Ultralight drones have always been about compromise. You get a few less features compared to bigger 4K drones in exchange for a much more portable size. That’s why the DJI Mini 5 Pro comes as quite a surprise, as it brings significant updates most of us didn’t even expect from the ultralight drone category.
Compact drones have always come with sub-1-inch sensors, which we’ve long accepted as a necessary compromise to achieve its weight and size targets. That changes here, as DJI’s latest ultralight quadcopter packs a proper one-inch sensor, all while coming with a bunch of other upgrades that set it well ahead of the pack.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is equipped with a one-inch 50-megapixel sensor, which should improve low-light performance while capturing much finer details. It captures 4K video at up to 120 fps for slow-mo footage and 4K/60fps video with HDR, all while offering 14 stops of dynamic range and a maximum ISO of 12,800. The drone supports 10-bit video recording using H.265 encoding, complete with D-Log M and HLG color modes, while a new gimbal allows wide-angle roll rotation up to 225-degrees, allowing it to quickly go from landscape to vertical orientation in a jiffy. This is similar to the gimbal used in the much bigger Mavic 4 Pro from earlier in the year, which should further give this drone the ability to do more dynamic and versatile camera movements.
It has an upgraded version of the outfit’s ActiveTrack 360, which boasts improved subject detection and tracking even while the camera is moving, as well as 2X digital zoom without any noticeable loss in resolution. There’s a new forward-facing LIDAR that combines with multiple vision sensors to enable omnidirectional obstacle sensing even in challenging low-light conditions. Because of that improved obstacle sensing, it also promises better return-to-home performance and much safer overall flight in every condition. Simply put, this should make it plenty viable for capturing nighttime aerial shots.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is also faster than its predecessor, climbing twice as fast at 22 mph and going slightly faster horizontally at 42 mph. There’s also 42GB of onboard storage, which is a big step up from the paltry 2GB of previous Mini models (you can still expand it with an SD card), while dual-band GNSS ensures precise positioning, regardless of where you’re flying the drone. The battery is rated to enable 36 minutes of flight time, which is just two minutes longer than its predecessor, although you can also opt for an extended battery that allows 52 minutes of video capture between charges.
Despite all the upgrades, the drone manages to slip under the ultralight category’s 250-gram limit, tipping the scales at an impressive 249.9 grams. Other features include all the usual intelligent modes (camera movement templates, stylistic shots), 100 Mbps wireless file transfers, operating altitudes of up to 6,000 meters, video transmission range of up to 20 km, and the RC-N3 controller as standard (you can opt for other controllers for an extra price).
The DJI Mini 5 Pro will not be available stateside, but is now retailing globally. In Canada, it’s priced starting at $769.
