DJI has a habit of letting its drones leak all over the internet before they’re even announced, and the upcoming Mini 5 Pro is no exception.
The next-gen mini drone is slated to be landing this Wednesday (18 September) but I doubt there'll be anything new to see by that time.
In the latest leaks, renown leaker Jasper Ellens claims to have “stumbled upon” the Mini 5 Pro’s webshop description before leaking the spec sheets and images on DroneXL. This is just after the drone popped up via a Cypriot reseller and made a cameo flight in a YouTube video.
But if we look at what’s rumoured, this could be the most ambitious Mini yet - one that ticks almost every feature box while staying under that all-important 250g limit.
Next gen camera and tracking
At the heart of the Mini 5 Pro is said to be a new 50MP, 1-inch CMOS sensor with an f/1.8 aperture - a step up from the Mini 4 Pro’s smaller 1/1.3-inch sensor. This is expected to deliver better, low-light performance, up to 14 stops of dynamic range and crisp 4K60 HDR footage in both 10-bit D-Log M and HLG modes. The gimbal can even rotate 225° for true vertical shooting, according to the leaks.
ActiveTrack, DJI’s clever subject-tracking system, is also in line for a performance injection. Leaks strongly hint at 360-degree tracking that can lock onto objects moving up to 15m/s, which should mean smoother, more reliable footage even if your subject’s tearing around.
And let’s not forget OcuSync 4 Plus. DJI hasn’t spelt out exactly what’s “Plus” about it yet, but transmission distances of up to 20km have been mentioned, alongside smarter, more stable video feeds.
Safety, sensors and longer flights
Other leaks suggest the Mini 5 Pro could be the first drone in its class to meet FAA Category 1 standards out of the box. This is due to a fixed-blade propeller cage design that the leak says will help prevent injury, plus Remote ID built in as standard. What this means essentially is less paperwork and more freedom to fly over people legally.
The leaks also point towards hardware upgrades that will include omnidirectional obstacle avoidance with LiDAR sensors alongside a big bump in power, with whispers of a 4,680mAh battery delivering up to 50 minutes in the air - that would be nearly half an hour more than the Mini 4 Pro.
The only catch is portability. Those fixed arms and prop guards might get in the way of that classic fold-and-go design the Mini series sported - unless, of course, the guards are removable.
One thing's for sure - leaks of this new drone have left little to the imagination. But if even half of these specs turn out to be true, the Mini 5 Pro could be DJI’s best lightweight drone yet.
And while we’re on the subject of DJI leaks, don’t forget the company also “accidentally” revealed its next tiny action cam, the Osmo Nano, in a social post last week. It’s certainly shaping up to be a busy month for DJI fans.
