The DJI Osmo Action 7 could be less than 12 weeks away, according to this product history – but some people have suggested that there might be something even sooner than that.

Looking at the number of days that each of the Osmo Action cameras has spent in DJI's list as the flagship before being superseded by a new model, we can see that – at the moment – a life of somewhere between 322 and 425 days seems realistic. We are already at 216.

The first iteration, admittedly, had a very different 896 days. But that was an Action camera during the days of a global pandemic, so there was likely no hurry for a replacement – and there were some unavoidable delaying factors.

For several generations, DJI has comfortably sat at the top of my best action cameras guide thanks to the company's superior low-light capabilities and, frankly, better pricing than the iconic GoPro brand.

The latest GoPro Mission 1 Pro has upped the game for action cameras in several respects, at least for the American brand, by delivering 8K. DJI, however, was already offering most of this – for a lower price. So what can it do, on the technical side at least, to stay ahead of the game?

Bigger sensors have been part of DJI's path before, but there might be a sensible limit in action cameras. DJI has already included a variable aperture in the Action 6, a "feature" that GoPro resisted.

The other most obvious upgrade would be 8K 60fps video, since 8K has been a widely promoted feature not only of the GoPro but also the AcePro 2 from Insta360.

I would anticipate, too, iterative updates to what might be considered 'AI' software – electronic image stabilization, horizon steadying and face tracking.

The real difference for customers, though, will likely still be the lack of first-party support for the DJI camera in the US. DJI has not sold it directly in the US since the company was added to the covered list, though we know that it is still fighting this decision…

The US Federal Communications Commission has loosened the restriction on foreign-made drones – but the change isn’t one that will allow drone photographers and videographers to celebrate.

This week, the FCC announced that it will allow certain toy drones made in China to be imported, loosening a restriction put in place in December 2025 that effectively prevents all newly announced drones from receiving the necessary FCC approval to be sold in the US.

The FCC, however, narrowly defines what constitutes a “toy drone” – and one of the key limitations is that the drone can’t have a camera at all. The drone also can’t weigh more than 150g (5.29 oz), and it can’t have network capability or more than ten minutes of flight time.

The idea is that these toy drones don’t threaten national security without the technology to even take photos or communicate with a network. But, as an American photographer with a Part 107 drone license, the change only adds to my frustration.

If a toy drone without the physical ability to connect to a network doesn’t cause any security concerns, why can’t camera drones without network capabilities be permitted? Even existing DJI drones don’t need a network to fly. An internet connection is required for the initial setup, but DJI’s Local Data Mode allows pilots to fly without any network connection at all.

This disables features like the on-screen map, firmware updates, and some real-time safety features – like when I’m flying and get an alert that an aircraft is in the area. But, the mode severs any network connection, leaving the drone only connected with the controller.

If data transmission is still a concern – although a recent third-party security review of two DJI drones found no unexpected data transmissions – DJI drones can also be flown with third-party apps. And, yes, there are apps like this from American companies.

The US drone ban is about more than concern over inadvertently sending photos of US infrastructure to foreign countries, however. The government has also expressed concern that the US does not have a supply chain in place and, in the event of a war, wouldn’t be able to secure parts or build military drones.

The problem with banning all foreign-made drones is that there are currently no American companies that are building consumer drones for photographers and videographers. The handful of US drone companies focus on military drones, expensive Hollywood-level shooters, and quadcopters for commercial and agricultural applications.

Until a US drone company can build a consumer drone, aerial photographers and videographers will be relegated to using older drones launched before the ban. The US currently doesn’t have the supply chain in place for many drone components, but the FCC previously eased the foreign-made drone restriction by allowing drones that are made with at least 65% US components.

The drones that launched before the FCC ban are still legal to purchase and fly in the US. Six months after the drone ban, there’s still plenty of earlier launches to choose from. The DJI Avata 360, for example, had started the FCC approval process ahead of launch in time for those drones to launch in the US. But, eventually, US pilots will only have older consumer drones available to them.

Droe photographers are not the only ones affected by the ban – first responders, small businesses, hobbyist pilots, and others are also impacted. When the FCC called for public comments, it received more than 3,000, a number that’s far higher than the usual number of comments on similar FCC actions.

In February, DJI filed a lawsuit against the FCC ban in the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Notably, the FCC ban includes all foreign-made drones as well as targeting all of DJI’s newly launched products with wireless communication, which affects the brand’s action cameras and Pocket gimbal cameras, as well as flying cameras. The court case is still ongoing.

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I asked DJI all my pressing questions about the drone ban and shared them here. Or, browse the best camera drones or the best drones for beginners.

Insta360 has struck back against DJI with five patent claims covering gimbals and 360 degree-cameras – this in apparent retaliation for DJI's patent lawsuit launched the same day Insta360 launched the Luna Ultra gimbal camera.

What will this actually mean. First, of course, we'll get to hear a lot of posturing from the two companies. Insta360's founder JK Liu said "At Insta360, we prefer to let our products do the talking. But we are not afraid of a legal battle when challenged."

The patents that Insta360 has asserted as its own are, according to the company, being used by DJI in a number of its major product lines, including the Osmo Pocket series (the center of the storm, of course), the Ronin/RS series of camera gimbals, the Osmo Mobile series of phone gimbals, and the Osmo 360.

Other than the Ronins, these are all product categories that Insta360 now has at least one competing product in since the June 10 launch of the Luna.

That launch was strong, with the Luna Ultra ranking as the best-selling camcorder in Amazon USA in the 24 hours after launch.

Insta360 has been clear that the Luna Ultra is not a response to DJI's product (though the similarities are evident to me as a reviewer). JK added "Development began in 2020, with earlier Insta360 products including the ONE R, Link Series webcams, and Flow Series gimbals helping shape the technology and design direction behind Luna Ultra. DJI filing lawsuits on the same day we launched Luna Ultra speaks volumes—exposing their fear of competition from a highly competitive product."

Though it may not be related, and I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions, it is interesting that the date of launch on Insta360's side was something of a surprise for those of us covering the industry – coming a little sooner than first anticipated. At the time, I thought it was because some retailers accidentally leaked it.

Crucially, the product will not be disappearing from the shelves, and nor are we expecting to see any changes in the timeline of DJI's product launch.

In many cases, new DJI products have become available through different retailers in the USA – buying the Pocket 4 in the USA is possible – before appearing on DJI's own store anyway, and the Pocket 4 is one of those, so the Pocket 4P may be one of them too.

In these cases, the demand for the products of both companies, which appears global and present now, is likely to result in a behind-the-scenes settlement even should a court decide that a patent belongs to one or other company.

Such a decision, if contested, will be some years away, and neither company will suspect product sales in the meantime. The legal solution, should the court decide it is appropriate, will be one of restitution (in other words, paying the money that was lost).

In the meantime, check our guide to the best pocket gimbal camera.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 has been released and the Pocket 4P has been shown to journalists (including me), but the cameras lack one feature that the big new competitor from arch-rival Insta360 will bring to the market: a detachable remote control. Not built-in as standard, at least.

The Insta360 Luna and Luna Ultra are also in that pre-release stage; I've seen them and had hands-on experiences, but the final on-sale date is still a little way in the future.

However, if you are looking for a camera from DJI that has a detachable touchscreen, I remembered this morning that you can actually already buy it.

If you want a camera set up with a detachable remote from DJI, you'll find that you actually already own the 'camera' element. That's because the device I'm talking about is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P, which is a gimbal for your phone – and its major new feature was a magnetically-attached detachable touchscreen with remote control for the gimbal.

This was a spectacular update from the previous gimbals, able to share the screen from your phone to help compose shots remotely – as well as encasing the thumb-controlled joystick and the record button in an even smaller (albeit thicker) remote housing than the one for the Luna.

I find it interesting that this product could be developed by a product development team at DJI HQ for the Mobile 8P phone gimbal, without the idea making its way to the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4P gimbal cameras.

Was it a deliberate choice or do the teams not communicate?

Will it actually set the Pocket 4 and 4P back against its new competition? The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (the single camera version) already has the advantage of being on sale already, but once all four devices are out – and in all the various colors we've seen (black and white variants) – could the remote make a big difference?

I think there is a lot of potential for the Luna to win because its detachable remote has one extra benefit: a built-in microphone. To be fair, both DJI and Insta's pocket gimbal cameras support wireless microphones – but a built-in detachable mic is a usability boost in some situations.

A gimbal means smooth video. Remote controls like the one on the Luna or the Mobile 8P are ideal for a piece to camera because you can use the device's built-in tripod to position the camera, then ensure your shot is perfect from a distance.

As to which you choose, what matters now is your intended workflow. Whether you want to shoot video straight to your phone or to a dedicated camera, the choice is between these brands (and how much you spend).

Insta360's price point is that of an 8K camera for "a new generation of content creators" (as Max Richter, joint CEO of Insta360, put it). The Mobile 8P, on the other hand, is a premium camera gimbal, and arguably the best smartphone phone gimbal, but that's a much lower outlay.

It's also worth adding that all the cameras in question can be remotely controlled by phone apps, too, but phone apps aren't the same and don't have physical joysticks.

Wearable and not much bigger than your thumb, the POV camera is a new sub-category of action camera that is exciting for vloggers and anyone who wants to capture their lifestyle with as little interruption as possible.

If the traditional boxy GoPro-style action camera is too big, then wearable POV cameras are the solution. Some are small enough to be known as pill cameras (but not for medical reasons). Most designs now include the very practical magnetic clip – so much so that "magnetic camera" is another term for them. They are worn as easily as modern wireless microphones, and sport a range of different solutions to control.

Like the traditional action cameras, these cameras compete on their compact nature and low weight, their ability to capture high-resolution (and store it), and the ability to get stable video despite being worn on clothing. Desirable features also include waterproofing, a good battery life, and some form of remote control – via case, app, or both.

Image stabilization takes processing power, but there is no way that you can wear a camera on a hat, your chest, or handlebars without it picking up some movement. I've already picked all the best action cameras; here I've looked closely at the best tiny POV cameras and put them to the test myself.

Best for most people

Coming with a battery housing (”Action Pod”) that boasts a folding 2.5-inch touchscreen, from which the detachable 4K 60fps camera pops out, even without the ‘tiny camera’ option, this would be a compelling action camera with the vlogger’s favorite benefit of a good-sized fold-up display. A nice touch is that a MicroSD card can be added to the Action Pod to increase storage options, though video is initially recorded to the camera’s internal memory.

The camera has a 1/1.28-inch image sensor, making it ever so slightly bigger than any of the competition. The result is a camera that has very little in the way of compromise, and even has an acceptable low-light mode.

As camera-only, it can be worn in two main ways – clipped onto a hat or, thanks to the magnet, worn on a pendant. Typically, you'd hang the chain around your neck and the other side of the magnet behind your clothes, so you can pop the camera on and off very discreetly. Cleverly Insta360 has also designed the pendant to be twisted to set the camera angle up or down – a very useful touch.

Insta360’s image stabilization does seem to have the edge, and includes a horizion balancing mode which many find useful. There is also support for Insta360's microphones for vloggers.

Read my full review of the Insta360 Go Ultra and see sample video

Best for pro quality

Offering creatives the benefit of a The 1.9-inch display isn’t the biggest in this list, but it is a crisp OLED touchscreen which I found great to use (it's responsive) and it’s worth remembering that it is easily detached from the camera so you can keep it nearby if you are worried about the size. The design also means you can point the camera away from or toward the 'screen side' when it is attached to the "Multifunctional Vision Dock" as DJI call it.

The camera’s other big plus point is the 4K120fps slow motion (though this comes at the cost of the stabilization, but 4K60 can be captured with DJI's impressive digital stabilization – which, like Insta360's, can balance the horizon if you want). Another nice touch is pre-roll (hit record after the moment!), though this feature is never quite as good as I hope – because you do need the lens pointing the right way!

The key advantage, though, to this camera is the 10-bit recording in DJI's D-Log M, which allows a lot of flexibility for those who like to preserve color and brightness information until the edit.

DJI has also built in a receiver for the company’s own microphones, as well as cramming stereo mics into the frame. Included with the camera 9either 64GB or 128GB versions) you'll find a hat clip and a magnetic lanyard, as well as a protective case and a ball joint mount with a suction cup (to, perhaps, sticck the camera on a dashboard?)

See my full DJI Osmo Nano review for a sample video

Best for low weight

The Insta360 Go 3S was the first 4K camera in this form factor (though the even cheaper Go 3 came before it if you're happy with 2.7K). It's light enough to clip nearly anywhere and go unnoticed, yet it retains the benefit of the magnetic pendant that many of the other cameras on this list offer.

Insta360 has not left this camera alone since launch, either. Retro chic fans will love the unique 3S Retro Bundle with old-style housing, with prism-and mirror framing device much like an old 110 camera.

In lower light, a camera this small will inevitably experience some "noise" (look a bit grainy), and the battery life is only 30 minutes when you're not inside the 'Action Pod' housing, but the housing can top it up fast. The housing also boasts a flip-up display which, again, makes this a handy vlogging tool.

The camera also has good image stabilization – including horizon balancing, and a 'kids mode' that enables you to let the kids wear the camera while you control it remotely (and they don't press anything that'll ruin your POV capturing of their future memories).

Read my full review of the Insta360 Go 3S with samples

Best glasses

An alternative to a clip-on or body-worn camera is a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera – controlled from your phone. That is what Meta, the owners of FaceBook, created jointly with Ray-Ban (a brand you just might have heard of). The result is a very convenient in a lot of POV shooting situations.

Smart camera glasses work by connecting to your phone wirelessly, and you can command them from the touchpad on the arm, the app on your phone, or using the built-in microphone with an instruction beginning "Hey Meta...". For example "take a picture," but the AI can also take advantage of the camera to see from your POV, so you could also ask, "What does that sign mean?"

There are hidden speakers over your ears in the arms, which you can use to listen to music and take calls – though the sound is audible to anyone very near you.

Incidentally, here is a cost-saving option: The Gen 2 model that I have chosen here is the better quality option for photo/video with 3K recording but I'll freely admit to being the camera nerd. Just as good (as it uses exactly the same camera system and software) are the Oakley Meta smart glasses.

If you're looking for a cheaper way to capture the fun from your POV, and the specs don't matter the original RayBan Meta smart glasses are still Ray-Bans, so you still look cool, but will have enough left over for a nice holiday drink or ten too.

Read our full review of the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)

Cheap alternative

How we test POV cameras

Like everything, the best way to get to know something is to try it out in the real world, so this list includes products that we at Digital Camera World have hands-on personal experience with. That also means that if you want to know even more, you can tap through to a full detailed review.

See how we test cameras at Digital Camera World

The finalist images from the most recent Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) Awards were particularly impressive, and I continue to revisit the website not only to admire them, but also to learn from them.

The image we’re looking at here was the runner-up in the Adventures & Experiences Portfolio category, and what I love about this scene — and the biggest takeaway for me — is how the photographer creatively combined different shapes and complementary colors.

Shot by Teo Chin Leong (Singapore) on a DJI Mavic 3 drone, the scene depicts a fisherman in Hoi An, Vietnam, casting a large net over a river from his humble canoe.

While at first this might seem like another ordinary day at work for the fisherman, look more closely, and the way a range of shapes, along with complementary colors, combine becomes clear, and you realize just how brilliant this composition is.

The huge triangle formed by the net over the fisherman’s head mid-cast, which has been frozen with a 1/640 sec shutter speed and perfectly focused with a f/2.8 aperture, frames all the action in the scene.

And within this golden-yellow triangular frame we see a range of other shapes, including the narrow oval canoe and various lines and layers created by folds in the net, all of which combine seamlessly despite the presence of straight and curved lines.

The fisherman’s bright-red t-shirt glows through the net, indicating where your eye should look while complementing the dominant yellow hue of the scene. Further adding to the creative use of color is the tone of the water, which I suspect was edited slightly so the hue better matched the golden yellow.

The Travel Photographer of the Year is an annual competition covering categories from portraiture to wildlife. Amateurs and professionals alike can enter, and the 2026 edition of the competition is now underway.

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Want more travel photography award-winning images? Then how about this scene of a muddy duel to the death between a crab and a fish captured on a DSLR, which was a runner-up?

The US government has blocked drone giant DJI from receiving the FCC approval needed for new models to fly in the US. But after the government-mandated security review of DJI failed to even start before the December 2025 deadline, DJI made a security review happen anyway.

On Thursday, May 28, DJI shared the findings from a five-month security review of two DJI drones. The US security firm OnDefend has conducted an evaluation of the DJI Air 3S and Matrice 4E and found no evidence that data is transferred outside the US, while the team was unable to hack, jailbreak, or tamper with the UAVs.

The findings come amid an ongoing DJI lawsuit against the FCC over the ban and follow more than 3,000 public comments on the FCC’s drone proceedings, which DJI says is ten times the typical number of comments on similar FCC measures.

In December 2025, a law required DJI to pass a national security review by the deadline or face an automatic ban by the FCC. That deadline passed without such a security review even starting, effectively blocking not just DJI’s drones but cameras, gimbals, and accessories from receiving FCC approval to launch new products in the US. (DJI products launched before the ban are still available to purchase and use).

