DJI Mini 5 Pro Review: The Hexagonal Warrior with 1-Inch Sensor and Advanced Obstacle Avoidance
When the DJI Mini was first introduced, it was DJI's lightest drone. However, with the release of the new DJI Neo and DJI Flip, the Mini no longer seemed small enough. So, what's next for the Mini series? Now, DJI has the answer: the DJI Mini 5 Pro, featuring comprehensive upgrades to its camera, gimbal, obstacle avoidance, and flight speed.
DJI has once again raised the bar for ultralight drones with the DJI Mini 5 Pro, a comprehensive upgrade from its predecessors featuring a large 1-inch, 50MP CMOS sensor, active obstacle avoidance, and a versatile new gimbal design.
Versions and Packaging
The Mini 5 Pro comes in several packages, including DJI Mini 5 Pro, DJI Mini 5 Pro Free Flight Kit (RC-N3), DJI Mini 5 Pro Free Flight Kit (RC 2), and DJI Mini 5 Pro Long-Endurance Free Flight Kit (RC 2, built-in enhanced image transmission. With our review unit being the Fly More Combo (RC 2) that includes the drone, three intelligent batteries, the DJI RC 2 controller, an ND filter set, a bilateral charging hub, and a shoulder bag—ideal for enthusiasts who want everything out of the box.
Camera and Imaging
If the DJI Neo, with its 1/2-inch CMOS sensor, hasn't posed a significant threat to the DJI Mini 4 Pro, the DJI Flip is a clear winner. It boasts a 1/1.3-inch, 48-megapixel sensor capable of shooting 4K60 HDR or 4K/100P upscaled video, identical to the DJI Mini 4 Pro. To widen the gap, the DJI Mini 5 Pro inevitably opted for an upgraded sensor.
The standout upgrade is the 1-inch 50MP sensor with an f/1.8 aperture paired with a fixed 24mm-equivalent lens. The drone supports a new 48mm mid-focal-length shooting mode for creative flexibility. This sensor size and quality match higher-end DJI models like the Air 3S, allowing crisp 4K 60fps HDR video and slow-motion 4K 120fps capture with 10-bit D-Log M profiles for professional color grading. However, due to its size, the DJI Mini 5 Pro only has a single camera, lacking a mid-to-telephoto lens.
We tested the image quality of the DJI Mini 5 Pro after its upgrade to a 1-inch sensor. Photos were captured in RAW format (PNG) with single shots using the full 50MP resolution. Post-processing was done in Lightroom, where brightness was adjusted and AI noise reduction was applied (Noise Reduction set to 30). Sharpening settings in Lightroom were: Amount 30, Radius 1.2, Detail 0, and Mask 0.
The first image below is a full-frame shot from the top, taken with the DJI Mini 5 Pro. A, B, C, D, and E correspond to the center of the frame, half the image circle, two-thirds of the image circle, the corners at 16:9, and the corners, respectively. Given the DJI Mini 5 Pro's small lens, sharpness is quite good from the center to half the image circle, but there's a slight drop in sharpness starting at two-thirds. It's important to note that this is based on 50MP testing. If shooting 12MP photos or 4K video, the edge resolution is still quite good.
However, it's important to note that 50MP+RAW isn't available in all formats. For example, the panorama below is limited to 12MP when captured, so the pixel count after panorama merging and cropping doesn't exceed 100 million.
The next test is dynamic range.
We still shoot in 50MP RAW. Later, we adjust the brightness and darkness of the photos in Lightroom and perform AI noise reduction (noise reduction 30). The sharpening settings are: amount 30, radius 1.2, detail 0, and mask 0.
When pursuing extreme high dynamic range in a single photo, the image quality is acceptable due to the 1-inch substrate. If you're looking for high-quality still photos, it's recommended to use bracketed exposure or multiple exposures to leave room for HDR processing or multi-frame noise reduction in post-production. Sample images shot with DJI Mini 5 Pro, converted from RAW to JPG in post-production. Below are two Sample images shot with DJI Mini 5 Pro, converted from RAW to JPG in post-production
Gimbal and Flight
The gimbal is another key upgrade for the DJI Mini 5 Pro, and it features a radically different design from its predecessor. The three-axis electronically controlled gimbal isn't fixed directly to the drone, but instead hangs from it via a four-point "cage." This flexible connection provides a degree of shock absorption in multiple directions, up, down, left, and right.
DJI redesigned the gimbal to a four-point suspension with flexible dampening, allowing 225° rotation and true vertical 9:16 video shooting without cropping. This enables creative cinematic effects like the famous “Inception” shot, with the convenience of an automated “one-click short film” feature.
Flight speeds increased to 19 m/s in Sport mode and 15 m/s in Normal mode, nearly matching the Air 3S, while battery life reaches 36 minutes with a standard battery and up to 52 minutes with the extended battery. The drone weighs just under 250 grams to comply with regulatory limits.
Obstacle Avoidance and Safety
On the DJI Mini 4 Pro, DJI has adopted an omnidirectional binocular vision system + a 3D infrared sensor at the bottom of the fuselage, with four large "eyes" on the front of the drone, achieving omnidirectional obstacle avoidance. Therefore, on the DJI Mini 5 Pro, DJI has switched to providing active obstacle avoidance capabilities. Inside the two front wide-angle vision sensors of the DJI Mini 5 Pro is a set of LiDAR.
Compared with visual sensors, LiDAR has the advantage of not being affected by ambient light and can still work normally in low-light environments or strong backlight environments. Thanks to this, the drone can achieve 1 Lux night scene level omnidirectional active obstacle avoidance.
Furthermore, the new intelligent return-to-home system detects and avoids obstacles such as trees and buildings, allowing safer autonomous flight.
Additional Highlights
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36/52 minutes flight time options
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DJI O4+ transmission system with up to 20 km range
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Wi-Fi 6 integration enables high-speed image and video transfers (up to 100 MB/s)
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42 GB internal storage with microSD expansion
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Instant power-on when folding out arms, improving convenience
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Supports omnidirectional ActiveTrack for robust subject tracking during various sports and activities
Conclusion
With its near-complete feature set in a compact, lightweight design, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is a powerful “hexagonal warrior” in the entry-level drone market. Its upgrades in camera, gimbal, obstacle avoidance, flight time, and transmission make it a clear step forward, ideal for creators seeking professional-quality results without size and weight compromises.
