DJI drones have won over a million photographers, and after a long wait, the company has finally unveiled the Mini 5 Pro. The device comes a year after the launch of the DJI 4 Mini Pro, which was another excellent offering in their portfolio. However, the new addition is quite interesting, as it packs a powerful sensor at the center, thus helping photographers get excellent image quality, even when they are touching the sky. Here’s a look at what has improved with the DJI Mini 5 Pro.
According to the company, the drone features a 1-inch CMOS sensor, a first in the company’s history. One could say that the sensor size is quite similar to that of compact cameras, which means the image quality will certainly stand a chance of seeing improvements. Here are the specs at a glance:
- Sensor: 1″ CMOS, 50 MP effective, 3.2 µm pixel pitch
- Lens: 24 mm equiv. f/1.8, 48 mm “Med-Tele” crop mode
- Video: 4K/60 fps HDR (14 stops), 4K/120 fps slo-mo, 10-bit H.265, D-Log M / HLG
- ISO ceiling: 12 800 (normal), 3 200 (D-Log M/HLG)
- Gimbal: 3-axis, 225° roll, true vertical tilt
- Obstacle sensing: Forward LiDAR + 4 fisheye + 2 binocular + IR, omnidirectional, night rated
- Tracking: ActiveTrack 360° v2.0, sports-scene AI
- File speed: Wi-Fi 6 QuickTransfer @ 100 MB/s, remote wake-up
- Flight time: 36 min (std) / 52 min (Plus battery)
- Weight: 249 g (standard battery)
- Price: US $899 (drone only), $1 099 (RC-N3), $1 299 (RC 2 with 5.5″ screen)
This is a huge leap since the previous Mini drones have used a 1/1.3″ (Mini 4 Pro) or 1/2.3″ (Mini 2) sensor. When you move to a 1-inch sensor, the light-gathering abilities quadruple, which means you can get about 1.8 EV cleaner images at the same ISO on the new sensor. This means you can shoot at night at lower ISO,s and also get 2-3 stops of less noise. There will also be a better dynamic range and HDR processing, neither of which is crucial for photographers and filmmakers.
The 48mm crop mode also means you get more reach instantly. For instance, you can get 12MP of files, which are far better than the 8MP avaoable on Mini 4 Pro‘s 70mm digital zoom. At 50MP, you can also get printable images, which is great if you work as a wedding photographer or a landscape photographer. Video users also get 14-stop HDR, which two stops more than the predessor. There is also the chance to get more smoother gradation for the sky.
Options such as forward LiDAR and downward IR also provides the DJI Mini 5 Pro with a 20m obstacle map, which is more since the predessors lose this below 10 lux. You can also shoot hyperlaps at dusk or dawn, without much hassel.
The new battery is gives 4 min longer life to the Mini 5 Pro than the Mavic 3 Classic, and about 52 minutes more than the Mini 4 Pro. This also means you get extra time in one single charge.
For it’s price, the drone perfect for beginners and semi professionals who want to shoot different kind of images. It is light weight, which makes it a perfect travel partner, too. Since you also get “true vertical” images at 6144 × 8192, photographers can make images for social media such as Instagram and TikTok without cropping 4:3 stills. If you are someone who has been thinking to buying a new drone, then do so before the ban is announced in the United States.
For more information, head to DJI’s website.