With US-based drone manufacturers focused on military and commercial uses, the ban effectively prevents new consumer drones from launching in the US until an American drone maker steps into the consumer market. The ban impacts not only aerial photographers and videographers but also first responders, small businesses, farmers, and other drone users, according to the list of FCC comments.

Before that December 2025 FCC deadline even passed, DJI asked OnDefend for an independent security review, which began in October 2025 and was completed in mid-March 2026. While the study was authorized by DJI, OnDefend is an independent security company whose staff includes US military and government professionals. The consumer drone tested was purchased from a retailer without notifying DJI, while the enterprise drone was purchased from existing dealer stock.

OnDefend put the drones through a list of different tests, including analyzing signals for any unauthorized data transmission, simulating Meddler-in-the-Middle hacks, attempting jailbreaks of the drones' apps, and disassembling the drones to analyze each component.

The inspection did not find any critical, high, or medium risks.

The review identified 10 low-risk findings with “limited real-world impact” that are “consistent with industry norms for complex mobile and embedded systems.” That list includes things like weak TLS protocols on the app and using authentication tokens in URLs. DJI says that those low-risk findings are being addressed with firmware updates.

“This is the most comprehensive independent security assessment ever undertaken on our products," Adam Welsh, Head of Global Policy at DJI, said in a statement. "These findings confirm what DJI has consistently maintained: our products are secure, our data practices are transparent, and the concerns underlying our FCC Covered List designation are not supported by technical evidence. We commissioned this independent assessment because we believe facts should inform policy decisions. We are calling on the FCC to consider these findings carefully as part of our ongoing appeal, and we remain committed to engaging constructively with relevant authorities."

The study suggests that there is no risk of DJI user data being sent to China, one of the concerns politicians voiced on the road to the National Defense Authorization Act that put DJI on the FCC-banned list.

However, the conversation on drone security has also shifted to highlighting supply chain concerns. Several critical drone components, including lithium-ion batteries and the magnets in drone motors, are sourced outside of the US.

The supply chain risk already has a handful of examples of what not being able to secure parts could mean for US drones. Amid the pushback on US tariffs, China temporarily blocked the export of Li-ion batteries to US-based drone companies, which prevented brands like Skydio from getting the batteries needed for their drones. China later paused the export controls for a year.

The security review is only for two drones and their respective controllers and apps, but could play a role in DJI’s ongoing lawsuit in an attempt to reverse the FCC ban.

The full security report is available to read online.

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Last night DJI shared the much-teased Osmo Pocket 4P and finally put one in my hands – in no less a place than the Hotel Majestic at the center of the Cannes Film Festival.

The new Pocket 4P has no final price – though it’s fair to say it’s going to cost more than the $769 Osmo Pocket 4, which only has the single 1-inch sensor. What I can say is that it is definitely real and that I’m testing it with a review on the way.

It’s nice to have a chance to rub shoulders with movie stars, but once I’d made my way past the red carpet and into the hotel it was clear that the device’s Cannes debut was about positioning the 4P as a distinct product.

While the Pocket gimbal camera has established itself as a camera popular with vloggers – and there were plenty of those outside the hotel. Inside was the hands-on experience with the as-yet-unlaunched Pocket 4P, and that was teeming with cinematographers and professional filmmakers wanting to try out the new device.

Some details aren’t final, but DJI was very clear that the camera boasts 17 stops of dynamic range – which, incidentally, is the same amount as a cinema camera like the Arri Alexa 35 – and shoots D-Log 2.

This concentration on color science is significant and it'll be something I'll look at closely in my upcoming review – which we won't publish until the device's software is final and the price announced.

Clearly, I’ve not fully tested the camera that I was handed last night. But it also clearly has much in common with its sibling, the Osmo Pocket 4, which I reviewed already, so I'm intrigued to see how they compare in real-world use and high-end use.

And judging by the turnout from the filmmaking community, I'm not the only one!

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Depending on what you're looking for, check out the best cameras for vlogging and the best cameras for filmmaking.

I’m willing to bet you’ve never seen a camera rig like this before! DJI has posted a video of a photographer who is giving me serious action flick vibes, thanks to a crazy wearable DJI Ronin 4D rig.

The torso and pauldrons look like armor that’s been pinched from one of the colonial marines from Aliens, the shoulder-mounted Ronin 4D looks like War Machine’s shoulder canon from Avengers: Endgame, and the leg supports look like they’ve been ripped from Matt Damon’s exoskeleton in Elysium.

(You forgot to add my Road Warriors reference!!! – Ed)

To top it all off, you’ve got a pair of wrap-around sunglasses that give the whole getup serious T-800 vibes. All of this amounts to what has to be the most intimidating photographer I’ve ever seen…

During the video, the DJI Ronin 4D can be seen moving around on the photographer’s shoulder, while a gimbal arm extending from the torso is attached to what appears to be the Canon EOS C50 and Canon RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM (a $20K / £22K / AU$35K lens in its own right!).

At one point, the photographer spins the hulking 3.4-kg optic around on the armature and catches it. On closer inspection, the body armor appears to be made by Riddell – which makes a lot of sense, considering it produces shoulder pads for football (that's American football, for our international readers).

And as for the exoskeleton legs, they're made by Hypershell and are used to lighten the load.

It would appear that the mastermind behind this totally barmy rig is called HangpaiV. And judging by the comments section on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, people love it! My favorite comments are “Beginners photographers for no reason… [sic]” and “All that and forgot to press record”. Then again, when you look that cool, who cares?

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Looking for more futuristic tech? This AI tech creates a 3D map of sports fields in real-time, enabling you to put a virtual camera anywhere. Surely I’m not the only creative who’s worried? Plus, Bolt Hunter camera trigger promises to solve the shutter lag struggle for lightning photographers improving your hit rate using real-time analysis. And for something a little more fun, I REALLY want one of these hand-painted film cameras inspired by the Gundam anime. They’re affordable, too!

DJI has just put out a teaser for what can only be the dual camera version of the – Osmo Pocket 4P if the naming scheme remains the same.

The idea of a dual-camera variant of DJI's gimbal-based camera has been rumored for nearly two years, since the Pocket 3 arrived and sold over expectations. Massively so, in fact – reportedly over 10 million units (KR Asia report). The Pocket 3's market dominance was occasionally associated with supply troubles, such was its popularity.

It had an 11-month run as the top video camera in Japan according to BCN data, and, inevitably, many expected its sequel to bring a raft of major upgrades.

When it did arrive, the Pocket 4 turned out to be more of a refinement, as I covered in Pocket 3 v Pocket 4. Now, though, we can see from this teaser that DJI had the anticipated premium dual-camera model up its sleeve all along.

DJI's teaser doesn't reveal the full feature set, but we can be reasonably confident that it'll beat the Pocket 4 in every category.

It's also possible to see, in the picture, the lens specs. Given that, we should expect:

• Main camera sensor to match Pocket 4 with 1-inch sensor
• 3x optical zoom
• 240fps 4K maximum
• 10-bit D-Log
• Rotating touch-screen – possibly larger than 2-inches, though any significant change would mean a larger device and bigger accessories, which feels implausible to me.
• Wi-Fi 6 and USB 3.1 connectivity
• Impossible to see from the image, but perhaps a bigger battery grip built-in? The detachable handle may be too little for 'Pro' use?
• Built-in beauty / glamour AI tools for vloggers

I am less convinced than some commentators that we'll see much of a change in size, but one big feature that DJI has had success with in its drone range is adding an axis to the gimbal to rotate the camera. At the moment even the Pocket 4 has a 3-megapixel crop for its portrait mode.

It's entirely my speculation, but there is clearly potential for premium vloggers here. Adding this exact feature distinguishes the Mini Pto drone range – currently DJI Mini 5 Pro – and makes it premium. Why not here?

Either way, we now know that this is definitely coming, and can expect to find out more soon – "Stay Tuned" is all we're told.

As an American drone pilot, I was devastated when, in December 2025, the government effectively banned not only popular brand DJI but all “foreign-made drones.” Since then, new drones – as well as cameras and accessories from DJI – have not received the FCC approval to launch in the US.

The US drone ban has long had me wondering if the government understands just how devastating the change is to aerial creators – not to mention the first responders, farmers, and businesses relying on the technology. American drone pilots still have access to drones registered prior to the FCC ban, but the latest drone technology is quickly becoming inaccessible to US users.

While there are American drone brands, none that I’ve found offer consumer drones – just expensive drones for Hollywood-level films, industrial drones, and military drones. That means American drone tech has been effectively placed on an indefinite pause until an American drone company is able to develop and launch a consumer drone – a process that will likely take years.

But now through May 11, the FCC is seeking comments from the public. Drone pilots, first responders, business owners, and any member of the public affected by the ban are invited to share comments on how the restrictions impact the community.

The public input could impact the FCC drone ban moving forward, as DJI has filed an appeal to its inclusion on the FCC Covered List. In an email from a company representative, DJI told me, “We encourage all US-based drone users – from public safety agencies and small businesses to hobbyists – to share their experience on how DJI drones impact their work, business, community, and daily life.”

The Drone Advocacy Alliance has a set of instructions that simplifies the federal forms. For a simple comment, users can navigate to the page, use Proceedings Number 26-22, and the name “In the Matter of SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd.” Public commenters then fill in the details and write their comments.

The deadline for submission is May 11, so the public comments close in a matter of days.

As a drone pilot and tech journalist in the camera space, I think that one of the reasons the foreign-made drone ban is so devastating is that the current US-based companies do not offer consumer-grade models. The non-DJI consumer drones are also built outside of the US.

Skydio, which recently announced a US expansion, does not sell drones made for photography and videography but rather for industrial use, first responders, and the military. Skydio stopped building consumer drones in 2023.

Launching American-made consumer drones will not happen overnight. Skydio’s expansion, for example, is expected to take five years, and the company has not indicated if that growth will even include a consumer drone.

Creating a drone is a time-consuming and complicated process, and newer companies in the category are at a disadvantage. For example, the US-based action camera giant GoPro once launched a drone called the Karma. The quadcopter was recalled due to a battery door failure that had drones falling out of the sky, and GoPro left the drone market shortly after.

Perhaps the reason that the FCC foreign-made drone ban hurt the most, however, is that the government-mandated security review of DJI never actually happened, to my knowledge, perhaps because the law never assigned an agency to the task.

DJI has not only pointed to previous security audits, but has repeatedly stressed that flight logs are never stored on DJI’s servers. DJI drones also support using third-party apps to fly, including some apps made by American companies.

DJI's other products have also – unfairly, in my opinion – fallen under the ban. While the FCC ban includes all foreign-made drones, it also lists all DJI products, not just their drones. That prevents tech like the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 as well as DJI's future action cameras, gimbals, mics, and other tech from entering the US.

Of course, one of the reasons behind the ban isn’t tied to a specific company at all, but worry over interruptions in the supply chain. I understand the need for a US-based supply chain – after all, in retaliation for tariffs, China once blocked American drone maker Skydio from getting any batteries for its drones.

But such an immediate and overarching drone ban is devastating for every American using drone technology, from aerial artists like myself to first responders and business owners.

As a drone pilot and tech journalist, I’m strongly urging the FCC and US government to restore the public’s access to the latest drone technology. Complete a full and fair audit to determine if non-US drone companies are a security risk.

If such an audit determines a security threat, propose an interim plan with the aid of drone users to avoid freezing drone technology that many small businesses, journalists, photographers, videographers, farmers, and others rely on.

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Browse the best drones for beginners and check out the best non-DJI drones.

DJI has just launched the teased Osmo Mobile 8P, or 'Pro' version of the phone gimbal series, and it comes with a significant new feature – a detachable touchscreen remote control with mirroring.

DJI's social post, showing a tiny piece of the new Osmo Mobile 8P, left the world making wild guesses as to what the now-released product would be (my personal favorite was the suggestion it might be a Tamagotchi-like toy). In practice, though, we saw a compact screen with a joystick and a record button below it.

The device features the 'Multifunction Module 2'. This is a built-in fill-light, and it can be directed to either face either direction, also including a camera which points in the same direction you're shooting.

This has two functions; firstly you can see it on the admittedly compact touchscreen interface and use it as a display (more use when you're using the display as a remote). Secondly, it is the 'eye' for the ActiveTrack system; the AI feature which keeps a subject in frame as you move the gimbal around.

The result is more precise framing, especially for selfies using your phone’s higher-quality rear cameras.

There are other features too. I was pleased to find that the latest version of DJI Mimo – the iPhone / Android app which connects to DJI's consumer devices – now includes a Smart Teleprompter which can show you a script on screen as you record (it's not as 'smart' as I hoped; it doesn't listen in and scroll with AI, but you can choose the speed yourself).

Features from prior Osmo Mobile devices that are still included are the Magnetic Phone Clamp 5, a phone charging cable, and this isn't the first generation to benefit from a direct phone connection for native tracking features (for example Apple's DockKit means some advanced features are available in Apple's Camera app).

The extending telescopic pole is also included, and supported by pop-out tripod legs, and it is easily possible to add a microphone like the DJI Mic 2 to the bottom, making your phone a very practical alternative to the best vlogging camera.

I remember when I first tested a DJI Osmo Pocket camera. The idea was unusual, but now it's a camera type the world can't get enough of, and other manufacturers are racing to catch up to the standard set by DJI – especially by the Osmo Action 3, the edition which really seemed to take off.

Part action camera, part vlogging tool, this device brings everything DJI has learned about keeping video stable even in shaky drones and puts it into anyone's hand – almost like a tiny film rig. With the arrival of the Osmo Pocket 4, DJI hasn’t reinvented the formula, but it has refined it in ways that matter.

So how does the new model stack up against the already excellent Pocket 3? That camera took some big leaps (new image sensor size, big rotating touchscreen). This time there are serious questions – from asking is the (inevitably cheaper) Pocket 3 now better value, through to should you upgrade?

Comparison table

Build and handling

There is very little to tell the two devices apart. Both are simple and easy to use and can be extended at the base with a handle or a battery handle depending on your need. Rotating the screen acts as a switch, though it can also be asked to remain on in portrait mode for social-media creators.

The additional physical buttons do make for easier usability because there is less need to navigate the touchscreen menus which, in turn, have been slightly refined. A minor win for ergonomics – especially people who make regular use of the digital zoom – but no reason to buy a new device if you have a Pocket 3.

Video

If you're out shooting video during the day you will not see a huge distinction between the two cameras. They both comfortably capture 4K60 with good-looking color and even offer good slow motion, though only 120fps on the Pocket 3. It has to be said 240fps is more impressive, and I enjoyed trying this out.

For those more into the subtleties of color and editing, the option of a flat 10-bit D-Log HDR color profile, as well the HLG the Pocket 3 was limited to. Assorted filmic tones in the app is a definite improvement.

The difference in the actual quality in low light isn't all that much, as the sensor is the same, but DJI has managed to eek out 14-stops of dynamic range rather than 12.7-stops in the newer model.

Stills

The Pocket 4 can shoot significantly higher resolution images, at 37 megapixels (and correspondingly bigger panoramic images by automatically turning the gimbal and stitching shots).

In both cases (and in video) the camera handles lower light well thanks to the combination of a larger image sensor than some action cameras, and image processing algorithms.

In no case is the Pocket 4 going to be your main 'stills' camera, but if you have nothing else it'll leave you slightly happier than the Pocket 3. Both leave you a RAW file to tweak though.

Features

The arrival of a generous amount of internal storage does make the Pocket 4 camera easily grab-and-go, but it's not the only thing Vloggers will appreciate. Many will also notice the power for on-board handling of beauty modes and the slight but noticeable improvements to the subject tracking.

Microphone connectivity exists on both models, so it's easy to connect one of DJI's bluetooth mics – and while the Pocket 4 can theoretically record more channels so gets a slight win, the working process will likely be the same.

The Pocket 4 does boast the option of a clip-on fill light which rotates with the camera, however, which is handy for a lot more scenarios than you might imagine (especially if you want sparkling eyes in your vlogs).

Battery life

Although the battery life is a little better on the Pocket 4, both cameras can shoot around two hours or more (in 1080P), so it doesn't feel like a massive leap to add an extra 20 minutes, especially since the camera can also be charged to 80% in that time and it is easy to swap the battery handle for high users.

Overall verdict

My advice is this. If you can get hold of it, the best advice is to get the Pocket 4 for the built-in memory, better slow-mo, and processing capability (hey, we'll all need beauty tools someday).

Yes, the Pocket 3 was the revolutionary device in this category, while the Pocket 4 is a refinement, but who wouldn't want refinements if they could have them?

However those refinements are very definitely non-essential – especially if you already have a Pocket 3 because, lets face it, you'll also already have a memory card! If, for any reason, you can't get the Pocket 4, then a Pocket 3 and a good memory card or two can will not seriously hold you back as a creative tool.

DJI has dropped a new teaser for a release on May 7, and the photography community is already in full detective mode.

The short clip has the tagline "Wonders in your Palm," a tantalizing silhouetted clip. The photography community has immediately begun examining the clip for details and comparing it to previous DJI releases to get an idea what to expect.

