DJI Mini 5 Pro Unveiled: 1-Inch Sensor & Record Battery Life
▼ Summary
– The DJI Mini 5 Pro features a 50-megapixel one-inch-type sensor, more than doubling the sensor area of its predecessor for improved light capture and dynamic range.
– It offers enhanced battery life with 36 minutes standard and up to 52 minutes with an extended battery, while maintaining a weight under 250 grams.
– The drone includes advanced features like upgraded low-light obstacle avoidance with LiDAR, faster climbing and horizontal speeds, and 4K120 shooting capabilities.
– It introduces new functionalities such as a 48mm digital zoom mode, a gimbal with 225 degrees of rotation, and automatic power-on when unfolding arms.
– DJI will not officially sell the Mini 5 Pro in the United States due to regulatory issues, though it may be available through third-party retailers at potentially higher prices.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro has officially arrived, bringing a substantial leap in imaging performance and flight endurance to the popular lightweight drone category. This latest model introduces a one-inch-type sensor, a first for DJI’s Mini series, promising significantly improved video and photo quality while maintaining the sub-250-gram weight that keeps it accessible in many regulatory environments.
With a sensor measuring 15.19 x 11.11mm, the Mini 5 Pro offers more than double the light-gathering area compared to its predecessor. DJI claims this enables 14 stops of dynamic range, along with enhanced performance in portrait scenarios, better shadow detail, and more natural processing of foliage. In fact, the company suggests image quality could even surpass that of the larger and more expensive DJI Air 3S in certain conditions.
Battery life sees a notable boost as well. The standard battery now supports up to 36 minutes of flight, a two-minute increase over the Mini 4 Pro. For those seeking even longer airtime, an optional extended battery pushes that figure to an impressive 52 minutes, making it the longest-lasting consumer drone DJI has ever produced. It’s worth noting, however, that the extended battery will not be sold in Europe due to local drone weight regulations.
Beyond the sensor and battery, the Mini 5 Pro inherits several high-end features from DJI’s Air series. It now includes forward-facing LiDAR for improved low-light obstacle avoidance and the ability to memorize flight paths for safer returns even without GPS. Climb speed has doubled to 10 meters per second, and horizontal flight speed now reaches 42 mph. Video capabilities are also enhanced with support for 4K at 120fps, expanded ISO ranges, and 42GB of internal storage, a major upgrade from the limited cache of earlier models.
A new 48mm Med-Tele mode offers a mid-range digital zoom option, though it stops short of the optical zoom found on higher-end models. The gimbal now rotates up to 225 degrees for greater creative flexibility, and a simplified power-on mechanism allows the drone to activate automatically when its arms are unfolded.
Pricing and availability remain complicated for U.S. customers. DJI will not officially sell or support the Mini 5 Pro in the United States, and no dedicated product page will be launched there. However, the company indicates that warranties may still be honored on a case-by-case basis for units purchased through third-party retailers. In other regions, including Canada, the UK, Europe, and Japan, pricing remains consistent with previous generations, suggesting that any U.S. markup would likely be due to import tariffs rather than manufacturer pricing.
Several new accessories and bundles will be available at launch, though compatibility with older Mini models is limited. Batteries and propellers from previous generations are not recommended for use with the Mini 5 Pro, reinforcing the idea that this is a substantial hardware revision rather than a minor refresh.
(Source: The Verge)
