For years, ultralight drones have been a bit of a trade-off. You’d get the portability you love, but only if you were willing to give up certain pro-level features. But now? DJI just changed the game. The new DJI Mini 5 Pro is here, and it’s packing hardware and capabilities no one really expected to see in the sub-250g category.
DJI Mini 5 Pro: The Ultralight Drone
If you’ve ever thought, Sure, I love the size, but can’t it just… do more?, you’re in for a treat.
A One-Inch Sensor in an Ultralight Frame
Traditionally, compact drones had to make do with smaller, sub-1-inch sensors to stay under weight limits. It was just one of those “facts of life” in drone photography.
Not anymore. The DJI Mini 5 Pro comes fitted with a 1-inch, 50-megapixel sensor. This is a serious upgrade that promises:
- Better low-light performance for those golden-hour or even night captures
- Sharper, more detailed images that rival larger drones in clarity
- 4K video up to 120 fps, allowing buttery-smooth slow motion
- 4K/60fps HDR recording for vibrant, dynamic footage
- 14 stops of dynamic range and ISO up to 12,800 for ultimate flexibility
And yes, it supports 10-bit video recording in H.265, with D-Log M and HLG color profiles for serious post-production work. Pair that with a gimbal offering up to 225° of roll rotation, and you can effortlessly switch from sweeping landscape shots to vertical social-ready content in seconds.
Smarter Tracking, Safer Flying
The Mini 5 Pro also brings an upgraded ActiveTrack 360. Think: improved subject detection and reliability, even mid-flight while moving the camera. Add to that 2x digital zoom with virtually no visible resolution drop, and you’re suddenly getting shots that used to require bigger (and pricier) rigs.
Then there’s the new forward-facing LIDAR system, working hand-in-hand with multiple vision sensors to give you omnidirectional obstacle sensing. Mind you this is not just limited in broad daylight but in challenging, low-light environments. This means:
- Safer flights, even at night
- More confident return-to-home operations
- Greater creative freedom when flying in complex settings
Speed, Storage, and Stamina
This isn’t just a camera upgrade... it’s a performance jump. The Mini 5 Pro can:
- Climb twice as fast as its predecessor, hitting 22 mph vertically
- Fly at speeds up to 42 mph horizontally
- Store far more media onboard, thanks to 42GB internal storage (vs. the old 2GB!), with SD expansion for marathon shoots
- Maintain ultra-precise positioning via dual-band GNSS
Battery life comes in at 36 minutes on the standard pack, or an incredible 52 minutes with the extended battery. This will be more than enough to capture epic sequences without feeling rushed.
Still Ultralight—By the Smallest Margin Possible
Despite packing in all these upgrades, DJI somehow kept the Mini 5 Pro just under the 250g ultralight threshold, weighing in at an astonishing 249.9 grams.
It also supports:
- All DJI intelligent shooting modes and creative templates
- 100 Mbps wireless file transfer speeds
- Flight altitudes up to 6,000 meters
- 20 km video transmission range
- Standard inclusion of the RC-N3 controller (with upgrade options available)
Price & Availability
While it won’t be landing in U.S. stores, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is now on shelves globally. Interested buyers can pick one up starting at US$769.
Final Thoughts
The DJI Mini 5 Pro isn’t just the next step, it’s a leap forward for ultralight drones. It’s proof that “small” doesn’t have to mean compromise, and it’s going to turn a lot of heads in both casual and professional drone circles.
If you’ve been holding off on upgrading because you didn’t want to haul around a heavy drone, this might be your perfect sweet spot: pro-level quality, lightning-fast performance, and still light enough to slip into your bag without a second thought.
What do you think? Is this the ultralight drone we’ve all been waiting for? Drop your thoughts in the comments—and if you’ve tried DJI’s earlier Mini models, how does this compare in your eyes? For more information, head over to DJI's official store.
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