What are we looking at in the clip posted to DJI's social feeds?

It could be anything, from a new version of the DJI Motion Controller seen with DJI's best FPV drones, like the Avata 360.

Many DJI devices, after all, feature an apparently simple arrangement of control buttons like this, including the DJI Pocket 3 and Pocket 4. Or gimbals that do similar jobs; just look at the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P. All, of course, tuck more control options elsewhere, and we might be missing something in the dark.

Certainly, I've read some weird and wonderful suggestions from a broad range of sources. Some of my favorite, I admit, don't seem that likely. One commentator on the official DJI YouTube account suggests that it might be a mini shaver, and @alexkarl1967 sarcastically jokes, "Oh wonderful, an MP3 player with radio, thank you DJI."

On Instagram, boyanoo suggested it might be a DJI tamagotchi!

Several viewers identify the device seen in the hand as a remote, and – watching as an experienced tech expert – it's hard to dispute that.

It looks a lot like the Osmo Action GPS Bluetooth Remote Controller – the remote controller for DJI's existing action cameras (like the Osmo Action 6). In this case, though, at the beginning of the animation, we see something that looks like a handle...

That would make the most popular online guess – some kind of Osmo Mobile variant (8 Pro?) the most logical.

If we're looking at a handle with a remote, this would likely be a new or revised product. Handles exist on a lot of DJI devices, of course, which don't have remotes.

A remote wouldn't make sense on a drone controller (that's a remote device already), but on nearly anything else it does. There are some hopeful guesses looking for a Ronin RS 5 Pro – but check the recent RS 5 review – it is quite 'Pro' already.

In the meantime, do check our guide to the best phone gimbals and the best camera gimbals.

DJI has collaborated with artist Victo Ngai (a Society of Illustrators Gold Medalist, since you ask) to create four colorful magnetic covers for the new DJI Mic Mini 2, released today.

The entry-level microphone is designed for vloggers and others wanting a low-cost (below $100), lightweight, portable microphone system, with a single or multiple 11g microphones with built-in transmitters (TX) and a receiver (RX) that plugs into your phone's USB-C socket.

DJI say the new selection of cases will help creators match the style to any scene. The covers are Dawn (purple), Surge (blue and green), Blaze (red/orange), and Glimmer (black gold) and attach magnetically, just as the mic does to the small magnet underneath the garment, as well as a range of artist-designed covers seen above.

Additionally, for users of DJI's Osmo devices (Pocket 3, Pocket 4, Osmo Action 5, Osmo Action 6, Osmo Nano and Osmo 360), the Mic (TX) can be connected wirelessly without the need for any additional gear.

This is an update to the DJI Mic Mini, 48kHz, 24-bit audio. There is now a choice of modes (Regular, Rich, and Bright) and two-level noise cancellation (offering alternatives for quieter indoor settings as opposed to noisier outdoor environments). As before, there is automatic limiting, five-level gain adjustment, and dual-track recording, all controlled with the DJI Mimo app.

Battery cases can top the devices up to 48 hours, though DJI claims that in ideal circumstances the transmitter can deliver over 11 hours and receiver over 10.

DJI has set prices at £89 GBP for the full bundle – DJI Mic Mini 2 (2 TX + 1 RX + Charging Case) – and £49 for the DJI Mic Mini 2 (1 TX + 1 Mobile RX + Charging Case). They are shipping in the UK from DJI's own store and other retailers today.

• See on DJI website (link does not work in the USA, due to availability)

I wonder how long before this appears in our guide to the best wireless microphones in place of the older DJI Mic Mini?

DJI has just made choosing your first drone a lot harder. The new Lito series goes all-in on camera quality and longer flight times, while the Neo 2 focuses on safety, simplicity and AI-powered tracking. Both are aimed squarely at beginners, but they take completely different approaches. So which one should you actually buy?

The DJI Neo 2 and the Lito drones both look very physically different, but – in their own way – they both target first-time drone buyers.

Simply put, the Neo 2 puts safety and flexibility at the absolute top of its design goals, while the Lito series prioritizes the camera's capabilities by including a three-axis gimbal for smoother video and building in a radio transceiver.

Specs

In every picture on the Neo 2 here the optional transceiver is attached to the back of the Neo 2, but this isn't included in the cheapest bundles – it can cost around $42.00, or more, plus the price of a remote controller, if you want remote control longer than a few meters.

Flexibility with controls has a positive side too, however. The Neo 2's standard option – following the users using AI – is technically impressive and gets useful shots very easily, but it's also possible to upgrade all the way to FPV control with DJI's wand-like "Motion Controller" and goggles that let you sit "inside" the drone.

Comparison

Key differences

Comparing the features from a photographic perspective, the Lito 1 doesn't seem ahead of the Neo 2 – only when you consider the 3-axis gimbal for providing more stable shots (and the bigger and slightly heavier airframe which will play their part thanks to physics).

The more notable difference is the flight time. The last few minutes of any flight are coming back to land and the time you allow for safety (you don't want the battery to get to zero distance away from you and it falling out of the sky), so the difference here is much more significant than it looks.

Well, except for the fact that if you don't shell out for a proper controller and transceiver for the Neo 2 you can't fly the drone very far from you, so the return journey won't be as long

Cameras: Neo 2 v Lito 1 v X1

As well as choosing between the Lito 1 & Neo 2, there is the distinction between the Litos themselves. The premium Lito X1 makes a much better case for serious photographers and videographers thanks to D-Log M (video you can grade after the fact), and a larger image sensor for better footage across a broader range of light.

Data storage

The slightly more personal choice is the distinction between built-in memory and the Lito 1 having only a MicroSD card slot. For me, I have very little concern about that. Recording to a memory card suits my workflow just fine, but it can be convenient to have built in memory, so why not?

On the Neo 2, built-in memory is almost essential because you're very likely to be using the drone in an app-based workflow, controlling it with your phone (as well as voice controls and gestures), so being able to simply download short clips to your device makes a lot of sense for a more social-ready, speedy, less edit-obsessed workflow.

US Availability

The other big issue here is that new DJI drones don't go on sale on the day of launch in the USA any more because DJI has been added to the 'Covered List' in the USA, which bans the FCC from approving new products by the company. In practice, the FCC has opted not to approve any new drones from Chinese companies in 2026 and onward.

While both drones in the Lito series seem to have been approved before the end of December 2025, DJI has chosen not to release them through its own store in the USA, meaning US customers need to wait and see if other retailers solve the situation (the same situation is also true of the recently released Osmo Pocket 4).

The DJI Neo 2 was one of the first products that DJI didn't launch and sell itself in the USA because these rules banning foreign products (and, by extension, choice) were coming in, but what happened in the end is that some camera retailers (like B&H – see DJI Neo 2 at B&H) started stocking the drone regardless, and, eventually, it made its way to Amazon too.

I don't know if, despite DJI's hands being tied by the US government, the same will happen for the Lito series, but it seems plausible.

This is only an issue for customers in America, because no other government has taken such a harsh stance on Chinese-made consumer drones, but (until availability changes at least, it might be the deciding factor for Americans).

Controller and safety

The DJI Neo 2 has a lot of control flexibility – which means you don't need to buy it all at once. The drone-only can be successfully controlled just by tracking you, the subject it takes off from (and that cage design is good for safety).

At the other end of the scale, the goggles and FPV controller will add a lot of additional cost, but give you a very different way of operating your drone that seems a lot less traditional and makes amazing indoor/outdoor zooming shots achievable.

The Lito 1 series is more traditional in that it has different RC controller options, but the subject tracking is still relatively safe and achievable thanks to the sensors on the drone (despite the unprotected propellors it will refuse to get too close).

Overall

The Lito series is a good example of steady refinement, and a great place to start your drone journey, especially as so much safety tech has been added, but its design focus is definitely on helping the camera fly and the owner create.

The Neo 2 is a different kind of drone to most anyway – a "Cinewhoop" airframe more like a cut-down Avata 2 FPV drone that can do stunts, that is also designed to be a helpful flying friend that follows you and films you doing cool stuff automatically.

If your priority is effortless, safe flying and quick social clips, the Neo 2 still makes a strong case. But if you care more about video quality, stability and longer flight time, the Lito 1 is the better long-term buy – or, even better, the X1 if you have the readies.

Alternatives

Realistically, Americans may have to wait a while for that choice, but the DJI Mini 3 or Mini 4K are FCC-approved alternatives in the meantime – check the best beginners drone or best camera drone guides.

DJI has launched two new drones, Lito and Lito X1. Both are targeting beginners, but there is a choice to be made between the lowest spec available and a more premium camera and features list. Either way, DJI is replacing its 'Mini' series' with these new drones, targeting first timers and content creators looking to make a splash.

In both cases the shell is a refined version of the ultralight folding design seen on the Mini 4K and the Mini 3 series. Crucially, that category is under 249g so it stays free of regulations in most countries.

What is new, however, is the top-and-bottom presence of a fish-eye lens of an all-round collision sensing and object tracking system, meaning this drone doesn't just bring the camera of your choice (1/2-inch sensor for the Lito, or larger 1/1.3-inch sensor for the Lito X1), but better safety and AI assistance than has been known in this class before.

Is it a wise choice, though (and is it a worthy upgrade)?

Lito series: Price

The Lito 1 launches at £299 for the drone and remote, and £429 for a Fly More Combo with a RC-N3 remote (so you still need your phone, but you get more batteries).

DJI Lito X1 retails for £369 – so the camera improvements are effectively costing £70 – but the Fly More Combo is £599 and comes with the RC 2 remote with built in screen.

US pricing is yet to be announced, though rumors suggest that the drone did pass FCC tests, so should be available to American pilots sometime soon.

DJI Lito 1 v Lito X1: Specs

I've shown the comparison with the 'Premium' X1 which is very similar, but uses a larger imaging sensor, and some other additional features.

DJI Lito: Build and handling

As the longstanding drone expert, I've come to accept that the ultralight category always feels a bit light in the hand – it has to. The limit of 249g (just under 9 ounces) is not that much given that the variable weather conditions that most of us attempt to fly in.

This drone, nevertheless, manages (in both variants) to feel tough where it needs to, specifically the sprung hinges for the arms, which also act as on/off switches, an elegant touch, saving a moment of thought (unless, like me, you've been trained to expect to turn the drone on manually for over a decade!)

I've waited a long time for drones to be this easy to get in the air, and it's very pleasing. In terms of data storage, the Lito 1 is an economy option, so it makes sense that – despite DJI offering it with so many products now – there is no on-board memory (that is an extra for the Lito X1). So you do need to budget for a MicroSD card but, for most drones, that was always the case until recently anyway.

Personally I honestly still find memory cards and the adapter the easiest way to get the video to my computer to edit it, too, but that's me. The DJI Fly app is also a good solution, especially for those with a more phone-based workflow.

DJI's airframe is not a surprise, but definitely built on tried and tested. The front arms also have 'legs' so the drone can take off from a flat surface without risking the optical sensors beneath (there are vision sensors and the new fish-eye tracking sensor).

The front of the Lito 1 has vents because it lacks LiDAR, but the fish-eye lens on the top and bottom provide a decent all round collision sensing system in decent light. It was able to detect and avoid trees in my tests.

The main camera of the Lito 1 is a half-inch sensor with 48 megapixels, and the gimbal keeps it impressively stable. Admittedly by this point I would expect nothing else of DJI, but it is definitely a better choice for the more videographically inclined than DJI's base level Neo 2, no matter how flexible.

DJI Lito: Performance

The weather could have been kinder to me during my limited test period with the Lito 1 and Lito X1, so I will be posting some additional images and clips in the coming weeks. I can say, though, that first impressions are good.

The camera quality when shooting video at 4K60fps was great on the day I was testing so long as I stuck to the 1x zoom view. Things were less impressive when I decided to zoom in. It's great that x2 and x3 digital zoom are options but I'd avoid the latter if I were you as the result is just too obvious.

The quality of the video in default mode is tonally good, very crisp, and DJI seem to get the color right – though it's a tough gig with me swinging round from flying into to away from the sun.

You can see how it looks in the video...

In terms of flight characteristics, things were a little tougher for the Lito 1, which I took out in winds at the upper end of its capabilities. It kept reminding me of this with a warning message – fair enough – and it was certainly noticeable how much it affected the flight speed against the wind.

Now I'm very experienced with drones, but perhaps it'd be sensible if that warning message was a bit clearer about the likely effect of the wind – the camera seems stable because the gimbal is so good, but flying against the wind is still going to use a lot more battery and take longer because physics is still physics!

DJI Lito: Overall verdict

To be clear, this is the review of the Lito 1 – though I mention the premium sibling (the Lito X1) once or twice. It's very difficult to think about buying the one without looking at the other, and, ultimately, if you're looking at the Lito 1 the reason is that price likely matters to you more than the subtleties of specification.

So what are you really missing out on? If you're using the drone during the day, and don't need D-Log M / High Dynamic Range (and not that many people really do unless they want to grade footage in editing), arguably not that much. Yes the LiDAR on the X1 also improves the collision avoidance and AI, but it's impressive here, able to detect people and vehicles from a good range.

Admittedly, if you don't have one, you'll also need to find the money for a MicroSD card so – arguably – the price difference is slightly narrowed there, but, in practice, especially when shooting at wider angles, this is an excellent drone. The collision sensing means you can confidently let the kids fly it, too (supervised, mind).

Alternatives

DJI has just launched two new drones at once – the much-teased Lito series. Both come in at 249g and target the beginner market, but offer a choice of cameras (and budget), as well as some significant upgrades over previous DJI drones for this space.

The drones will be priced at £299 (about $403 including UK sales tax) for the Lito 1 and £369 (about $500 including UK sales tax) for the more premium Lito X1.

In keeping with the distinction, there will be Fly More Combos featuring extra batteries, but the Lito 1 version is £429 and sticks with the cheaper remote control, which requires you to use your phone as a screen, while the Lito X1 variant is £599 but comes with DJI's premium RC 2 controller, which has a built-in screen.

The new drones seem to offer a replacement for the DJI Mini 4K, with better improved design features, while the more premium Lito X1 slots into a similar spot to the Mini 3 – with better safety features (so better for true beginners), but without the rotating camera. (You can still opt for vertical video, but the camera does not rotate, so it is not 'True Vertical Shooting' in DJI's own phrasing.)

DJI see the Lito 1 series as "the benchmark with no alternative," citing especially the 360-camera system that powers the active track. That doesn't mean the drone shoots 360 video like the DJI Avata 360, but that the drone is less likely to lose a subject when it is automatically keeping it in shot.

While DJI see the Lito series as replacing the Mini (but not the Mini Pro), there is no confirmed US sale state yet, so both will remain on the market around the world, but new entry-level drones will be 'Lito' while 'Mini Pro' will remain as a brand line.

It'll be interesting to see which, if any, earns a spot on the best drone for beginners guide – which is getting increasingly competitive.

See our full DJI Lito 1 review

We tend to think of portable power stations as big, and power banks as something you can throw in your bag alongside your phone for a few top ups. DJI's Power 1000 Mini sits somewhere between the company's range of bigger battery power stations, but still packs around 1kWh.

Charging is still fast too – the fun retractable USB cable (and the plain old socket – your choice) deliver 100 watts of power, suited for bi-directional fast charging.

That's ideal for creatives – and drone enthusiasts – who might need to carry them some way away from the grid, or even where they parked. It's also handy if you're dabbling your toe into the off-grid world as there is real power here; enough to keep your freezer running in a power outage, for example (there are two AC sockets, and it'll take a charge from an AC cable too).

Oh, and if you're really worried about the times to come, or need to top up the charge fully off grid, then the device is solar-panel compatible too.

DJI Power 1000 Mini: Price

The Power 1000 Mini has a UK RRP of £599, or AU$799 (as with all newer DJI products, it remains to be seen if there will be a US version, but of course it'll need US sockets, so this does depend a bit more on DJI).

It's already not a bad price as there is no need to spend more on a solar converter.

DJI Power 1000 Mini: Specs

DJI Power 1000 Mini: Build and Handling

Built from a reassuringly robust plastic with a very luggable handle, unboxing the DJI Power 1000 Mini gave me no initial concerns. All the connectors and the display are located on the front, as well as a light, so you won't need to go looking around the power station to find things – it's either there or it isn't.

On which subject, this is a portable battery with a finite amount of space, but it still packs in two AC sockets, an AC input, 2 USB-Cs (we'll get to that) and 2 USB-A, and one of DJI's SDC ports (which is essentially an XT90 with some extras, and will take an XT90 connector).

This means that, with a very cheap adapter (I found one for under $10), you can also charge standard drones from traditional FPV brands with XT60 connectors, but DJI have a range of cables on offer for its own drones for the fastest possible charging in the field.

A nice new feature is the pull out USB-C charging cable, which means that you can charge almost any modern phone without needing to remember any other bits of wire at all. It is on a sprung coil and guides itself back in when you don't need it any more.

In terms of monitoring the usage, you have both a detailed display and an app. The latter also allows the changing of settings, for example, a low power alarm, limiting the charging speeds, remote switching of the light (including an SOS mode).

