DJI Mini 5 Pro drone crams a giant 1-inch sensor into a tiny body

DJI has just dropped the Mini 5 Pro, its newest sub-250 gram drone that manages to cram a world-first one-inch camera sensor into its palm-sized body. This is a massive leap from the Mini 4 Pro’s 1/1.3-inch sensor, meaning the new sensor should offer more than double the surface area for capturing light. Let’s dive in.

A possible game-changer for creators

The new 50MP sensor on the Mini 5 Pro promises stellar performance in dim conditions and captures video with a claimed 14 stops of dynamic range. Content creators can also shoot 4K video at 120fps for slow-motion or get cinematic footage in 4K HDR at 60fps. The drone also supports 10-bit D-Log M colour for serious post-production flexibility.

The upgrades do not stop at the camera. A new gimbal provides a slick 225-degree roll rotation, which is perfect for true vertical shooting for social media without needing to crop. DJI has also beefed up safety with a forward-facing LiDAR sensor which enhances the omnidirectional obstacle avoidance system, particularly during night flights.

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The Mini 5 Pro is quicker too and can climb twice as fast as its predecessor at 10 m/s (36kmph), while also reaching a top speed of 18 m/s (65kmph). Even flight time gets a slight bump to 36 minutes on the standard battery.

Drone fans may recall that DJI continues to face availability issues in the US due to political headwinds. But in Europe, you get the base kit priced at €799 (roughly Rs 83,000). For those wanting more the Fly More Combo starts at €999 (around Rs 1,04,000) with the RC-N3 controller. You can also get it for €1129 (approximately Rs 1,17,300) with the upgraded DJI RC 2 controller.