage.

The DJI LITO 1 is one of the most approachable beginner drones DJI has released, while the LITO X1 pushes surprisingly close to professional filmmaking territory. For anyone looking to get into drone photography or aerial filmmaking in 2026, the DJI LITO range looks incredibly difficult to ignore.

Which of the new DJI Lito drones do you like the look of? Be sure to let us know in the comments below, and check out our full Youtube review of the new DJI Lito 1 and Lito X1 drones!