The biggest number on the display – the charge percentage – is easily read from a few meters away, which was very useful for me as I could see it inside the house even when the battery & panel was at the back of a London garden.

The app provides more detailed info like a charge time estimate based on current conditions. There are also a full set of useful management features (firmware updating, energy management. There is a low energy alarm, the option to disable fast charge, and the option to limit the maximum charge to preserve battery life, amongst the controls for things like time out. It's all very easy to understand in the DJI Home app and because Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are supported you can get info from nearby, or keep up to date with the charge status when you're much further afield should you choose.

DJI Power 1000 Mini: Performance

There were several things that immediately pleased me about the power station (which, let's face it, is a fancy way of saying "battery"). Charging time was around an hour – 75 minutes even all the way to 100%.

It took rather longer in the UK, where the weather is not predisposed to show me a lot of sunshine without cloud. Using a 200W solar panel, even with the angle about right and better moments, I didn't see much more than 130W flowing in at once, but it did impress me and occasionally checking and adjusting the solar panel wasn't much of a chore.

Charging from the mains electricity via the AC in port is faster, of course, so ideal if you're in a hurry, but if you're worried about any impending doomsdays, then I'd make sure you pick up a solar panel too! How many other content creators will have planned ahead?

DJI Power 1000 Mini: Overall verdict

To keep camera gear or drones topped up with charge on the road, this is a sensible choice, and the ability to plug a single folding solar panel in means – if you're away camping or just in a good flying field – you should be able to more or less charge the whole battery on a sunny day from a typical 200W solar panel, though you'll need to move it a couple of times to keep the efficency up.

The impressively low weight – DJI has sliced over 3Kg from the DJI Power 1000 while only cutting the capacity from 1024Wh to 1008Wh comes at very little real 'cost' – the Max Output is "only" 1000W at any one time, but that'll run a full-size fridge-freezer when the power is out, and your laptop and wi-fi, for example.

I'm less certain why the USB-C is cut to 100W rather than 140W (less, too, than the older Power 1000), but if it's to keep the components smaller and lighter then it seems a reasonable compromise. The benefits of this design – compact, built-in light (controllable via the app if needs be) – comfortably outweigh the minor restrictions of being 'Mini' in my view. If you disagree, DJI has you covered too.

Alternatives

The serial DJI news leaker Igor Bogdanov has posted a clip of what appears to be a DJI Osmo Pocket 4P, or Pro, a version of the Pocket 4 with a dual camera system. This video is being shared on the same day the real DJI Osmo Pocket 4 is launched.

The new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, which was definitely released today, features a single camera with a 1-inch CMOS sensor, though boosted to 14-stops of dynamic range and offering 10-bit D-Log color, an improvement over its predecessor.

The camera on the top is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, and has 2x lossless zoom, as well as a 107Gb of built-in storage and a 800MB/S transfer speeds, and updated ActiveTrack. You can read more about it in my full Osmo Pocket 4 review or

The wider community, however, has long expected that DJI would launch either a dual-camera system as the Pocket 4, or two different versions, one with a dual camera system.

The expectation is that there will be a 1-inch sensor for the main camera, as well as a 3x optical zoom as the additional camera inside the gimbal head. This would work in a similar way to the extra cameras in the DJI Air 3S or most serious photography-leaning mobile phones. (The iPhone Pro Max, for example, which I use, has three cameras on the back at different focal lengths.)

Now, as soon as DJI has announced the Pocket 4 – and nothing else – the rumor community, in the form of Igor Bogdanov, has stepped in to show what a DJI dual camera version might look like.

Is it plausible? It certainly isn't beyond the bounds of possibility, and the same poster alludes to the reason in his post: Luna, which Insta360 has not been shy about:

Luna is Insta360's anticipated entry into this same market, and the company has shared teasers via some social media accounts and at events already, including the blocky design above on their Japanese X column.

What will be the best pocket gimbal camera in the next few months seems very much open to debate.

DJI has just announced its latest gimbal camera, the Osmo Pocket 4, as teased last week. The camera is mounted on a 3-axis gimbal, similar to some DJI drones, helping you get smooth shots all the time, and previous models became very popular with vloggers.

Boasting upgraded features over its hit predecessor, the new camera still has a 1-inch CMOS sensor, but is now capable of 14 stops of dynamic range, or 10-bit D-Log HDR. The camera also boasts faster 4K/240fps slow motion (double the previous frame rate), and gesture control, so the automatic subject tracking can be initiated by a hand gesture or the 'peace' sign.

This comes under the heading of a step from ActiveTrack 6 to ActiveTrack 7 in DJI's linguistics.

In terms of image quality improvements, there are a number of changes, including in-camera AI Beauty effects which can tweak the subject's skin smoothness – this kind of feature has proven very popular with vloggers in my reviews of the best webcams.

The new design adds two new physical buttons, tucked behind the touchscreen until it is rotated to switch on the device. One allows switching between zoom presets (1x, 2x, 4x) and the other is a customisable button.

A significant change that is less obvious – because there is still a MicroSD card slot – is that the Pocket 4 boasts 107Gb of on-board storage for video or images. These can be transferred at up to 800MB/s to an attached computer via USB-C, or wirelessly to the DJI Mimo app.

Stills photo resolution is also 33MP rather than the previous 7MP. In addition, the accessory range now includes an attachable fill light as well as a battery handle.

The Osmo Pocket 4 Standard Combo goes on sale for £445 / €499 today (though officially will not ship until April 22), while the upgraded Creator Combo (including the same plus a wide-angle lens, Mic 3 transmitter & charger, mini tripod and a carrying bag (as well as the carrying pouch).

The Pocket 4 has a job to do – to follow up on the Pocket 3. That camera managed to make, somehow, the third iteration into the definitive camera of DJI's handheld vlogging camera. So far, anyway.

Until then, the device was a weird niche, sticking one of DJI's drone-like camera gimbals ontop of a handle. After that it was the must-have tool for content creators, capturing amazingly stable shots with all kinds of motion. The Steadicam alternative for the TikTok era.

You'd see everyone carrying them on vacation, or when making movies, and there were good reasons why. For many lone creators, it was like having a friend to film, who has the skills to pick up rotating shots and follow subjects – just as you need to stand out from the crowd online.

We've waited two years for a new model, and such is the popularity of the camera that there have been pages and pages devoted to rumors about it. Is this what we were hoping for?

Price

The Osmo Pocket 4 starts at £445 for the standard combo and £549 for the Creator Combo with the Mic 3 TX, the fill light and a big enough carrying bag! In both cases, that seems like equally fair value to the camera's predecessor.

Thankfully, that's nothing like the price jump from the Pocket 2 (at $349) to the Pocket 3 (at $519), but there was a significant jump in specs on that occasion, and it clearly paid off.

Specs

Build and Handling

The idea is that the Pocket 4 is a stabilized camera on a simple handle – controlled with a couple of buttons. Simple.

In practice, things are a little more complex, which in fact is why one of the most noticeable changes between this camera and its predecessor is the arrival of two physical buttons beneath the rotating 2-inch touchscreen that, when open, provide tactile control for zoom and a customizable option.

The screen on the DJI Pocket 4 rotates from straight in line with the device's body to horizontal, making it as big as reasonably possible. It also acts as an on switch and (depending on your settings) a horizontal/portrait switch.

The camera in the gimbal does not rotate, but you can rotate the screen back to portrait format to shoot for TikTok etc. and the camera now switches to the best cropped resolution it can manage – 3K – which seems adequate.

There are a lot of other settings available via the camera's touchscreen, which operates a 'swipe from the side' approach which is simple on the face of it, but can get quite in depth.

To keep this in the 'compact camera' class, while offering flexibility when it comes to battery, DJI makes the bottom of the grip removable. The standard handle – which just extends it to the length needed for my big hands – can be removed by pressing a button on the front and replaced by a 'Battery Grip' to offer more life (at the cost of more weight).

Without one or the other fitted, though, you find yourself without a tripod thread at the base of the camera; a USB-C port is there instead. That port allows transfers of up to 800Mb/s from the built-in 107Gb of storage that renders a MicroSD card very much optional with this version of the device – one more step toward easier usability.

The camera's 2-inch screen, at 16:9, still isn't massive, but it seems big enough to feature all the controls. It is slightly easier, too, to control the zoom – which is at least lossless at 2x – using the new buttons beneath the screen.

The trick is to get used to swiping from the sides of the screen and the other hope for the bulky-fingered is that the DJI Mimo app can act as your friend; you have remote control of the device via your phone, as well as the ability to view and download content.

Content creators will be very pleased by the arrival of low light capture that works with the ActiveTrack feature, as well as the improved frame rate for slow motion.

Other features which are brilliant fun and offer great variety are the switchable modes, like the FPV mode, which can create cool rotating shots – the one down side being that the gimbal cannot turn 360-degrees so it cannot spin infinitely.

The camera also has some significant new features for new creators – built in AI glamour effects (skin smoothing options) – and some film effects. These are actually pretty impressive, and might be a good reason to buy for a lot of vloggers.

Performance

In the few weeks I've been testing the camera, it has been apparent to me that there are real improvements available here to vloggers, even without the long-anticipated second camera.

If I were looking for issues (and, you know, that is my job), I'd say that on some of the pans where the camera follows a slow subject – I had it follow a clipper boat up the Thames – it seems to judder ever so slightly. That's because the very smooth movement of the subject exposes the motion of the motors, but you don't see it at other times.

Sample images

Overall verdict

Taken on its own, the Pocket 4 remains an amazing camera, and it's easy to see why DJI has chosen to make refinements rather than go with the large-scale changes that some predicted. If it isn't broken, why fix it?

The answer to that question might come from a competitor soon enough, but for now, there isn't one – just this vague suspicion many had that a second camera was the solution (after all, it happened to their phones, didn't it, not to mention the DJI Air 3S drone).

For now, though, the image sensor does a good job, with great standard colors, so despite the ability to apply a profile to Log I found myself perfectly happy using the camera defaults. The subject tracking was quick and responsive. Focusing can be close enough to make this a good vlogging device too – unlike some action cameras.

So, this camera comes along in a category DJI has defined and gets everything right. It doesn't make a huge leap forward, so it might not make much sense on an upgrade list for Pocket 3 owners, but for anyone else, the brilliant smoothing is hard to argue and given the price is still well below full-frame vlogging cameras, this seems a natural first choice.

Alternatives

DJI is confirming two new launch dates with two separate new teaser trailers. One, titled "Just Fly" for April 23, just has to be the Lito drone – and another titled "More than Sound," and with a graphic that looks a lot like a microphone...

I've mentioned the swirling rumors about a DJI Lito drone before on these pages, but frustratingly, DJI has put out an animated graphic that does not reveal a lot more. It vaguely reminds me of the split-flap displays common at stations and airports, with wheels on the side that are reminiscent for kids of my generation of a toy called the Rubik's clock.

But a drone? Well... only the fact it actually shows the name 'Lito' in its 'display' gives that away (along with the tagline "Just Fly").

What we do know is that on April 23 you'll be able to watch the product appear yourself, and at that point we'll know for sure if this is an all new product category (as some say) or a replacement for the Mini 4K with a new look and feel.

Some suspect we'll see on-board memory to record video, as we have with so many other DJI products recently. Others have suggested that there will be a higher-end version with LiDAR obstacle avoidance (again, a common feature on DJI drones now).

What we definitely don't expect is for the drone to climb above the crucial 250g limit; although there are new rules in the UK (Class 0) attempting to encourage an even lower threshold of 100g, the 250g target is still common worldwide.

Also on the DJI socials is this rotating graphic of some rounded squares which certainly bring to mind the shape of the DJI Mic or Mic Mini devices we've seen all over YouTube (and of course I've tested here at DCW).

Is there actually a need for another DJI Mic or Mic Mini at this point? Well, the Mic 3 upgraded from the Mic 2 by reducing the weight significantly (28g to 16g) and boosting the internal storage from 8Gb to 32Gb.

Of course, the next contender for the best wireless microphone from DJI might be in its phone-friendly Mini series, but we'd hope to see similar capabilities (and perhaps some more charging options, without reverting to the case).

GoPro has just announced a new camera – the GoPro Mission 1 – in three distinct variants. The first two are both tiny 8K cinema cameras, but simply tweak the specifications between each other. The third goes all out and allows interchangeable lenses.

"GoPro is entering the premium end of the digital imaging market in a significant way" says the company's Senior VP Pablo Lema, and he isn't wrong about the step up from the GoPro Hero13 Black. That camera was slipping down the best action cameras league to newer competition from the likes of DJI, but the new Mission 1 boasts a 1-inch 50MP image sensor, which, GoPro tells us, offers up to 14-stops of dynamic range.

Backed up with the new image processing chip, the GP3, the company has previously shown, the Mission 1 Pro / Pro ILS cameras can even record 8K at 2x slow mo, through 4K at 8x slow mo (which, for the avoidance of doubt, means 240fps) right up to 960fps for 1080p (for up to 10 seconds). (The Mission 1 not pro is 8K30 at its limit and correspondingly less capable at slow motion too).

The improved GoPro specs don't stop at frame rates either. Data can be stored at 240Mbps, enabling HLG-HDR, 10-bit color and GoPro's GP-Log2, as well as support for Timecode sync.

There is an open gate sensor, which might help with image stabilization (the whole sensor's image is captured, not just the 16:9 that is being used). Sound recording is via four built-in microphones that pull in 32-bit float, as well as support for Bluetooth 5.3 mics.

On the other hand, is the design really that different from its predecessor (in so far as it has one) the GoPro Hero 13 Black?

To be honest, I'm not sure the bodies are as different as you might imagine if GoPro tells you the camera has a new name. The pictures tell you a fair bit there, but another clue for this journalist was the number of comparisons GoPro themselves made to the Hero series. To me, that implies this is seen as a successor, but one intended to make a splash (and it is waterproof to 20m / 66ft – except the ILS).

Now 'Mission' might seem a very topical name at this point in NASA's Artemis cycle, or if you happen to live in central San Francisco, but otherwise it's just a new name we'll have to get used to.

My theory is that GoPro weren't super excited by the idea of reducing the price of the previous 'Hero' model, so it thought that the upgraded model should have a new name. Then there is no need for GoPro to sideline its predecessor to obviously – and the company's cycle of reducing prices on the older model could break.

That doesn't explain the other new camera though – the Mission 1 Pro ILS, which boasts an interchangeable lens. That is a new feature for these compact cameras.

More than that, the swappable lens uses the MFT (Micro Four-Thirds) system, on a one-inch sensor, meaning that it's a bigger lens than the sensor. Presumably, this is essential because MFT is an established size, and GoPro is not in a position to establish a new lens size. DJI used MFT for the Inspire 2 drone, and users like me took advantage of the existing lens system when working.

Perhaps oddly, though, the GoPro cameras won't be capable of adjusting the focus on this system, presumably because the extra parts add size and weight. (It shouldn't be forgotten, though, that the camera system that the DJI Inspire 2 drone carried around supported MFT lenses with powered focus and zoom.)

Is ditching AF really a good idea?

Is getting rid of a feature like AF – key to the usability of cameras for many – really a brilliant idea?

To be fair to GoPro, the company is only really offering it as a way to help a niche gain access to interchangeable lenses. So it's a 'this or nothing' kind of choice, and most people would take the chance to choose themselves over simply not having access to the choice.

I suspect, though, that for many active sports fans the 13 capture modes in the cameras will be more than enough by way of settings, while those using the interchangeable lenses are less likely to be in a rough-and-tumble scenario, so won't mind stopping to check their focus.

Lest we forget, there are also other action cameras that have addressed some of the issues (like low light) that GoPro is finally taking on here. Check the very impressive DJI Osmo Action 6 or the Insta360 AcePro 2, the latter of which even has an equivalent to the point-and-shoot grip that GoPro has also just announced.

Check out our full guide to the best action cameras that are on sale now

Next week, at NAB, GoPro is going to announce a new product line. There are a lot of rumors circulating, but one that would make more sense than you might think at first is that DJI will launch a drone.

Nearly everyone in the industry knows the "Why not" of this story: the truly catastrophic original GoPro Karma drone, but that was launched in 2016, and the world has moved on.

The biggest problem for the Karma, other than a tendency for the sample models to fall out of the sky, was the arrival of far better competition from DJI drones. But nowadays this is where things are looking up for GoPro – the US government is making life very difficult indeed for DJI, which is currently barred from seeking FCC approval for any new products.

The last few approved DJI products are sneaking their way out now, and then GoPro will find itself in a much less competitive landscape.

Ten years is a long time, too, and no doubt a lot of R&D has been going on at GoPro, which might make for a very interesting drone.

The GoPro Max 2, which I reviewed last year, shows the company has moved things a long way in the sphere of 360-degree cameras (a little pun there for the fans). The company is also working on putting cameras in other robust shells, as the acquisition of helmet camera firms suggests.

It's also true that most of the complaints – in so far as there are any – directed at GoPro Hero 13 Black are only about low light photography, which isn't much of a problem for aerial work, so there shouldn't be any worries about the kind of camera GoPro bring to the table.

