The DJI Mini 5 Pro brings cinema quality to your pocket
With a 1-inch CMOS sensor, 36 minutes of flight time and front-facing LiDAR for night flying safety, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is completely OP for its size.
It really is a wonder just how DJI manages to improve its drone products every year. While the DJI Neo was one of my favourite products last year, and the DJI Flip took it to the next level, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is another huge step up in performance in a product that isn't much bigger or heavier at all.
Pretty much every spec has seen a big boost this year. The camera sensor is bigger, the battery lasts longer, the internal capacity is increased, and there are better safety sensors.
There's a huge amount of tech inside this thing, so let's take a closer look at some of the features.
A camera that punches above its weight
The standout feature here is undoubtedly the 1-inch CMOS sensor. It's the first time we've seen one in DJI's Mini series, though the more premium DJI AIR 3S also boasts a 1-inch CMOS sensor.
The Mini 5 Pro's camera is packing 50 megapixels of resolution and can shoot 4K video at 60fps with HDR enabled, delivering an impressive 14 stops of dynamic range in auto mode. That's flagship-level performance in a 254g package.
What's particularly clever is the new 48mm telephoto mode, which uses software to give you 2x zoom for portrait shots, without the usual quality compromises you'd expect from digital zoom.
DJI has also integrated its latest portrait optimisation technology, borrowed from the acclaimed Pocket 3, with enhanced brightness, contrast, and skin tone performance.
The gimbal itself has received a major upgrade too, now offering 225° of roll rotation. This means you can shoot true vertical video without any cropping required, making it perfect for uploading directly to TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts.
Combined with intelligent shooting modes like Timelapse and QuickShots, you can create those "Inception-like" rotating shots that would typically require expensive cinema equipment.
Flying safely in the dark
One of the most impressive upgrades isn't really something you see. DJI has added a forward-facing LiDAR system, which enables omnidirectional obstacle sensing at night.
DJI says that the drone can now detect obstacles in lighting conditions as low as 1 lux (which is similar to candlelight at one meter), compared to the previous 15 lux requirement.
This opens up genuine nighttime photography possibilities, with the LiDAR working alongside next-generation Smart RTH (Return to Home) that can memorise flight paths and navigate safely, even without GPS signals.
The system is particularly good at detecting tricky obstacles like glass curtain walls and plain-coloured surfaces that traditional vision sensors struggle with.
Performance that keeps up
The upgraded ActiveTrack 360° system now intelligently detects different scenarios, automatically switching between different modes like "Standard" and "Cycling", depending on what it's tracking.
Maximum follow speed has increased to 15m/s in open areas, with improved navigation in complex environments and faster response times for safer operation.
Flight performance sees solid improvements across the board. The standard Intelligent Flight Battery delivers 36 minutes of flight time with a maximum takeoff altitude of 6,000 meters and forward flight speed of 18 m/s.
Opt for the Intelligent Flight Battery Plus and you'll get 52 minutes of flight time, though the maximum altitude drops to 4,500 meters while top speed increases slightly to 19 m/s.
The DJI O4+ video transmission system maintains that crisp 10-bit HDR video feed up to 20km away, with enhanced signal stability and anti-interference capabilities.
There's also 42GB of internal storage with a neat trick called Off-State QuickTransfer. It lets you wake the drone remotely via Bluetooth and download files at up to 100MB/s, even when it's powered off.
Pricing and availability
At 254g, the DJI Mini Pro 5 continues DJI's trend of lightweight and accessible drones. But this model is packing technology that was reserved for much larger, more expensive drones just a few years ago.
Whether you're a professional content creator who needs that 1-inch sensor quality for client work, or a beginner who wants the safety net of advanced obstacle avoidance and intelligent flight modes, the Mini 5 Pro strikes an impressive balance. It's the kind of upgrade that makes you wonder what DJI will possibly think of next year.
The DJI Mini Pro 5 is available now, with a handful of bundle options available:
- DJI Mini 5 Pro: $1,119 AUD
- DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo (DJI RC-N3): $1,419 AUD
- DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo (DJI RC 2): $1,699 AUD
- DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo Plus (DJI RC 2): $1,799 AUD
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Nick Broughall
Nick Broughall
Nick Broughall
