DJI has been having a pretty solid year so far, with some mind-blowing product launches (and we aren’t even done with the year yet). The Chinese giant thoroughly impressed us with the DJI Mavic 4 Pro and the DJI Osmo 360, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Today, DJI announced the brand new DJI Mini 5 Pro, the successor to the two-years-old DJI Mini 4 Pro — one of the best drones on the market.
As someone who reviews drones for a living (I know, it’s very cool), this has been my most anticipated product launch for the back half of 2025, and if this is the last quadcopter DJI releases in the final quarter, what a way to end the year. I’ve been spending a few days flying the Mini 5 Pro and before I’ve conducted thorough testing to bring you the in-depth review, I thought I’d share my initial thoughts. Spoiler alert: this is a very, very, very good drone.
The Mini 5 Pro takes what the Mini 4 Pro did well and improves on it by introducing a significantly larger 1-inch sensor, front-facing LiDAR for night-time obstacle avoidance, wide-angle 225° gimbal rotation, upgraded ActiveTrack 360° for sports scenarios, and more. Currently available to buy in the U.K. and the E.U. starting at £689 / €799, the Mini 5 Pro costs as much as its predecessor, making it a formidable (and accessible) upgrade.
If you’ve been following the rumors and have put buying decisions on hold because of the Mini 5 Pro, you’ve made the right decision. Read on to find out what my first impressions of the Mini 5 Pro are, and make sure to read my DJI Mini 5 Pro vs. DJI Mini 4 Pro comparison!
A quick rundown
What is it? The DJI Mini 5 Pro, as its name suggests, is a mini drone, and it succeeds the DJI Mini 4 Pro which came out two years ago. It features a larger 1-inch sensor for better low-light performance as well as LiDAR for improved obstacle avoidance in the dark. Slow-mo video specs have been bumped up to 4K/120fps and FHD/240fps, and the Mini 5 Pro captures 50MP photos with 225° gimbal rotation.
Who is it for? Thanks to how easy it is to fly and given its sub-250g weight class, the DJI Mini 5 Pro is great for beginners although it isn’t the cheapest, which makes it ideal for content creators looking to up their social media or video game.
How much does it cost? There’s no U.S. pricing details yet as DJI continues to assess the market situation there, but in the U.K. and the E.U., the Mini 5 Pro starts at £689 / €799 and goes all the way up to £979 / €1,129 (depending on the Fly More combo you buy). And yes, it costs the same as the DJI Mini 4 Pro — nice.
When is it available to buy? The DJI Mini 5 Pro is available to buy direct from DJI or authorized retail partners in the U.K. and the E.U. The launch date for the American market is yet to be announced, with no date set for an official launch in the U.S., although we’re expecting the Mini 5 Pro to be available via third party sellers (like Amazon) soon.
Upstaging its predecessor
What’s the point in releasing a new drone (or any product) if it doesn’t upstage its predecessor in more ways than one? The DJI Mini 5 Pro packs a punch and, at the same price as the DJI Mini 4 Pro, delivers unmatched performance in a compact body. I’ve detailed the specs in my Mini 5 Pro vs. Mini 4 Pro comparison, so I want to talk about the headline specs in real-world usage here.
The Mini 5 Pro has a large 1-inch sensor, which is the most significant upgrade as the Mini 4 Pro had a small 1/1.3-inch sensor. This, combined with a much wider ISO range, means the Mini 5 Pro boasts better low-light performance and up to 14-stops of dynamic range. A 1-inch sensor can capture more light to deliver cleaner, noise-free photos. The 1-inch sensor also takes it out of beginner territory into serious content creator territory — the DJI Air 3S, for example, which is a powerful drone for serious creators, also has a 1-inch sensor.
‘Okay, so it’s got better low-light performance, but I can’t fly a drone at night if I can’t see the surroundings!’ is what I’ve thought every time I’ve tested a drone that claims it performs well in the dark. The Mini 5 Pro fixes that problem by introducing forward-facing LiDAR, fisheye lenses on the front and rear, and a 3D infrared sensor — a major step forward in night-time obstacle avoidance.
Even as a licensed drone pilot and someone who flies drones for a living, I really appreciate having this technology and the reassurance that the Mini 5 Pro won’t struggle to return home should anything go wrong (or batteries run out) as it can memorize paths even in dimly lit environments. Color me impressed that DJI has packed this tech into a drone aimed at beginners/enthusiasts.
Stunning 4K/60fps video, as always
If there’s one thing I can trust DJI to deliver, it’s solid imaging performance — after all, the brand owns a majority stake in Hasselblad. And the DJI Mini 5 Pro doesn’t disappoint when it comes to the photos and videos it captures. As opposed to the DJI Mini 4 Pro capturing 48MP images, the Mini 5 Pro captures 50MP ones, and its 225° gimbal rotation allows for more dynamic camera movements.
As I mentioned up top, a larger 1-inch sensor means better low-light performance, as you can see in the video above. There is no distortion or warping when the frame changes or the drone goes from capturing blacked-out video to a vibrant, lit-up scene. Even though I didn’t do any crazy flying at night, I appreciated the confidence the Mini 5 Pro’s advanced night-time obstacle avoidance instilled within me — and I can’t wait to fly more in dimly lit environments.
What’s even better is that the Mini 5 Pro has better wind resistance and can withstand winds up to 12 m/s (26.84mph), which is up from 10.7 m/s (23.9mph) on the Mini 4 Pro. The compilation of clips you see in the video above were shot in 21mph wind, according to the weather app on my phone — there were wind warnings in place that day, and trees were blowing over in Bath U.K., where I work… so yeah, it was pretty windy.
I love that there are no jitters or stutters, and the footage is smooth and stable. Even though I could see the drone struggling to hover in one spot, you couldn’t tell from the footage that it broke a single sweat to capture stunning sights. Considering the unpredictable British weather, I’m sure many pilots around the country (and around the world) will appreciate the Mini 5 Pro’s ability to withstand strong gusts of wind.
Crystal clear photos
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is a fantastic drone for capturing photos. It takes 50MP images packed with plenty of detail, as you can see in the gallery above. I haven’t edited these in any way; what you’re seeing is what you get straight out of the camera (or drone, in this case) when capturing JPEGs. There’s also the option to shoot RAW photos for more flexibility in color grading but I haven’t had a chance to test this yet.
Having 50MP at my disposal (and a 1-3x digital zoom) means I can crop into images and still retain a respectable level of detail and resolution. The adjustable shutter speed of 1/8000s-2s (or 2.5-8s for long exposures) means I can experiment too and treat the Mini 5 Pro as, say, one of the best mirrorless cameras.
DJI Mini 5 Pro: Outlook
I’ve spent a few days flying the DJI Mini 5 Pro but I’m yet to put it through our standardized array of tests as part of my in-depth review. But as of now? I love the Mini 5 Pro, if you hadn’t already guessed. It’s a formidable upgrade over the DJI Mini 4 Pro, and it packs tons of performance while maintaining its sub-250g weight.
New and improved safety tech especially when flying in low-light conditions is sure to give beginners and even veteran pilots reassurance. I’m a big fan of the fact that such advanced features aren’t restricted to prosumer or professional drones anymore. DJI continues to knock it out of the park and set the gold standard for drones — and it has done it once again with the Mini 5 Pro.
Keep an eye for my full Mini 5 Pro review. In the meantime, let me know in the comments below if you’ll be buying the drone and why!
The DJI Mini 5 Pro is available to buy directly from DJI or authorized retail partners for £689 / €799, with shipping expected shortly. Official availability in the U.S. is currently unconfirmed, but we expect the product to be available from third party sellers soon.
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