GoPro has also added a gimbal, the Fluid Pro AI, to its repertoire in the last year, suggesting another key drone tech is in the bag.

Perhaps some of the innovative – but ultimately too complicated – ideas of the original Karma drone could be abandoned in favor of something more straightforward.

The design need not be so complicated, heavy & pricey this time. Forcing the buyer to acquire a gimbal and a GoPro Hero camera, even if it worked more reliably, gave people a lot of tools, but it also pushed prices up and made things difficult to use.

The 2016 product recall had, also, been dreadful timing in terms of the 2016 holiday sales market – the same time DJI was bringing out the foldable Mavic Pro and essentially creating the template for drones as we've known them for a decade.

GoPro has proven that it is able to acquire companies to get the tech it needs, before adding the final shine of usability and the company's well-liked subscription cloud service.

There are likely to be several opportunities around the world to collaborate for a company with a record of approaching things in this way. Ironically, one might even be – depending on how it is approached of course (lawyers would need to take a good look, not to mention the parties in question) the possibility of cooperation with DJI again.

Now, yes, things ended badly before – Karma's position as number 2 to DJI's top spot in the drone market was not enough to save the 250 team members GoPro laid off in early 2018, but things could be different.

DJI CEO Frank Wang and GoPro CEO Nick Woodman did talk together about working together about two years before Karma, and it was largely arrogance on Woodman's part that led to Karma being set up alone (or, rather, with the help of US drone startup 3D Robotics.

DJI had a decade of dominance, 3DR ended up making enterprise software, and the US government has stepped in to change the rules. Fair or not, now is definitely an opportunity GoPro could make the best of!

See the best camera drones that are currently on the market

Camera announcements in 2026 have started at a rather slow trickle – but as a camera expert, I’m predicting that there will be a deluge of new announcements before the end of April.

Camera brands will often time launches with key industry events, and one is coming up in just a matter of days – the NAB Show from the National Association of Broadcasters is set for April 18-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

But I’m not basing my predictions on pure speculation. Thanks to teasers, I know creatives will see at least two camera announcements before the end of April.

GoPro has confirmed that it will launch next-generation cameras with the GP3 processor at NAB this year.

Competitor DJI has also released a teaser that confirms the DJI Pocket 4 – an update on a viral gimbal-clad camera – is coming on April 16.

That means I know that there will at least be a new GoPro and a new DJI camera before the end of the month – though of course, while it’s fairly clear when those cameras will be announced, it’s not clear when they will actually ship to eager creators.

I’m expecting both launches to be for cameras that are focused more on videos than photos. The existing Pocket 3 is more for videos than stills, and similarly, GoPro is known for POV videos.

I wouldn’t be surprised if NAB brought more than those two already teased announcements. But, NAB is a video-focused event, so I’m expecting any camera launches tied to the event will be focused on video, like cinema cameras, broadcast cameras, and vlogging cameras. If we see any announcements outside of those categories, I would be shocked if it wasn’t at least a hybrid made for taking videos and stills.

2026 feels like it has started a bit slow with camera announcements – though 2025 ended with a bang with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and the Sony A7 V. There’s been the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema, and the Panasonic ZS300/TZ300, along with some budget point-and-shoots. But, that still feels a bit quiet for it now being more than a quarter through the year.

I’m expecting the NAB show will help pick up the pace with new camera launches. The event kicks off April 18.

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Read more on what we're expecting for the next generation GoPro announcement, or read our take on the DJI Pocket 4 teaser.

The DJI Pocket 4 announcement is now confirmed for April 16, with DJI releasing a teaser for the long-awaited pocket gimbal camera. The brief video clip appears to show one fewer camera than most rumors had anticipated, however...

Many people have speculated that an upcoming DJI Osmo Pocket 4 would, like some of DJI's higher-end drones – the Air 3S or the Mavic 4 being current examples – add multiple cameras to the gimbal. The idea would be exactly the same as it is in premium camera phones; the option to get optical telephoto shots without any of the extra size and weight that physical zoom components bring.

Instead, however, the device we see under DJI's "The world in my pocket" starts with a close-up too dark to show us anything before – lit only around the rim – but it then rotates the 'camera' before seeming to reveal an image sensor beneath that emerges right from the center of the 'gimbal'.

Now I can't say anything for sure about this, but the most logical interpretation is that a single image sensor is in the middle of the gimbal in this design – though presumably there is something good about it which is why DJI focus on it in the clip.

In recent teasers from DJI, like the "New Dimension" one, which appeared before the DJI Avata 360, the company wasn't shy about including 360-degree footage, but stopped short of showing us the craft for a few more days.

This time, there is only a week before we expect to see the Pocket 4 and learn answers to these questions.

One possibility that we have discussed is whether there might be more than one Osmo Pocket 4 model in DJI's roadmap to come – something that was suggested by leaker Camera Beta.

At the same time, we know Luna – a handheld gimbal-based camera – has been announced as 'coming' from Insta360, but unlike the Pocket 4, it doesn't have a date.

All we can say until next week is that the Osmo Pocket 3, a camera which has become a creator's favourite since launch in Late 2023, will have a sibling of some kind very soon. Keep watching these pages to see if the Osmo Pocket 4 can replace the unique contender for best vlogging camera.

The DJI Lito and DJI Lito XL aren't necessarily real drones yet – they are products suggested by known leakers – but that hasn't stopped an online debate about just who these drones are targeting.

Why? The most recent leak is what appears to be a DJI packaging design showing the specifications and, from that, people have argued over whether these drones are new products to replace existing parts of the DJI lineup, or targeting a new space altogether.

Original leak

Everything in the area is interesting, but it'd be great to know what exactly is coming – if anything – and when (especially if you're about to pull the trigger on a pre-summer drone purchase).

The other thing that is interesting is that this drone is, apparently, FCC cleared – meaning that the Avata 360 was not the last drone that DJI got past the FCC's clearance process before the DJI ban starts in the USA.

Why we can't be sure...

A rumor blog which we can't be 100% certain about, showed pictures of a DJI Lito X1 Fly More Combo Plus, including a DJI RC 2 controller, which suggests there will be full radio, not just wi-fi like the smallest toy drones. Then again, DJI has pulled the choice of controls off before in the Neo.

What springs to my journalist's mind is that, if you were going to fake a DJI release, then a 'Fly More Combo' with a RC 2 controller is exactly what you might see suggested by an unimaginative AI based on DJI's history. They only predict the future based on stuff they've seen already (one told me earlier that Artemis II couldn't have taken off because the data in it's model referred to it as a 'future' mission!)

You're not an AI, so you might actually think. And if you have that power, you might say: "Well, if it's called 'Lito', that sounds a bit like 'light' – as if it doesn't weigh very much – so perhaps we're looking at a drone not just under 250g but significantly under that threshold."

The drones DJI might look at...

DJI already has lighter drones – the DJI Neo – and some countries are starting to bring in even lower weight limits, not least the United Kingdom, which now (as of 2026) requires drones to be under 100g if the drone is to be used without any paperwork (Flyer ID or Operator ID).

It seems unlike that the Neo is up for replacement in the near future, though, as the DJI Neo 2 came out relatively recently and, as you can see from my DJI Neo 2 review, it actually upped the weight slightly – though it is still lighter than the DJI Mini series.

The DJI Mini series is split between lower-end products like the Mini 4K, which is getting on for two years old now. It has seen discounting in recent Amazon sales, too.

The idea that the Lito is a replacement for this is exactly the theory attributed to DJI leaker Mauro Tandoi – in a quote on DroneXL that doesn't actually appear on his own feed.

Tandoi has posted an image that is apparently 'shot on DJI Lito X1, however, so he clearly has an interest!

At the upper end of the ultralight spectrum is the DJI Mini 5, which has much more serious cameras. I'd be inclined to rule out DJI replacing that in the immediate future, however, because it is only six months old and because the Lito seen in these leaks doesn't look to be as well specified at a glance.

Alternative ideas

But what if this drone is something different altogether?

That's the other possibility. We are, after all, looking at a new name, so which shouldn't DJI be introducing another slightly different new product that will not step on any of the existing lines.

That theory has been advanced by YouTubers, and it makes a lot of sense, I think.

Spec Leaks

There are two different sets of specs – the difference between the Lito 1 and the Lito X1 – and the difference might be 22GB or 42GB of internal storage. Essentially, the drone looks like a more photography-focused lightweight drone. There might also be Lidar on the X1 only.

YouTuber TechAvid suggested that DJI might be looking to create a new class that was easier to learn than any other drone and new in that regard, like a flying action camera, but I'm not sure. That seems to ignore the rugged frame and the phone-operable simplicity represented by the Neo, so that claim doesn't quite hold water for me.

SkyRover connection?

It might also be the SkyRover S1, a drone which might possibly have some connection to DJI but in the USA is only sold under the SkyRover brand.

This doesn't go against the 'already FCC approved' view, but doesn't quite line up.

Some think that SkyRover are looking to create a CE-compliant version, so that it can be sold in the European Union and EEA (the EU plus Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland). It would also be likely that a company would seek UKCA at the same time as this is a very similar regulatory arrangement to CE (having diverged only after Brexit).

Check out our full guide to the best camera drones

Update with date

UPDATE: DJI has clarified some of the above speculation by sharing a "Just Fly" Lito announcement, highlighting April 23, on social:

A 360-degree drone boasts an entirely different kind of camera, offering a complete, uninterrupted view of the world around the aircraft, which can be redirected and have its perspective or crop changed in post, after the flight, just like the best 360-degree cameras.

As a drone expert, I've tried both the 360-degree camera drones out there (including the different control options), and I've got a lot to say about them both, but don't worry – I'll keep it to the important bits! I've also thoroughly tested many more of the 360 cameras that can't fly, like the DJI Osmo 360 and the Insta360 X5.

Crucially, the two first-ever 360 drones have distinct designs, bringing advantages and disadvantages of their own, so if you're looking at joining this exciting new bandwagon, it's definitely worth taking a moment to look at the differences. I will explain which is best for you, depending on what you want to do (and how much you want to spend).

The Quick List

The best 360 drones

Best 360 drone for creatives

This drone is a fine choice for anyone keen to get into 360-degree drones, flying drones in general. It looks like a slightly bigger version of the Avata 2 (DJI's most recent acrobatic FPV drone), but this can be flown without any FPV skills – and still get the results.

All that is needed is to put a bit of time in following the flight with or DJI Studio to simulate a roll or other clever piloting trick, and all those are included in the software. Not to mention so many more reframing features.

It isn't perfect – you will still see stitching lines occasionally in the exported video, an issue with all 360-degree cameras – but DJI also offers a solution. You can tell the drone to operate in 1-camera mode and a whole lens points forward; by surrendering the possibility of re-framing, you can get

All this makes for a very smart drone, and the camera's capabilities

If you've got the latest DJI Goggles 3 / Motion Controller / RC2 – perhaps from the DJI Avata 2 or DJI Neo series drones – then there is an opportunity to add the 360 to your setup at only the cost of the drone.

Read my full DJI Avata 360 review, including sample video

Best lightweight 360 degree drone

The first-ever 360-degree drone also happened to be from a brand incubated by the biggest brand in 360-degree cameras: Insta360 (a consistent winner in my best 360-degree camera guide for good reason).

The cunning design is small and light – under the crucial 250g threshold that sidesteps a lot of rules – which is quite an achievement. It uses tiny automatic landing gear to protect the lens, and this worked in my testing.

I found flying it with the Grip controller profoundly satisfying. The maximum speed is good given the weight category,

The Antigravity A1's cool steampunk-looking goggles also solve an issue that many places have; that any friends or colleagues accompanying you can't see anything. Given it's often a requirement to have a 'spotter' with you when you fly using immersive FPV goggles, you want the world to be as interesting as possible when you invite them out.

Antigravity's solution – an outward-facing screen in one of the 'eyes' – is novel and useful, though the fact the goggles are essential make the drone less affordable than the Avata as you need three devices (you can buy the Avata with a standard two-stick controller, which is still fine for collecting 360-degree content).

This drone has the advantage that Insta360 provided its slightly more refined Studio app, making life a little easier when post-processing, which is useful for beginners.

Read my full Antigravity A1 review, including sample video

Which is best?

In this case, it isn't a simple answer because both drones are better at different things. The video quality from the DJI Avata 360 is slightly better, and it can be flown that bit faster (with a little bit more confidence) thanks to its extra weight and "cinewhoop" frame design.

The Antigravity A1, however, comes in below the 250g limit, meaning you can use it in more places, with less or no paperwork or fees. The marginal speed difference seems less of a problem there, and the place list seems even longer, given how small the drone folds up.

If you want the 360 FPV experience in a way that most people can enjoy it – in fact, if you want the FPV experience in perhaps the most impressive way there is – then I'd recommend the A1. The content you create will also be very striking.

However, if you're thinking more about the after-the-fact content generation, then the Avata 360 does have a better camera (60fps 10-bit beating 30fps 8K), and the ability to be operated more flexibly. It might also be cheaper.

So, my instinct is to suggest the DJI Avata 360 is the choice for YouTubers, TikTokers, and Instagrammers – and the Antigravity A1 is more for drone enthusiasts.

All can slightly change with the software, however; in the land of 360 post-processing tools really matter as you'll need to use them. Here, actually, while both have good tools, Antigravity has a slight edge on usability.

Creators, though, will still be at home with DJI's features, so I doubt it's a huge issue, but if anything, this situation supports my creators v hobbyists distinction between these two amazing drones.

The new DJI Avata 360 drone was authorized for sale in the USA late last year, so is not impacted by the ban on new DJI drones. However, the highly-antiipated drone will still not launch for sale on the DJI official USA store despite being launched around the world today.

There are some rumors of a future release date in the USA – DroneDJ is suggesting that there could be release date as soon as March 30 – but I put this to DJI and the company did not confirm this. Nonetheless prices on the Avata 2 have fallen in the US.

It is likely, too, that unofficial channels will emerge – US-based camera retailer B&H already has a link for the new drone listing it as 'coming soon'.

The new DJI Avata 360 is DJI's first drone (and only the world's second) with an 8K 360-degree camera system, meaning it can essentially see the entire world around it – a sphere – and that information can be digitally manipulated after the flight for multiple creative possibilities.

👨🏻‍🔬 Read my full review Avata 360 with sample videos and images

The drone uses dual 1/1.1-inch (or "effective 1-inch" as DJI puts it) image sensors, boasting 2.4 μm pixels (relatively big, helping the drone capture detail in low light)., and can capture video at 60fps in HDR.

The drone features the ability to fly with traditional controllers or FPV goggles, and a AI subject tracking feature called 'Spotlight Free' – likened to an alternative to the 5-figure priced Inspire 3, but the virtual gimbal means it can be done after the flight.

Video can be edited in both the DJI Fly (phone) and DJI Studio (computer) app, and it is surprisingly sophisticated.

The drone also boasts 42GB (enough for about 30 minutes of 8K 60fps 360 video), as well as a MicroSD card slot.

Since the drone isn't (yet) officially on sale in the USA, there are no prices in dollars, but it is available for prices from £409 / AU$799 (about $550) for just the drone, through £639 / AU$1159 (about $855) with the DJI RC2 controller, to a Fly More Combo for £829 / AU$1619 (about $1110) – making it very competitive in this new category.

DJI, the largest and most successful consumer drone company, is not often second to any sphere, but Insta360’s drone arm Antigravity got its ‘A1’ 360-degree drone out late in 2025. The two drones, however, are very different.

While the A1 is all about folding, the Avata 360 is bigger, heavier, and seems to be built with creators in mind. It has a frame – and a name – inherited from DJI’s series of FPV drones (which require goggles to fly), but that is only an option here; pilots can choose to navigate with a ‘traditional’ stick controller and enjoy the advantages of post-flight video manipulation.

That offers a cost-saving as well as a creativity alternative, but despite a lower cost of entry, DJI has not skimped on specs – this drone has an 8K video system, collision sensors, and is capable of some pretty nifty speeds. Is this the new king of 360-degree drones? I tested it, and this is what I thought...

Price

At launch, the DJI Avata 360 can be picked up in a number of different bundles, all of which help make it surprisingly accessible and good value – especially if you’ve already got some experience with DJI.

The drone alone is £409 / AU$799 (about $550).

With the most basic remote controller, the DJI RC2, the drone is £639 / AU$1159 (about $855)

The Fly More Combo pushes that to £829 / AU$1619 (about $1110), and there is a version of the combo with the DJI RC2 or one with the motion (wand) controller.

Specs

Build and handling

On unboxing, the first thing that I noticed was that the Avata 360 is a surprisingly big drone. That’s partly because, given the “cinewhoop” styling (guards around the propellors) the natural comparison is the popular, cheap, and VERY small DJI Neo as much as it is the Avata 2, but this is bigger than both of those drones.

DJI has opted for a rotating camera mechanism, so, when on the ground the drone, has a front-facing camera (one of the two 4K fish-eye cameras that make up the 360-degree camera). Once aloft, the entire block on which it sits rotates 90 degrees, so one lens points down and the other points upward, together functioning as an 8K 360-degree camera.

This rotation is essential as otherwise the delicate lens would need to rest on the ground during take-off and landing, and is arguably a more elegant solution than the A1’s landing legs.

