DJI’s latest proves you don’t need a heavy rig to get heavy-duty footage. The new DJI Mini 5 Pro is the first mini drone to carry a 1-inch CMOS sensor — the kind of glass and silicon that used to demand lugging an Air 2S or bigger. Now it slips under the 250g line (with the standard battery), giving hobbyists and travellers pro-grade chops fewer regulatory headaches.
A mini with a 1-inch sensor at last
With the 50-megapixel 1-inch sensor, 1-inch sensor, low-light shots from a small drone will receive a significant boost, with ISO stretching to 12,800 without reducing nightscapes to mush. Highlights hold together as well — up to 14 stops of dynamic range means sunsets stay sunsets instead of collapsing into glowing white blobs. The files themselves can take a beating in post, thanks to 10-bit colour and support for D-Log M and HLG, so skies and shadows won’t crumble the moment you start grading. Add the new 48mm Med-Tele mode, and you can actually isolate your subject with more depth, instead of everything flattening out into postcard-style focus. And yes, it records 4K/60 HDR video as standard.
More moves in the bag
The gimbal now rotates a full 225°, and yes, it does true vertical shooting. No cropping, no hacks — just skyscrapers and waterfalls framed properly, or clips that are TikTok-ready out of the box, if that suits your fancy. Pair that with 4K/120 slow-mo and upgraded ActiveTrack 360°, and this mini works like a bigger drone. It also brings MasterShots templates, QuickShots (like Circle, Helix, Rocket and Boomerang), and built-in Panorama stitching, so you don’t need to be a seasoned pilot to make cinematic footage.
Safer at night
The Mini 5 Pro also adds forward-facing LiDAR and omnidirectional sensors, which help with night flying, so even return-to-home in low light feels less of a gamble. That’s a first in the Mini class, and it makes after-dark shooting slightly less nerve-wracking. Nighttime RTH and Non-GNSS RTH add an extra safety net, letting the drone navigate obstacles in the dark and even memorise flight paths when the satellite signal is weak. Dual-band GNSS (L1+L5) also improves stability and positioning.
Endurance and convenience
On the standard battery, you’re looking at 36 minutes of flight time. Swap to the Plus pack and it stretches to 52 minutes — but it also tips the drone way over the 250g mark — which is something you need to consider when flying overseas. In Singapore, it’s safer if you just register your drone anyway, since the Mini 5 Pro is skirting the weight line.
Convenience also gets a lift with Off-State QuickTransfer (wake the drone remotely and transfer files without powering up) and transfer speeds up to 100 MB/s, even while running other apps in the background.
Pricing and availability
The DJI Mini 5 Pro starts at SGD 949, with Fly More Combos from SGD 1,169. The RC 2 Fly More Combo (with 3x standard 36 min batteries) goes for SGD 1,369, while the RC 2 Plus Combo (with 3x high capacity 52 min batteries) tops out at SGD 1,449.
