The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a major upgrade in the world of small drones, offering a perfect mix of professional features and the portability the Mini series is known for. With a sleek new design, a powerful 50-megapixel camera, and exciting features like better obstacle avoidance and smarter tracking, this drone is perfect for both hobbyists and content creators who want to capture high-quality footage with ease.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Mini 5 Pro’s design, camera, performance, and overall value, helping you decide if it’s the right choice for your drone flying needs.
Table of Contents
Design & Build Quality
The DJI Mini 5 Pro introduces a sleek, compact, and lightweight design that continues the legacy of the Mini series. Sporting a darker shade of gray, the drone looks more professional and polished compared to its predecessor, the Mini 4 Pro. What sets it apart from many drones in its category is the portability, weighing under 249 grams, making it easily portable and exempt from many regulatory restrictions.
The build quality feels solid and sturdy, yet lightweight enough to be stored in a camera bag without any hassle. One of the standout features of the Mini 5 Pro’s design is the automatic power-on and power-off system, which activates the drone as soon as you unfold the arms and powers it down when folded.
This enhances convenience for quick deployment, making it an ideal choice for users who want to minimize setup time in the field. The inclusion of quick-release propellers further simplifies setup and maintenance. No more fiddling with small screws—just push, twist, and you’re ready to fly.
Camera Capabilities
The camera on the DJI Mini 5 Pro is where the real innovation lies, making it a top contender for drone enthusiasts and content creators alike. For starters, the Mini 5 Pro comes with a 50-megapixel 1-inch sensor—a significant upgrade over the previous Mini 4 Pro, which had a much smaller sensor.
This 1-inch sensor offers an incredible 14 stops of dynamic range, allowing the Mini 5 Pro to capture stunning video and photos with better low-light performance, richer color depth, and more detail, especially when shooting high-contrast scenes.
One of the most impressive features is the drone’s ability to shoot in 10-bit color with the DLOG M profile, providing creators with more flexibility in post-production. This advanced color profile is typically found in higher-end models, marking a substantial leap in the Mini series.
The camera also boasts a 2x zoom, which utilizes the 50MP sensor, allowing users to get closer to their subject without sacrificing image quality. This zoom function provides an excellent tool for video or photo composition, though it’s not a dedicated telephoto lens but a cropping feature.
Whether you’re filming during the day or capturing night shots, the Mini 5 Pro delivers clear, crisp footage with minimal noise. The low-light performance is particularly impressive, with significantly improved clarity over the Mini 4 Pro. The dynamic range and cleaner ISO give the camera an edge, making it a suitable choice for both professional shoots and casual use.
Features
The DJI Mini 5 Pro upgrades with front-facing LiDAR sensors for improved obstacle avoidance, especially in low-light conditions, offering better navigation in dim or nighttime environments. However, the sensors aren’t flawless, sometimes struggling with low light or complex obstacles like branches or moving objects. While effective in most situations, they may not be fully reliable in busy or challenging environments.
A standout feature of the DJI Mini 5 Pro is true vertical shooting, designed for social media creators. With a simple button press, the camera’s gimbal rotates 225 degrees, making it easy to capture vertical videos for platforms like TikTok and Instagram without cropping.
However, while the rotating gimbal is a cool addition, it isn’t fully practical for all users. Though it offers 225 degrees of rotation, it doesn’t provide complete freedom for more dynamic shots, limiting its versatility for certain creative filming needs.
The upgraded Active Track system on the DJI Mini 5 Pro offers faster and more accurate tracking, with new modes like cycling mode for smooth, stable tracking in dynamic scenarios. The “smart return-to-home” function also improves safety, allowing the drone to return to its home point even in complex environments with weak GPS signals, such as dense forests or between tall buildings.
However, the Active Track system still has room for improvement. In real-world tests, tracking accuracy was inconsistent, particularly when following fast-moving subjects or in challenging conditions. While it works well in many cases, the drone sometimes struggles to keep up with high-speed movements, causing it to lose the subject altogether, leading some users to rely on it as an assist rather than the primary tracking mode.