There is also the option to fly with one camera facing forward and the block will then act as a 1-axis gimbal to stabilize the video.

Both of these cameras have a 1/1.1-inch image sensor (DJI is calling them ‘1-inch equivalent’) with a 200˚ field of view (specs which might be very familiar if you’ve seen DJI’s land-based Osmo 360 action camera.

The front of the drone also has two collision sensors that are part of an omnidirectional collision sensing system.

The control mechanism will be familiar to anyone who has already used a DJI drone, since it uses the RS2 or the floating joystick/wand-like ‘Motion Controller’, which I find makes FPV a joy.

Refined over time, the DJI control system displays a live view on the screen or in the goggles, with data like the remaining batteries and other essentials displayed graphically.

There is a slight change, though. Where in the past you might have seen a 1x 2x 4x ‘stepped’ zoom, there is instead a FOV option which even lets you explore a ‘small world’ view, such is the capability of a 360-camera. The dials can also be used to do this smoothly, but the result is the same (I let my junior ‘reviewer’s assistant’ try this and he found it a bit strange, but enjoyable).

Software

The real difference between shooting in 360 using a traditional camera is the export process, since most of the time you’ll need to share the video or photo as a traditional ‘flat’ image.

DJI provide a tool called DJI Studio for Mac or PC, which can be downloaded and handles this task – it looks a lot like a video editor and adding keyframes is not too difficult.

Personally, I found it a bit clunky compared to Final Cut Pro, my editor of choice, but to some extent, this is a matter of getting used to it. The app does feature a good implementation of after-the-fact subject tracking, so you can do a fly-by at speed, then later make it seem like the camera followed the person as you flew by (DJI liken this to having a second camera operator on the DJI Inspire 3 cinematography drone).

Performance

For my first flight, I opted to stick to the standard RC-2. (In the UK, where I was testing the drone, it’s legally required to have a ‘spotter’ with you to use goggles, so feel free to read ‘opted’ and ‘had no friends’ however you choose there)

I was impressed with the drone’s speed and manouverability given that the build is a little bit bigger, and a little less dense, than the Avata 2.

At first I was a little nervous about flying the drone near obstacles, but the cinewhoop design meant I was able to bump it into trees with reasonable confidence that the drone would survive. The lenses are another matter, but DJI has thought of that too, and they are replaceable.

The drone's battery life seems pretty good by old-school FPV standards (though might trouble some videographers, used to drones with over 30 minutes. Thrash it around for a bit of drama, though, and the nominal '23 mins' will drop a lot faster (as is always the case). Nonetheless I think the balance is about right; I didn't feel unduly restrained by the battery.

Sample Images

Sample Video

You'll see some stitching issues when the drone gets close to trees, but for the most part the video is of impressive quality. It is edited entirely within DJI Studio, in a bit of a hurry I have to admit.

If you're unaware of the term, stitching refers to the joining of the two half-world images that go to making the drones spherical world view from the two separate cameras – the cameras do vibrate a little, so the stitching line appears when objects are close. This seems to have been well-managed with this device, but not perfectly.

Overall verdict

Thanks to the various leaks and spoilers, it’s been easy to anticipate the form a DJI 360-degree drone might take, but even without them, this is exactly the right approach for the established market leader. It caters to its broad creative base.

The fact is confident in its weight and size suggest that DJI knew all along that high-quality visuals – the content – mattered more in the design of the Avata 360 than hitting legal thresholds for certain consumers.

The result is a more obviously professional-friendly drone that is perhaps the YouTuber or TikToker’s perfect upgrade from the DJI Neo, with the capability to dramatically change the tone of aerial shots, and get more work done in less time.

It’s not perfect. 8K is adequate, but as a long-time reviewer of 360-degree cameras and (more recently) drones, I can’t help but hope that more detail comes. It’s the best any consumer device offers now, looking very good thanks to those big sensors, and surprisingly reasonably priced. If portability and hobby flying are your goals, perhaps look back at the A1, but otherwise, this is a very tempting proposition.

Alternatives

How I test drones

I am a drone expert, with years of experience flying drones – when I started you more or less had to build them yourself, though the consumer era was just beginning. I have operated drones commercially for TV, as well as for pleasure, and I also take a 'young apprentice' with me where I can to get the view of the youthful generation, as I did with the Avata 360. In other words the one thing I've learned over the years – and the thing I put into practice is this: you need to experience the drone in real-world conditions yourself. So that's what I do. As you'll see from the pictures, I flew the Avata 360 with different controllers in different lighting conditions.

Shooting smooth video with a mirrorless camera is still harder than it should be, but DJI may have just changed that. With built-in AI tracking finally arriving for “proper” cameras, the RS 5 promises to do more than stabilize your shots. It could change how you shoot entirely.

Since the gimbal doesn't have access to the sensors and TTL cleverness of the camera, the previous DJI RS 4 Mini brought a tracking module, which has its own camera to identify the subject of your shot and that has moved up the chain to the RS 5.

Other key gear seeing significant updates are the automated locks; the process of safely putting the device away is now almost completely automatic.

AI intelligent tracking, a new guide for camera operators so they know the limits of their step, premium quality components, compatibility with more cameras, and a new briefcase handle might all offer something to filmmakers – but is it enough?

RS5: Price

With two price options, at £485 (about $650) for the gimbal (including all the essential accessories like the battery grip, tripod base, quick-release plates ) and £619 (about $830) for the RS 5 combo I tested here, which adds the AI tracking module and briefcase handle this isn't the cheapest of gimbals, but DJI has always been a premium player in this space. The RS 5 also takes a high payload and, price-wise, is essentially the same as a Zhiyun Crane 4, for example, despite the RS 5's better features, so still seems like a value win.

RS5: Specs

RS5: Build and handling

The RS 5 feels suited to serious tasks right from the unboxing. Specifically I tested the RS 5 Combo edition, which arrived in an excellent zip-able hard case which has just enough flex in it that, when it comes to packing up at the end of a long shoot, you don't have to worry too much about getting everything just right, but also just enough padding that you can be confident of the RS 5's future (with pockets for your battery, tripod, and other screw-in parts).

After unboxing, you'll need to pair the device with your phone and camera, so don't expect to have things working immediately the first minute on set. Why your phone, you ask? Because this is the means of firmware updates.

I'm testing the combo with the RS Enhanced Intelligent Tracking Module, which includes a camera so the AI can watch humans (up to 10m away). It clips easily but firmly onto the top of the Ronin with two hinged clips, and contacts on its base do the rest. At the front a LED ring around the lens indicates whether it has acquired a tracking lock or not, so the talent can know what is going on.

The tracking module works via the 1.8-inch touchscreen, accessed via with a right-swipe (I found the size fine).

Thanks to gesture recognition, it also works the other way by holding your palm to initiate things (and you get a clear indicator light). You can shoot on your own and have the camera follow you – not something easily possible with a mirrorless cam before. Solo content creators were often forced to use either a tripod (no motion) or a clever gimbal on a phone for the lack of a tracking module. DJI has sovled this, and done so well.

Of course this is still a gimbal you need to take the camera on and off of. Balancing the camera is never the easiest part of life with a gimbal. Again it's something you need to follow the instructions for step by step if you're doing it for the first time.

Wouldn't it be awesome if DJI's plate fitted my tripod so I didn't have to unscrew it and swap when it came time to do tripod shots? Not a fault of the Ronin – there are a lot of different tripod base plates – just occurred to me!) On the plus side, it is easy to re-fit thanks to the supplied screws and the design with a lens center guide.

DJI also do a lot to make the balancing as easy as possible, too, with a video tutorial and the presence of DJI's crisp display which can indicate a lack of balance. The final stage is an automated auto-balancing which is fun to watch – just rest the camera on a surface, put the feet of the included tripod attachment out, and let it do its thing for a few moments.

The gimbal has a grip beneath and the option to attach a "Briefcase handle" at almost any angle you choose, yet it still has a working Gimbal and camera control (and one I didn't detect lag on).

That means, in practical terms, you can set it up to hold the RS 5 and your favoured camera like a top-held movie camera (say a Sony Venice) and get swooping cinematic shots from low to the ground.

The design's also replaces the battery grip from the RS 4, the new one charging in less than half the time – just an hour – and I found that I was able to shoot continuously for several hours, certainly a lot longer than my arm is happy supporting a camera, lens, and gimbal. I have little problem believing that it'll get close to 14h.

Performance

In terms of stability, I had very little by the way of complaints. I am, I admit, the kind of operator who will – from time to time – balance quickly and tolerate the orange warning or (as you'll see in the video) not even take the camera strap off. Despite this naughty laziness on my part (and so long as I ensured the strap had free movement), the DJI managed to cope with the extra strain.

This can be the advantage of a powerful device and a long battery life – the option to operate beyond the ideals for expediency.

The Intelligent Tracking impressed me a great deal when I was acting as operator and using the screen. The RS 5 was quick to identify humans (or pets or cars) near the camera for me to tap on and track.

Despite the screen size, it was also easy enough to draw a square around objects that the AI doesn't automatically suggest. This makes a nice walk past shot, like a close orbit, easy to achieve.

I also found essentially zero issues when it came to connecting my camera's Bluetooth and using the RS 5's record button.

Overall verdict

Strictly reviewing the 'RS 5 Combo', including the tracking module and briefcase handle, I feel like I'm reviewing the camera gimbal to replace all gimbals. Often products are just iterative steps along a product line, but here there is a genuinely significant improvement – combined with a series of iterations too. There is no previous generation that wouldn't benefit from the RS 5 as an update (though, to be fair, the tracking module can be bought for the RS 4).

Getting used to using a gimbal takes a little time, especially if your camera or lens are less able to communicate, but this is the easiest to balance and now supports Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Panasonic Lumix, and Sony. The AI tracking is incredibly intuitive, too. Admittedly, when you're thinking about your camera settings too, all the mode toggles can be overwhelming, but you'll welcome having simple physical switches rather than menus to tap through.

Ultimately, the RS 5 is a great gimbal, and the RS 5 Combo – with that handle and the tracking module – can empower an operator to achieve a lot more than they might have imagined. The reliable battery (a whole day's work is unlikely to be an issue) plus a firm mechanism make it close to perfect.

Alternatives

See our full guide to the best gimbals for DSLRs and mirrorless cameras.
We also have separate guides for the Best gimbal for smartphones,
and for the best gimbals for GoPros

How I tested the DJI RS 5 Combo

I tested the RS 5 over a couple of weeks in different locations. For the most part, I used my Sony A7 III camera, connecting using the Bluetooth. This included attempting to move around a small studio and capture shots of Ariane X for a music video, by hand and using the AI tracking.

DJI loaned me the Combo kit to test.

DJI, the market leader in the consumer drone world, has filed six new patent cases against Insta360 Intermediate People's Court, according to posts on social media, the first time DJI has done anything like this in its home market of China.

DJI has been facing growing competition from Insta360, which has created action cameras and recently, its own drone brand Antigravity.

At the same time, DJI has been creating products in areas that were first occupied by Insta360 – not least the Osmo 360 camera, both of which are competing to be the best action camera was well as the best 360 camera.

Until now, though, DJI has kept the competition in the retail sphere, not the courtroom, unlike, for example, the environment in the US, where GoPro has already sought, unsuccessfully, to make patent claims against Insta360.

Now, though, with the release of the Avata 360 – DJI's long-awaited answer to the Antigravity A1 360-degree drone – expected just days away (March 26), it seems that the battle will be fought in the courtrooms as well as the skies.

In a Weibo post – the Chinese short messaging platform – the Independent Photographers Association suggests that core areas will be involved, including patents on flight control, structural design, and image processing.

Perhaps more interestingly for those who enjoy a personal side, they are suggesting that some of this information travelled with an employee who left DJI and moved to Insta360.

Insta360 CEO Liu Jingkang – often known as "JK Liu" – said in his own Weibo account, he suggested that, in the case of DJI suing Insta360, everyone can simply wait for the court’s normal evidence collection and investigation procedures. Such disputes are common in the competition between technology companies, but took the opportunity to point out:

"GoPro and DJI suing us is entirely understandable given the mentality of giants facing market share losses. Conversely, many functions and accessories of DJI's panoramic camera and thumb camera have been reported by the media as "copying" or "strikingly similar"

JK Liu sums up his long response: "We respect intellectual property rights, but at the same time, we respect facts, legal procedures, and rulings. We are not afraid of any patent litigation, we do not engage in existing market competition, and we will only use continuous innovation to expand the market and win a place. We will not use weapons unless absolutely necessary."

A message that seems to have earned him a lot of positive responses in the Chinese social platform's chat. It'll be interesting to see if the courts take it the same way.

This aerial shot is unforgettable – offering everything from technical precision and perfect timing to a depth of cultural storytelling rarely seen in drone photography.

The image, titled Containment, capturing a container ship passing through Hong Kong residential building's famous "dragon gate," has now been shortlisted for the LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 Awards – and there's no question why.

Captured by self-taught, award-winning British photographer, videographer, and visual artist Derry Ainsworth, the shot reflects his ongoing commitment to present Hong Kong through his unique perspective.

Finalist in the category: Travel

Containment by Derry Ainsworth

Tech info
Gear: DJI Mavic 2 Pro (Hasselblad L1D-20c + 28mm f/2.8)
Exposure: 1/320 sec, f/5.0, ISO 400

Ainsworth says about the image, "A lone container ship passes by the front of a residential building in Hong Kong. The ship can be seen through the building's 'dragon gate'-a feng shui design feature said to allow dragons to pass through from the mountains to the sea.

"Taken with a drone after patiently waiting for a container ship to pass by through the view of the gate."

Why it could win

1. Masterful geometric composition
The residential tower features a strong vertical pattern, while the "dragon gate" frames the container ship like a natural portal. This deliberate alignment showcases the architectural rhythm and the fleeting element within it.

2. Patient orchestration of timing
Capturing the container ship precisely at the gate demonstrates extraordinary patience and foresight. The single moment unites structure and motion, turning the scene into a visual narrative of chance and control.

3. Dialogue between human culture and industry
The "dragon gate," a feng shui feature, contrasts with the utilitarian container ship passing through. This juxtaposition explores Hong Kong's layered identity – tradition alongside global commerce.

4. Drone perspective for visual impact
Using a DJI Maic 2 Pro enables an elevated viewpoint that emphasizes scale and symmetry. The resulting image transforms a mundane urban scene into a striking, almost abstract composition.

Update

Containment didn't take the top spot in the Travel category at the LCE Photographer of the Year competition.

At the live awards ceremony at The Photography & Video Show 2026, it faced strong competition, including The Crossings by Uku Sööt and Fish Eyes by Sophia Spurgin.

The category win went to Sophia Spurgin's Fish Eyes, and this image also earned her the LCE Photographer of the Year title.

To discover more winning images, visit the LCE POTY website.

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Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from March to July.

The DJI Neo is a brilliant drone, but there is a lot of choice. It's a drone you can buy for surprisingly little money and get amazing tech – it can take off from your hand, follow you using AI and take pictures, and land again. Even the base model will do that, but with discounts across (almost) all the range, are there good reasons to spend a bit more? As DCW's "Mr Drone", here are my thoughts...

How do I learn more about drones?

I keep a guide to the best drones for beginners (where the Neo features very well given its combination of value, safety, and features) and the best drones for kids.

The thermal cameras in a DJI Matrice 30T are cited in a scientific research document as the tech used for monitoring vital signs in dolphins which can dramatically reduce stress for the creatures, while helping us

The team behind the paper, Charlie White, Andrew P. Colefax, and Guido J. Parra, discuss the advantages of using remote devices to monitor the health of dolphins rather than traditional "invasive" methods of temporarily catching the creatures and measuring them.

Those measurement methods are not just taking temperature on the surface, either – many researchers conduct rectal probes, make the dolphins ingest radio-telemetry pills and internal data loggers, and conduct electrocardiograms.

If breathing and temperature can be monitored remotely, dolphins and humans can live together more easily.

DJI's precision is ±2 °C when the measurements are taken at relatively close-range (though 10 meters is still considerably less close than the above), but given scientists had already determined that the stress was creating a ±4 °C variance in the data, it's arguably better to use the drones according to the data collected.

The DJI Matrice 30T boasts a thermal camera with 640 x 512 pixels and a refresh of 30 fps. The two traditional cameras are 12 MP wide and and a zoom with 48 MP too.

Dolphins images were taken at or near the surface, so the optical cameras could be used for feature identification, helping know which dolphin was which.

Interestingly, the experimenters still felt that drones might bother the dolphins, so ther were given fly-bys to help acclimatize them first.

The experimenters also took flights at a number of different altitudes – specifically 30m, 15m, 10m and 5m. These are scientists, of course, but 30m is 98ft. Only lower down were the dolphin's individual personalities clearer enough, and, importantly for the scientists, the details of the dolphins.

Measurements that are telling include the blowhole and dorsal fin temperature, and these need to be out of the water the moment the thermogram (temperature photo) is captured.

In what might be bad news for dolphins, the report concluded that the use of drones is feasible, but didn't find a connection with the other measurement that has traditionally been collected for dolphin group health studies – rectal temperature.

