00:00This is the DJI Mini 5 Pro. A not-so-mini drone making big waves and not for the reasons DJI
00:10would like. It's a 5-star product with a catch. But before we get started make sure to check out
00:15the links in the description for the best places and prices to buy the DJI Mini 5 Pro. Now let's
00:19get into it. The Mini 5 Pro is DJI's latest flagship mini drone updating the already excellent
00:27Mini 4 Pro with a bigger sensor, a more versatile camera, lighter object sensing and more. There's
00:32a weighty issue surrounding the Mini 5 Pro and I'll get onto that in a bit but first let's
00:36cover its main features. So we've now got a 1-inch sensor, that's the first for DJI's mini series
00:41and larger than the Mini 4 Pro's. In fact it's essentially the same sensor as the one in the
00:45DJI Air 3S which is almost three times the weight of the Mini 5 Pro and a lot bigger. Now you
00:50won't necessarily notice huge difference in video quality and optimal lighting conditions from the
00:54Mini 4 Pro but where the camera gets pushed, say when there's bright sunlight in the frame or you're
00:58flying in low light, that's where the Mini 5 Pro's bump in quality will be clear. Like before the
01:03camera is mounted to a 3-axis gimbal for smooth live view and images and users can switch between
01:08vertical and horizontal content at the push of a button and you won't lose any resolution between
01:13the two. The camera has a 225 degree range of full rotation enabling creative shots much in the spirit of
01:19the beefy Mavic 4 Pro. We get 4K video up to 60fps as standard with 10-bit colour depth or 120fps slow
01:26motion recording that increases to 240fps when you drop to 1080p. In the Pro mode you can choose
01:31between DJI's standard colour profile or switch to D-LogM which is a flat colour profile fit for grading
01:37and which delivers greater creative freedom in the edit. For photos there's 50 megapixel stills in both
01:42RAW and JPEG format. These are the kind of features you just don't get with a simple mini drone like the
01:46excellent mini 4K. Video resolution is where the similarities end between those two drones. Now unlike the
01:52dual camera F3s there's only one camera and the two times or three times zoom options are actually
01:57digital grubs with reduced quality. Flight times have a small boost. DJI says up to 36 minutes on a full
02:02charge in optimal conditions. On an average breezy day making the most of the Mini 5 Pro's flight
02:07features I've been getting somewhere more like 20 to 25 minutes. Then again DJI supplied me with the
02:12priciest fly more combo for this review which includes two additional batteries, effectively
02:16tripling the fun on any given trip. This bundle also includes the excellent RC2 controller but the
02:22drone can be controlled through the flight app too. Max flight speeds are boosted and the Mini 5 Pro
02:26certainly feels like a nifty performer. Combine those enhanced speeds with the roll rotation
02:30versatility of the camera and you'll be able to get video movements previously not possible with a Mini Drone.
02:38Advanced features that you get with the Mini 4 Pro and Mini 5 Pro versus DJI's true beginner drone
02:43like the Mini 4K. They include active track 360 subject tracking and omnidirectional object sensing
02:48which should avoid collisions and in theory prolong the life of the drone. Yes I have been known to
02:53crash the entry level Mini 4K from time to time. I found both advanced features to work extremely well
02:58tracking me as I ran through the woods under tree cover navigating its way around branches to keep me in
03:02the frame. You can set your preference on how the drone behaves with tracking and object sensing too
03:07like smooth or agile movements around objects and so on. Object sensing is boosted by the inclusion of front
03:12facing lidar in theory boosting the drones ability to fly safely in low light. I'm yet to fly the drone
03:18in the type of situations where I'd notice a difference in performance over the Mini 4 Pro
03:22but it's certainly a welcome feature to have. In essence the Mini 5 Pro inherits a lot of tech
03:28from the pricier and larger Air 3S. The only real advantages I see with that advanced drone now are
03:33its second telephoto camera and slightly better wind resistance and flight times given it's a bulkier
03:38package and all this tech is squeezed into an impossibly small mini body. It's larger than
03:43the Mini 4K but still pocketable in a way the Air 3S isn't and a drone I'd happily add to my bag for
03:48just-in-case moments as well as more serious shoots. Video quality and flight features are class-leading
03:53and this is a five-star product and can command the most popular section of the drone market.
03:57There's a big buck coming though, the Mini 5 Pro's wait.
04:02Now I'll try not to get too bogged down in the technical details as information online and industry
04:07standards shift but the Mini 5 Pro is listed as 249.9 grams plus or minus 4 grams. Now most users
04:15already posting about the Mini 5 Pro show the weighing scales displaying 253 grams. So what's in
04:21a few grams? Well in most countries drones below 250 grams legally sit in a different class to those
04:26that weigh over 250 grams. Sub 250 gram drones are essentially classed as beginner drones and perceived as
04:32safer which means there are way less restrictions in using one. In short just about anyone can fly a
04:37sub 250 gram drone with very few limitations around where you can fly and how close to subjects you
04:43can get. Now DJI has obtained class 0 for the Mini 5 Pro which is a sub 250 gram class however if it
04:49indeed does weigh 253 grams then it's technically in the same weight class as the Air 3S which is almost
04:54three times the weight. So if you're playing by the rules at least in the UK where I live you need to
04:59take a certificate of competency to fly drones above 250 grams. Frankly I think that's the right thing to do
05:04anyway if you're going to fly safely and the test can be completed online for around 100 pounds and it
05:08lasts five years. The bigger hindrance though is that you can't fly as close to people while more
05:13places are legally off limits in the 250 gram to 2 kilogram category versus the sub 250 gram category.
05:21So it begs the question is there really the Mini benefit with the Mini 5 Pro anymore? Well for me yes
05:26and no. It's a complicated topic and the rhetoric will differ depending on where you are in the world.
05:31The FAA has taken a hard line though at launch the Mini 5 Pro isn't available in the US anyway.
05:36The EU's seemingly flexible give or take 3% which would mean a drone under 257 grams is okay
05:42including the Mini 5 Pro. Meanwhile the UK is changing its drone laws from January 2026 too.
05:47You'll need to take a free flyer ID test to fly a drone weighing more than 100 grams.
05:51In short, drone law is complicated. Personally I take issue with DJI's Mini 5 Pro stance of putting
05:56responsibility straight onto the user. But the bottom line is uncertainty around the weight of the
06:01Mini 5 Pro and which class each model sits in could be a deal breaker for many. A few grams
06:05sees it with feet both in beginner camps and advanced camps. I hope that DJI is able to find a way to
06:10tweak the design and manufacture future batches of the Mini 5 Pro drones so that they all sit under 250
06:16grams removing any uncertainty altogether. In many respects the few extra grams means very little.
06:21The Mini 5 Pro is still a small drone which I would use way more regularly than a larger Air or Mavic one
06:26with very few compromises too. And if you fly cautiously and know the rules you shouldn't really
06:30run into any bother anyway. The Mini 5 Pro is a superb Mini drone with class-leading image quality
06:38and flight features for an unbeatable price where available from ÂŁ699 or ÂŁ1,119 Australian dollars.
06:44Bad news if you're in the US though there's no Mini 5 Pro pricing or availability at launch.
06:49The Mini 5 Pro is still a five-star drone just with a catch. But what do you think? Are the improved
06:53Mini 5 Pro features worth it? Would you stick with the Mini 4 Pro drone instead?
06:57How would you like to see DJI move forward with the Mini 5 Pro? Let me know in the comments below.
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