After months of rumours and teasing, DJI has officially launched the Mini 5 Pro, and it’s shaping up to be the company’s most ambitious Mini yet.
Still tipping the scales under 250g (despite worries that all the new tech will push the drone above the threshold), this palm-sized flyer lands with serious upgrades that blur the line between a travel-friendly quadcopter and a professional aerial camera rig.
The headline feature is the 1-inch sensor, which makes the Mini 5 Pro the world's sub-250g drone to have such a large sensor.
That alone puts the Mini 5 Pro on a different level from last year’s excellent DJI Mini 4 Pro, but the brand hasn’t stopped there.
From night-time obstacle sensing to vertical shooting for TikTok creators, this is a drone designed to please both seasoned pilots and first-timers who just want their city break footage to look incredible.
1-inch sensor takes image quality pro
The Mini 5 Pro debuts a 50MP, 1-inch CMOS sensor, giving it far larger pixels than its predecessor. You get cleaner nightscapes, sharper sunsets, and richer HDR.
DJI claims up to 14 stops of dynamic range, plus a new 48mm Med-Tele mode that adds depth and separation for portraits.
Add in its portrait optimisation engine, and you’ve got a pocket-sized drone that can rival bigger rigs for detail and skin tones.
Cinematic video as standard (+slo-mo)
Creators will love the 4K/60 HDR recording and the option to slow things down with 4K/120fps slow-motion.
Colourists get even more room to play thanks to 10-bit H.265 capture in D-Log M and HLG, with ISO pushed up to 12,800 for nighttime work.
From sweeping mountain shots or neon cityscapes, the Mini 5 Pro is ready to (up)grade.
Night-flying just got safer
DJI has fitted the Mini 5 Pro with forward-facing LiDAR alongside its vision sensors (see also: DJI Mavic 4 Pro review), unlocking what it calls Nightscape Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing.
In plain English, this drone can spot obstacles even in dimly lit environments, down to about 1 lux, the equivalent of a candle.
That means safer Return-to-Home flights at night and even a non-GNSS RTH mode that memorises routes when GPS isn’t available.
Vertical shooting, flexible gimbal
The 225° gimbal rotation is more than a party trick. It enables accurate vertical shooting with no cropping required, making it perfect for Instagram Reels or TikToks.
Paired with modes like Timelapse and QuickShot Rotate, it opens up creative camera moves previously limited to larger drones.
Smarter tracking, longer flights
DJI has given ActiveTrack 360° a serious update, with custom modes for cycling, walking, and general use.
It can track subjects at up to 15m/s in open areas while avoiding obstacles more intelligently.
Battery life is also improved with 36 minutes standard and a whopping 52 minutes with the optional Plus pack (where regulations allow).
The most powerful Mini yet
At £689 / €799 for the base model, the DJI Mini 5 Pro isn’t just a casual toy, but it’s hard to argue with the tech on offer.
A 1-inch sensor, pro-level video formats, night-flying smarts and genuine portability make it a compelling upgrade.
For travellers, content creators, or anyone who has hesitated to jump into drones due to bulk or complexity, the Mini 5 Pro might just be the tipping point.
The Mini 5 Pro can be purchased at DJI UK – US price and availability TBC.