Despite this weakness, there is definitely the option to gather data more efficiently and cause less irritation to dolphin populations. For now, though, it looks more likely to be done in places like Australia where there are no limitations on the equipment choices.

Choices of the best thermal drones in the USA are now distinctly limited by the ban on new DJI drones, at least while it is still being challenged in the courts.

The new Skyrover S1 – and its controllers – looks a lot like a cross between some of DJI's cheaper lighter drones, but it's not exactly the same – and perhaps it's even better. It's just launched in the USA, too, so we've not had chance to offer our full verdict.

The Skyrover S1 boasts a 7.45 mile (12km) video range, a little longer than the DJI Mini 4K drone that it is priced similarly to, and forward which the Mini 4K doesn't have at all.

Otherwise the design is similar, with a camera on a gimbal that can capture smooth footage but, if you want to shoot for social media in a portrait format, you can – you just have to operate in a cropped mode that misses on a lot of the pixels (unlike, say, the DJI Mini 3).

It was first thought that SkyRover was a brand that was using DJI tech but side-stepping the US ban on the brand, and certainly the first SkyRover X1 seems a lot like the DJI Mini 4 Pro, albeit a lot more colorful.

A few more months have passed, and, interestingly, the new S1 has its own shell design, not seen on DJI products precisely. And let's face it, the folding four-leg design is hardly just DJI anymore (the company's original Mavic 1 having really hammered the ideas into consensus, but being a long time back now, in 2016).

Other signs that things are truly different are things like taking a drone that shoots 4K video and using phrases like "True 8K clarity unleashed" on the company website – which SkyRover does, like many low-cost brands. It's not strictly wrong (the company is referring to the drone's still images), but in my experience DJI has never made a claim quite so misleading under its own brand.

The software on the controller, though, does look very similar, even the subject tracking graphics (and those features are all there).

Will this make it into our best drones guide or best drones for beginners guide? It looks like it's got the tech and the value, but, as yet, we have not been offered a review model.

Until today, we've been speculating about the upcoming Avata 360. We've had a lot to go on, not least a tantalising FPV video which could only have been shot with the 360 drone. But DJI didn't (officially) make a drone with a 360-degree camera, so what was happening?

Well, when I looked at the New Dimension teaser, I think I got a lot right. For one thing the new social post – "Above It All, See It All" confirms that there will be launch on 26 March, and not only names the product Avata 360 but adds "8K flagship 360˚ drone" which does very much give the game away.

What is left unknown, to be revealed at 12PM GMT / 9AM EST?

There is still the actual specs of the aircraft. For one thing, there is a lot of discussion online about the likely propeller count, with leaked pictures suggesting there might be four.

Price will be significant and, of course, price will only be some of the equation – how will the drone be operated? What bundles will be available? What will the battery life be like?

Will there be a new model of FPV goggles, and a new expense involved? Or will DJI find a way to keep costs down for loyal customers so they are not distracted by the now-established Antigravity A1 – the first 360˚ drone, which was launched last year.

Consumers will also be interested to know if the Avata 2 will continue or whether this is essentially seen as a replacement technology.

That is especially dependent on the image quality, which will only be seen once we've tested the device, as the best 360-degree cameras are, of course, dependent on the stitching of the image.

DJI has experience here with the impressive Osmo 360, a camera that entered the space well (taking on Insta360 X5 and beating the GoPro Max 2 to the punch), but did struggle in the US. That will also be a question. Was this approved in time, or is this a launch only for the 'rest of the world'?

Software does matter, though, in the world of 360-video, so apps will matter too.

In other words, check back here when we can answer those questions – it'll be worth it!

I tested the 8K flying cinema camera that is the DJI Inspire 3 just before it's launch in 2023, and it has since become a staple of the global film industry for the reasons I highlighted in that review.

The downside, however, has always been the cost of entry – this kind of technology is not ever going to be cheap – but DJI has gone some way to making it more affordable with a new Inspire 3 Basic Package.

Of course the deal is even better if you're already using compatible lenses – for example if you shoot with the DJI Ronin 4D – a cinema camera system which has carved a bigger and bigger niche in the industry because it has a built-in gimbal (all running from the same battery).

The Ronin 4D cameras and the Zenmuse X9 gimbal included here both use the DJI DL mount, which supports native autofocus and powered zoom. There are a number of native DJI primes (18mm, 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 75mm) and third-party options.

The remote, however, is not included in this new bundle, which will itself set you back a not insignificant £1,299.00, but even then the overall cost is a four-figure drop on the previous bundle.

Availability is a little frustrating for those in English-speaking countries, with availability of the new bundle coming sometime next month, even though it has dropped already in some parts of mainland Europe – in France the bundle is called 'Package de base' but it's essentially the same deal.

• DJI France 🇫🇷 – 'Package de base' available today: €7,999 (about $10,648.31).
• DJI UK 🇬🇧 – available 'April': £7,999 (about $10,648.31).
• DJI USA 🇺🇸 – DJI didn't offer me any news of a US version of this deal.

This is not the only way you can get some significant and high-end imagery from DJI drones by spending less, and – in many, many scenarios – there is a serious argument to be made for the relative convenience, battery life, and checking the DJI Mavic 4 Pro's relative rank on my best camera drones guide might be interesting.

If you need 8K, though, and interoperability with Ronin cameras, this is great news. I'll also say that when I was working regularly as a drone operator, clients were always a lot more impressed with the Inspire even if they ended up using the video shot from a Mavic. Sometimes, sadly, that matters!

DJI's new teaser doesn't explicitly confirm the long-rumored Avata 360, but it comes as close as possible to doing so, and it has immediately set the drone world alight.

It's unusual for DJI, the biggest brand in consumer drones, to be behind the game but, in 2025, the Insta360-incubated brand Antigravity launched the first consumer 360-degree drone, the Antigravity A1. Since then the entire industry has been waiting to see how DJI would respond.

I've seen leaked images from various sources – some reliable, some not-so reliable, but until now, there has been nothing from DJI themselves. But there is no way this social post can be misinterpreted.

Not only does the first line, "An all-new dimension," allude to the idea that the camera tech is going to change, and the hashtags confirm that we're looking at a DJI drone – not one of the company's many other product categories, but the intense video edit itself features the 'small world' effect associated with 360-degree cameras.

That's because you need a 360-degree camera to see the whole world around the camera while the camera is still moving like this. Indeed, the effect is one you can create using DJI's own land-based Osmo 360 camera, as well as the Antigravity A1 (not to mention the Insta360 X-series cameras and the GoPro Max 2)!

Not only that, but the camera capturing the video in the clip is clearly flying the kind of path you'd associate with the best FPV drones, hence my concluding 'Avata' is likely the name here.

I am definitely not alone in this assumption. Perhaps the biggest DJI leaker, Igor Bogdanov, who posts on X, has been suggesting this will be the name of the future DJI 360 drone for some time, too:

So, what specs would I anticipate? Coming late to the market, DJI has to at least match the Antigravity, so I'm expecting to see:

• 8K (total between two back-to-back cameras) at 60fps
• 4 blade props (seen in some leaked pics)
• Propellor guards
• Collision sensors

At the moment there is no reliable news on pricing, though we can assume as FPV drone so there will likely be packages from $500 to well over $1,200 depending on the need to acquire the drone only or controllers, and what level of compatibility there is with DJI's existing controllers and FPV goggles like the Goggles 3 from the existing Avata 2.

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Check my guides to the best action cameras and the best 360 cameras, as well as my guide to the best FPV drones and the best camera drones.

DJI fans will be interested to know we're also seeing a lot of talk about other upcoming DJI products, and deals on current FPV drones.

DJI isn’t going down without a fight – the drone giant has now filed a lawsuit arguing that the ban placed on its products in the US is “substantially flawed.”

In December, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) placed DJI – as well as all other “foreign-made drones” – on a list that prevents any new products from gaining the necessary authorization to be sold in the US.

Now, the drone giant has filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit, claiming that the FCC exceeded its authority, failed to follow procedures, and violated the Fifth Amendment when it added DJI products to its Covered List.

“The FCC can add products to the Covered List only when they present a national security threat, yet it has never identified any threat associated with DJI or its products,” DJI wrote in a statement. “Despite repeated efforts to engage with the government, DJI has never been given the chance to provide information to address or refute any concerns. These procedural and substantive deficiencies violate the Constitution and federal law.”

The DJI drone ban came about last December more by inaction than action – the year before, Congress had passed a law requiring the drone maker to pass a security review or face an automatic ban. No security review was ever started, despite DJI’s repeated concerns that the law failed to outline who would handle the review, nor what would happen if the review wasn’t completed in time.

DJI says that because the company was placed on the FCC ban without a security review and without identifying a national security threat, the ban violates the Fifth Amendment, which added the right to a trial, due process, and other trial-related rights to the Constitution.

“DJI takes the security of its products very seriously,” the company wrote. “The company has long advocated for independent, objective review of its products. As part of our commitment to the U.S. market and our customers across numerous industries, we will continue to engage constructively with the FCC and other stakeholders.”

While the FCC ban was expected as the deadline for passing the security review approached, the FCC didn’t just ban DJI and Autel but all “foreign-made drones.” While the FCC Covered List update now prevents any new drones made after the FCC ban from entering the US, the wording also bans DJI’s other non-drone products, including action cameras.

DJI’s placement on the FCC Covered list prevents new products from receiving the necessary authorization to be sold in the US. Previously authorized drones are still legal to sell and fly, but new DJI drones and other products that did not receive FCC authorization before the ban are not allowed to be sold in the US. Rumors hint – or perhaps hope – that DJI may have managed to get at least one more FCC registration in for a new product before the ban.

DJI filed the lawsuit against the FCC on February 20 in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, one of the federal appellate courts that sit below the Supreme Court. A court date has not yet been set.

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DJI Enterprise has released a video joining the dots between the Dock 3, the Matrice 4TD drone, and cheaper skiing and snowboarding holidays – and perhaps in the future more efficient hosting of events like the Milano Cortina 2026.

DJI's Dock 3 allows drones to almost take over the management of a ski resort – just as we've seen drones help with the videography at the Winter Olympics, here they can help with the delivery of the snow. That's significant because it accounts for half a resort's high energy budget.

In the video DJI has shared, we can see how the Dock 3 has been used by the iconic Planai resort in Austria to deploy drones which can monitor the snow machines at the resort.

Manufacturing snow at the resort is an expensive business, and very dependent on weather conditions, which the drones can monitor very precisely. The more precise the monitoring, the less wastage of manufactured snow, and the lower the creation cost.

If, however, snow is created without careful monitoring, it can end up being blown away from the ski trails, and result in the use of expensive water and energy, which, in turn, increases the costs at the resort.

The other function of drones is to inspect the rest of the infrastructure, to ensure that cable cars and lift systems are in good condition.

The DJI-based system has been set up by local technology company KIONIQ which bought them from spektakulAIR, DJI's local reseller, and they use the FlightHUB software to get 'a completely new perspective'.

Monitoring how the wind affects the spray of the snow from the snow guns that produce snow increases efficiency over time.

DJI Dock 3 can operate in temperatures as low as -30°C (-22°F), one of the few that can. That means drones can pop out at night with lights on – possibly the death of the risky midnight snowmobile run. This has a safety advantage in that staff aren't required to go out onto the slopes to do the inspections (and cover the snow with burned carbon). All the engine power and risk of snowmobiles is a more serious issue than the fun over time!

New snow guns were also deployed, which could be remotely directed, and other extra capabilities now easily exist at the resort, such as locating missing persons with drones, and even pre-checking for avalanche risk.

Ski lift passes cost money because snow is expensive to make – this can help keep the costs down, so these drones (with their 50-minute flight time, triple camera (thermal, zoom & wide), IP55 weather resistance, and autonomy) offer some hope.

The DJI Matrice 4TD uses thermal drone cameras to read the temperature of the surface. We also have a guide to the best thermal drones and the best thermal cameras.

You might also like...

Check our guide to the best camera drones and, if you are somewhere these drones aren't allowed, the best non-DJI drones.

Another year, another slew of camera rumors – but I’ve been noticing something a little odd with a handful of camera rumors lately. More than one brand known for action cameras is rumored to be working on cameras that fit under the more traditional type of camera rather than the action camera genre.

For the most part, action camera makers make action cameras, and camera makers focus on compact cameras and mirrorless cameras – although there are a few exceptions, like the Sony RX0 II. But a handful of rumors making the rounds seem to hint that brands like Insta360 and DJI could be crossing the line into more high-end camera territory.

One of these rumors has been fueled by the CEO of Insta360, who posted a photo of the back of a camera that looked nothing like what the 360 and action camera maker has currently on the market. Rumors are swirling that the camera shown in that photo could use a 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor.

But Insta360 is not the only one. Rumors are swirling once again over the idea of drone and action cam giant DJI making a mirrorless camera. No, this isn’t new – rumors of a DJI mirrorless date back to at least DJI’s stock acquisition of Hasselblad. One rumor last year even said such a camera would be out before 2025, and, well, that never happened. The latest talks suggests (or perhaps hopes for) a larger sensor cinema camera from DJI.

These early 2026 rumors aren’t the first hint that action camera makers may be growing out of their usual label. Last year, GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman hinted that the company was looking to expand into an adjacent product category in 2026: “the higher-end low-light camera category for vloggers, prosumers, and professionals.”

Now, Woodman’s comment isn’t enough to determine what format such a higher-end camera could be – he very well may have been referring to an action camera with a larger sensor and not something like a vlogging camera or mirrorless camera.

But what’s interesting about these recent rumors is that they all seem to have a common theme – action camera makers breaking out of the category and into more advanced camera types.

The camera industry feels poised on the edge of another industry shift. Compact cameras have made a comeback (though far from the categories hey dey). More cameras have arrived with a vlogging and cinema focus as video becomes the dominant social media traffic driver.

And now, if the rumors are any indication, it seems action camera brands may be poised to dabble in more camera categories. Of course, it’s often hard to pick apart the made-up ramblings from the rumors that come from industry leakers. But, if the hints offered by GoPro and Insta360’s CEO provide any indication, the lines between action camera makers and traditional camera brands may be less clear-cut in the future.

Such a shift may be needed – GoPro is struggling enough financially that the CEO refused his salary last year. Insta360, with its wide product line that now spans 360 cameras, traditional action cameras, and even a drone, has reported boosted sales.

I am, admittedly, dubious about some of these action camera rumors, but I suspect 2026 may be a key year for action camera makers.

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Take a look at the top action cameras, the best 360 cameras, or browse more camera rumors.

Today DJI announces the new RS5 camera gimbal in the rest of the world, bringing the intelligent tracking module (first seen with the RS 4 Mini) to the 5th generation of gimbal.

This new module can track people, vehicles, pets, or any subject, and maintain locked focus on a human subject up to ten meters (32ft) from the camera. According to DJI, once the module has identified someone, it can follow them and re-acquire them even if they leave the frame, even in a crowded scene.

Significantly in the social era, the RS5 can switch to vertical shooting without needing extra accessories. Its total weight is 3.22lb / 1.46Kg including the quick-release plates and battery grip.

The gimbal also features DJI's 2nd gen automated axis locks, meaning the device automatically unlocks when the gimbal is turned on or lock the gimbal in position at sleep or powers off.

A new briefcase-style handle makes it possible to capture new angles above or below the subject, while remaining in control of the footage. There is also a new Z-Axis indicator on the display, which the operator can use to see whether the Ronin's sensors think they should adjust their gait and pace, or whether the device feels capable of absorbing the image shake on its own.

The battery life is stated at 14 hours with the included grip (which can be fully charged in an hour), or up to 30 hours with the BG70 High-Capacity grip. Bluetooth shutter now supports Panasonic and Fujifilm for the first time, as well as Sony, Canon, and Nikon.

The DJI RS5 is on sale from today in the UK and Europe for £485 including a mini-tripod, control cable and BG33 battery grip. In Australia, the RS5 will set you back AU$839 for the standalone gimbal and AU$999 for the Combo pack.

It will not be on sale in the USA thanks to the ban on new DJI products which use radio frequencies imposed by President Trump. (We're not expecting any developments in the USA v China trade dispute until at least after after Chinese president Xi Jinping and Donald Trump meet, currently scheduled for April.)

There have been a lot of rumors swirling about the DJI Osmo Pocket 4, an expected updated after around two years, but now an apparent user manual page has been circulated on Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo – and it doesn't quite meet expectations.

The post, from the ever-busy "Independent Photographers Association" feed, shows what is claimed to be the operating instructions for the Chinese version of the gimbal camera.

In contrast to the DJI Pocket 3, there is a Zoom button and a customizable button, as well as the return of familiar features, like the rotating display screen which also serves to switch the device on and off.

This isn't the first leak or speculation about a Pocket 4, but this has been a hugely busy area recently. It's worth remembering, however, that was true before the Osmo Pocket 3 came along too (we ran a story at the time asking if that was the most leaked camera!)

What has made this especially interesting is that many – including me, I admit – have shared posts that suggest a 'Pro' camera is coming along featuring a dual-camera system, similar to that seen on higher-end mobile phones. That is definitely not seen in these leaked images.