The Mini 5 Pro also comes with a substantial increase in internal storage, now offering 42GB compared to the previous 2GB. This upgrade eliminates the need for memory cards and provides a more convenient solution for longer shoots without worrying about running out of space.
The ND filter system also leaves room for improvement. Although it serves its purpose, the clip-on mechanism feels less secure than older models that allowed for a twist-on filter. While this is a minor issue, it can be a slight inconvenience for users who need to quickly swap filters in the field.
In conclusion, the DJI Mini 5 Pro offers a host of powerful features that significantly improve the drone’s performance, making it an excellent choice for both hobbyists and professionals. While there are a few areas for improvement, such as the gimbal and ND filter system, the Mini 5 Pro’s strengths far outweigh these minor drawbacks. With its enhanced obstacle avoidance, vertical shooting, better tracking, smart return-to-home, and expanded storage, it’s a drone that’s hard to beat in its category.
Performance
The DJI Mini 5 Pro stands out in several important areas, especially its flight time and stability. It features a new battery system that offers up to 36 minutes of hover time with the standard battery, and up to 52 minutes with the optional extended battery.
In real-world use, battery life is a major improvement. While DJI claims up to 36 minutes with the standard battery, practical tests show that during video recording, the Mini 5 Pro typically provides around 21 minutes of flight time. This is still strong performance for a drone in its class, but using features like tracking, 4K filming, or flying in windy conditions can reduce flight time.
The extended battery option (plus battery) offers up to 52 minutes of flight time, but it adds weight, pushing the drone over the 250g limit. While this extended battery is perfect for longer sessions, the increased weight may prevent the drone from qualifying as a sub-250g drone in certain regions, which can affect regulatory requirements.
The Mini 5 Pro also improves on wind resistance, handling winds up to 12 m/s, compared to 10.5 m/s in the Mini 4 Pro. This makes it more stable in gusty weather, providing smoother footage and more reliable operation in various conditions.
As for speed, the Mini 5 Pro is fast, with the extended battery allowing for speeds up to 19 m/s, and the standard battery reaching 18 m/s. This agility lets the Mini 5 Pro keep up with moving subjects and respond quickly to control inputs.
Controller and Pricing
The controller of the DJI Mini 5 Pro remains largely the same as its predecessor, the Mini 4 Pro. While the controller itself is excellent in terms of ergonomics and responsiveness, some users were hoping for a new, brighter RC3 controller. That said, the existing controller remains highly functional and provides a reliable and responsive connection to the drone.
The pricing of the Mini 5 Pro is €799/£689 in Europe and the fly more combo comes higher at €1,129/£979. It is not available in usa right now. The price is a bit on the higher end for a sub-250g drone, but when you consider the impressive camera capabilities, longer battery life, obstacle avoidance, and overall performance, it offers great value for money.
The standard package includes the Mini 5 Pro, its controller, and the necessary accessories. For those looking to maximize their experience, the Fly More Combo is highly recommended, offering additional batteries, a charging case, and other accessories to make long sessions more convenient.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is available at various price points, with the Fly More Combo being the best option for those who want to get the most out of the drone. The added accessories and batteries will come in handy, especially for content creators and professionals who need extra flight time and reliability in the field.
Final Verdict:
Overall, the DJI Mini 5 Pro offers a host of impressive upgrades, including the 1-inch sensor, improved tracking, obstacle avoidance, and better battery life. However, real-world testing reveals some areas where the drone doesn’t fully live up to its potential. The digital zoom, some limitations in obstacle avoidance, and the underwhelming ND filter system may not be deal-breakers for everyone, but they do warrant consideration. Active Track, though improved, still struggles with fast-moving subjects, and the camera sensor’s advertised resolution may not live up to the expectations of professional photographers.
Despite these drawbacks, the Mini 5 Pro remains one of the best sub-250g drones on the market, offering an impressive combination of portability, performance, and image quality. For most users, these limitations are relatively minor and won’t detract from the overall flying experience, but they should still be taken into account before making a purchase.
Read More: DJI Mini 5 Pro vs Mavic 4 Pro