It is also true that some have even suggested that DJI will not actually be producing a dual camera system at all. We now expect a gimbal camera system from DJI's arch competitors Insta360 too, and the CEO has reportedly suggested that this is the case – something confirmed by a very dependable DJI leaker, Igor Bogdanov:

That's not to say that there won't be a dual camera system coming from DJI, especially as there has been suggestion such a device has been seen in testing.

It does seem to say that the device that has been seen recently, however, is more definitely the competitor.

That is hotting things up, and good news for potential customers – especially in territories where (however unfairly) restrictions are being placed on DJI.

Check out what the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 will be up against in our rundown of the best pocket gimbal cameras

The BCN Award 2026 has been announced, revealing the best-selling camera brands in Japan's digital camera and imaging market.

Based on nationwide retail sales data from January to December 2025, the award reflects actual purchase figures collected from 20 major electronics retailers, including Amazon, Bic Camera, and other leading chains across the country.

This year, Sony claimed the mirrorless camera crown for the third consecutive year and sixth time overall, while Canon continued its long-standing dominance of the DSLR segment with an 18th straight win.

In a first-time achievement, Kodak earned the top spot for compact cameras, and DJI took home the crown in both the video camera and action camera categories.

Unlike product-based honors, the BCN Award recognizes manufacturers rather than individual camera models, ranking brands by total sales volume and overall market popularity.

Let's take a closer look at the top three brands in each category and the companies shaping Japan's highly competitive camera market in 2025…

Compact

1. Kodak: 24%
2. Fujifilm: 13.9%
3. Kenko Tokina: 13.3%

Kodak takes the top spot in Japan's compact camera category for the first time, claiming 24%. The Kodak Pixpro FZ55, a simple, affordable point-and-shoot, dominated monthly sales charts and highlights the ongoing comeback of budget-friendly compact cameras.

Fujifilm follows with 13.9% of sales, led by its popular X100 series and the Instax hybrid instant cameras. Fujifilm's GFX100RF, a groundbreaking 102MP compact medium-format camera, was recognized with the DGP Imaging Award, one of Japan's most prestigious honors.

Tokina takes third at 13.3%. maintaining a steady popularity in Japan's compact camera segment.

Mirrorless

1. Sony: 29.9%
2. Canon: 27.4%
3. Nikon: 15.1%

Sony continues its dominance in Japan's mirrorless camera market, winning the BCN Award for the third consecutive year and sixth overall, with 29.9% of annual sales. Canon follows closely with 27.4%, while. Nikon holds third place at 15.1%, maintaining its position from the previous year.

The market has been defined by Sony and Canon. Sony's A7 V, released mid-December 2025, instantly became Japan's best-selling mirrorless camera in the second half of December.

Canon's high-end EOS R6 Mark III and entry-level R50 V, along with Nikon's Z5 II, are 2025's product examples that continue to be celebrated in Japan's competitive mirrorless market.

DSLR

1. Canon: 44.3%
2. Nikon: 38%
3. Pentax: 17.7%

Canon remains the undisputed leader in Japan's DSLR market, winning the BCN Award for the 18th consecutive year and 20th overall, with 44.2% of annual sales. Nikon holds second place with 28%, while Ricoh Imaging (Pentax) captures 17.7%.

Despite the mirrorless boom, DSLRs are far from obsolete. Canon's EOS 5D Mark IV continues to dominate the professional and enthusiast workflows, while models like the 1D X Mark III are still popular.

Nikon remains strong with, for example, the D850 and D780, while Pentax appeals to a dedicated niche with models such as the K-1 Mark II.

Canon's dominance isn't a surprise. It ships the majority of DSLRs worldwide. Even with mirrorless growth, nearly 800,000 DSLRs were shipped in 2024, underscoring that the DSLR experience remains valued among photographers.

Video

1. DJI: 64.7%
2. Panasonic: 18.9%
3. Sony: 11.1%

DJI had taken the top spot in Japan's video camera market for the second year in a row, capturing an overwhelming 64.7% share. Panasonic followed with 18.9%, and Sony held 11.1%.

Key DJI releases include the Osmo Action 6, launched late 2025, and the Osmo Pocket series – a compact handheld solution that some observers argue could also fit under action cameras due to its portability, though officially classified in the video camera category for BCN Award purposes.

Among Panasonic's most popular devices for professional video are the Lumix S5 IIX, and it updated its hybrid lineup with the Lumix S1 II, and camcorders such as AG-CX20. Sony continues to impress with the FX6, FX3, and hybrid models like the A7R V and A6700.

Action

1. DJI: 40.1%
2. Insta360: 37.9%
3. GoPro: 18.9%

DJI claimed the top spot in Japan's action camera category for the first time, capturing 40.1% market share. Arashi Vision (the company behind Insta360) followed closely with 37.9%, while GoPro fell to third place at 18.9%.

DJI's success in 2025 was highlighted by the Osmo Action 6 and the Osmo Nano, a tiny wearable camera, while the Osmo Action 4 and 5 Pro offered strong budget and professional options.

Arashi Vision continued to push innovation with the Insta360 X5 (8K 360°) and maintained strong momentum with the Ace Pro 2. Meanwhile, GoPro focused on its Max 2, while the Hero 13 Black remained a popular choice.

As Chinese manufacturers, DJI and Insta360 continued to gain ground, GoPro's market share declined amid intensifying competition.

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Browse the best compact cameras, the best mirrorless cameras, the best DSLRS, the best cameras for video, and the best action cameras.

A leaker, Camera Beta, has posted yet another update about the much-rumored DJI Pocket 4 in one of many indicators from regular DJI leakers that suggest a busy product program for 2026 for customers everywhere except the USA – where, unless things change, the company is not allowed to introduce new products.

What is especially interesting about this leak, if true, is that it seems to provide a date (and one slightly later than we might have thought). We're also seeing repeats of the 1-inch CMOS sensor and up to 120fps 4K (some would point out that suggests enough power for 8K).

Other leakers have confirmed the idea that the launch has been pushed to late Q1/early Q2 – though the images shown above from the Amazon leak have Euro pricing, so the device might be available sooner in China, DJI's home territory.

Another reliable DJI leaker, Igor Bogdanov, has shared a new picture which seems to confirm the idea that there will be two versions of the next model. We have speculated about this in the past, the likelihood being that there will be a single camera model and a dual camera 'Pro' edition commanding a higher price tag.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has been one of the most surprising and popular cameras on the market, and has not only impressed users but received the sincerest form of flattery in the form of mimicry from other brands who have introduced rival pocket gimbal cameras, so a sequel is certainly expected and it makes sense for there to be more options.

DJI also, after all, offers a similar technology in a much higher-end form for professional filmmakers in the form of the DJI Ronin 4D – a cinema camera with a built-in stabilizer.

Looking into early 2026, the Pocket 4 isn't the only device around which rumors seem to be coalescing. There have also been a lot of images from these same sources about the Avata 360 – a drone to take on the Antigravity A1, which is, for now, the world's only 360-degree drone.

What makes this image more interesting than some of the very many clips and images of the Avata 360 that have been shared online recently is that we see little details like the lens cover which look a little more difficult for AI to have generated.

If that battery charging hub design is right, it still isn't clear to me if we're looking at a drone under 250g as Antigravity has managed and some of the commenters are hoping for – it seems unlikely given the size compared to the controller.

Finally, it is important to note that there has been no movement yet on the so-called DJI drone ban, but the Department of Commerce has at least held back on banning existing DJI models, so Americans will still be able to buy DJI products that already exist and are widely used.

US-based customers can feel a little more confident that DJI will still be around and selling, but there is no reason to wait for the Avata 360 or the new Pocket 4 – both the Pocket 3 and Antigravity A1 in their respective spaces are the most up-to-date models that are likely to be available until US/China relations take a significant thaw led by a change in the US political situation.

A phone can take on most content creation jobs these days, so why not give it the support it needs – that's the theory behind a gimbal which is a camera stabilizer that helps produce more professional content.

This is a device of many generations, but since the Osmo Mobile 6 – or OM6 – DJI has brought a professional feel with an analog control wheel as well as the joystick. This can, for example, use NFC to take control of the 'focus' effect in on the phone so the device gives you wider cinematographic controls.

This newest model has other updates too – a fill light and subject tracking system that can also help connect to any of the DJI Mics (not just the Mic Mini), as well as (new for this generation) an infinitely rotating pan, so you can be tracked continuously around the device if you need.

USB-C charging (and the ability to charge your phone via the same port) all add up to make a lot of appeal, but is this the right choice if you're looking for more stable phone video?

DJI Osmo Mobile 8: Pricing

The Osmo Mobile 8, or OM8, has relatively high end features but does not come at the highest price in this category, so I'd put it down as good value too.

The obvious competitor is the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro, which – at the time I tested the device – was one of the few other devices that offered Apple DockKit compatibility and 360-degree panning, but came in for slightly more cash than the OM8.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8: Specs

DJI Osmo Mobile 8: Build and handling

I've said it before (and I said it with the OM7) – DJI is very confident in building a convincingly professional-feeling product, even in this category, which is awash with cheap plasticky devices. There is a reassuringly robust feeling about this design, which has good ergonomics around the trigger (which activates the stabilization and some other functions).

Despite its compact size, the design manages to include a decent-length telescopic extension pole so you can get your phone camera above a crowd, and a built-in tripod that can pull out of the base and pop back in. That's a lot of physical functionality and in my testing over a few months it survived admirably.

Physical controls amount to a thumbwheel (handy for things you might tweak in a linear scale, like focus), a thumb stick (used for directing the phone/camera), and three simple buttons. These mean you can start and stop recording, even on an iPhone in the normal camera app, without reaching up for the screen.

DJI provides an app, Mimo, as well as letting you use the phone's own app, for that slightly more professional feel – or at least that's how I interpreted the experience. Mimo, to be fair, is also equipped with a host of filters and even beauty adjustments so perhaps it's just as Gen-Z as anything else out there, but if, like me, you are looking to access the premium features (or find features like D-Log from your drones) then Mimo is the place to look.

Mimo, of course, is also the tool which offers remote control of all DJI's action cameras, so if you have any of the OM8's siblings then the app might just need an update, and will already be familiar to you.

Finally, there is the clip-on, clip-off fill light (or should I say 'Multifunction Module' we have seen on previous Osmo Mobile devices. It has the fancy name because it also features a built-in camera used to help the system's AI spot people and pets (and gesture commands).

DJI Osmo Mobile 8: Performance

Whether I opted to use my phone's camera app (I was testing with an Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max) or the DJI Mimo app, I found the experience slick and straightforward.

Battery life certainly seemed to last well in my tests – I didn't run it out in any shoots – however whether it actually can last exactly ten hours seems somewhat unrealistic to ask.

The design allows for low-angle shots (holding the camera near the ground) and tracking pets as well as people.

The system is also pretty quick to get started, turning itself on when you open it up (especially prompt if you're prepared to leave the grip attached to your phone, though my phone case was a bit too big for it which is why you see my iPhone Pro Max very exposed in the test pictures).

When I tried it, I also found the system perfectly capable of lifting a small plug-in SSD drive in the USB-C socket.

DJI Osmo Mobile 8: Overall verdict

The DJI Osmo Mobile 8 has been good enough to help me turn my iPhone Pro Max into a professional shooting rig. I've shot music videos and lengthy 4K videos on it. Sure, some will look closely to tell-tale signs of depth of field that tend to give away phone cameras, but – as it turns out – for most casual viewers, the evidence comes more readily from the less-than-steady hold people tend to have on their phones.

The OM8 doesn't just provide a solution to that issue, but keeps doing so all the way up the scale of production, so while you get something that will help track you for a one-person shoot, you'll also be able to take advantage of the subject tracking when you're guerrilla shooting a music video in a London graveyard.

It's worth remembering, too, that if you're used to EIS – Electronic Image Stabilization – a gimbal like this gets you the full image resolution.

Alternatives

With CES kicking off in Las Vegas, a new company, Leaptic, is promoting a new ultra-compact action camera on social media. It looks very similar to the recently launched DJI Osmo Nano; however, while that camera was 4K, this one offers 8K – or at least the promotional materials imply it. The truth might be a little more complicated...

There is an 8K action camera out there – the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 – but both Insta360 and DJI have stuck to 4K video when it comes to their most compact cameras, the Go Ultra and the Nano respectively.

This camera, though, seems to be named – on close examination of the newly posted product page – the Dreame Leaptic Cube. After a year or so in which we've already seen a lot of new brands that involve DJI products, is exactly how much this looks like the DJI Osmo Nano. I'm looking especially at the join.

"Why, then, does it have a better spec?", you might ask. "Well, does it?" I would retort, because if you look carefully through the product page, you'll see the phrase "8K sensor" rather than 8K video, and 50MP clarity, saying 8K sensor is a good way of bigging up the number of pixels involved, a practice commonly used by even the best budget action camera brands.

Even more interesting, a lot of the styling of the site seems to owe something to the design style of DJI's own pages (rounded corners, blue-to cyan sensor illustration and more), and perhaps even the text for the company story text.

Here the company actually says "We are Dreame Leaptic – not a spec-chasing brand, but a persistent innovator" in the brand story which has appeared at the bottom of its new site, but the pages feature a lot of tell-tale signs of AI, including long dashes with no spaces.

In a world where AI is used to generate copy and pages, rather than employing original human designers, perhaps this kind of thing will become more common. Alternatively, could this be another brand emerging to get DJI products out there despite the ban in the USA.

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Check my guide to the best action cameras to see all the different cameras and sizes that are already out there.

I've been using the DJI Mic 2 since it came out and it has never let me down. I mainly use it with my Lumix S5II and Osmo Pocket 3, but lately I've found myself shooting more frequently with my phone.

You can, of course, use the Mic 2 (and newer models) with your phone, but the solutions aren't exactly ideal. There are two ways to do so: you can either connect directly to the phone over Bluetooth or you can use the on-camera receiver connected to your phone's USB port.

Connecting via Bluetooth is convenient, but the quality is awful. Devices like the Pocket 3 and DJI Osmo Action 6 can connect directly without a receiver and maintain quality, but with a phone the difference is stark.

Using the on-camera receiver with a phone works well, but the form factor is far from ideal. It's designed with mirrorless cameras in mind, so it has a cold-shoe mount and it's relatively bulky.

It comes with a clip-in USB-C adapter, which means it can directly connect to your phone, but it sticks out in a weird way – and I'm always worried that it's going to get knocked out.

There are other annoyances, too. I can't charge my phone with the receiver attached, for instance, as it doesn't pass power through. Conversely, I have to remember to charge the receiver itself and have been caught out by that more than once.

For these reasons, when shooting with a phone, I almost always record internally on the DJI Mic 2 and sync the clips in post. That is, until I picked up the Mobile Receiver.

What is it and what does it do?

The DJI Mic Series Mobile Receiver is a tiny version of the on-camera receiver that's designed specifically to work well with phones. It's only 9mm thick (about the same as most phones), it weighs next to nothing and it only sticks out from the base of the phone by just over a centimeter.

Already that's a massive advantage over the traditional receiver, but it gets better. The Mobile Receiver is powered by the phone, so you never need to worry about charging it – and it supports pass-through USB-C charging, so you can keep your phone topped up during long shoots.

The icing on the cake is that it supports the DJI Mic 2, Mic Mini and Mic 3, and you can pair any two at once. I own both the Mic Mini and Mic 2, and I've never been able to use them at the same time because they use different receivers – but the Mobile Receiver changes that.

For clarity, DJI devices like the Action 6 and Pocket 3 can work with both at once, but not the on-camera receiver, so that only applies to mirrorless cameras and phones.

I was pleased to learn that the Mobile Receiver also works well with action cameras. I still use the DJI Action 2 quite regularly, which came out before the DJI Mic series, and can't pair with Mics as newer DJI cameras can. When I hooked up the Mobile Receiver to my aging mini camera, it just worked.

How do you change the settings?

Now, you might have noticed that the Mobile Receiver lacks the touchscreen of the full-sized receiver. So, how do you change your settings? Thankfully, it's pretty easy.

The Mobile Receiver has a physical switch to change from noise-cancelling off to low or high, but otherwise settings are adjusted using the DJI Osmo app. You access the receiver in the exact same way that you'd connect to a DJI camera, and then you'll be able to tweak all the settings.

As far as I can tell, you can adjust all the same things in the app as you would with the touchscreen interface. The options range from simple gain adjustment to whether or not the LED indicator turns on, and plenty more besides.

Who should buy one?

If you have a DJI Mic 2, 3 or Mini (it doesn't work with the original DJI Mic), and if you ever shoot video on a phone or a non-DJI action camera, I think the Mobile Receiver is an essential purchase.

For just $15 / £14, this little gadget makes your wireless microphone so much more versatile and convenient. If there's even an inkling that you might find it useful, just grab it. I don't think you'll regret it.

As someone who finds himself shooting more and more content for platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts, a phone is the obvious tool for the job – and this adapter makes my life measurably easier. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've spent hundreds on camera accessories that aren't half as useful as this one.

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