DJI 5 Mini Pro review – pro drone, pocket sized, ultra light. Why would anyone go bigger?

Any might have seen the 250g limit on drones as very much a restriction on consumer tech, but DJI seem to have taken it as a more serious challenge - to cram as much pro tech into what you might see as the most consumer weight category as possible.

The reality is more complex; professionals, too, can take advantage of rules that let them fly nearer people, so it makes sense for everyone to get high spec cameras in a low weight. The Mini 5 Pro is the latest in DJI’s series of flagship drones in this weight category and it is mighty impressive, bringing a bigger camera and imaging sensor and new LiDAR sensor system.

A marvel of miniaturisation then, for sure, but is it worthy of your funds? That is a more complicated question - especially if, like me, you’ve already invested in one of its recent predecessors (DJI’s Mini 3 Pro or Mini 4 Pro).

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Price

The cheapest the DJI Mini 5 Pro can be had at launch (17 Sep 2025) is £689 in the UK (we're still waiting on US pricing, which tends to come very late because of political uncertainty). That's actually a little less than I expected given the feature list and quality on offer.

As expected, there is also a Fly More Combo with 3 batteries for £869 and another Fly More Combo with the RC 2 – the controller with the built in screen – for £979. These are more "pro" sounding prices, but the all-in one solution without needing to plug your phone in is handy. A built in 40GB storage in all variants also saves an (admittedly minimal) bit of cash when it comes to memory cards too!

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Specifications

Build and handling

The Mini 5 Pro looks pretty serious, to the point of being almost a surprise when your hand gets to it and you find it’s actually a little smaller than you might have imagined. The real surprise, though, for experienced drone users yet to encounter the Mini is the weight - you see all those sensors and yet the drone feels so light in the hand.

There are a lot of subtle differences about this drone in comparison to the previous two Mini Pros. The propeller design has changed a little – I found I needed to push them back with a small amount of force after the flight, suggesting they're a little stronger than in the past.

The most notable change, though, is the arrival of the LiDAR sensors on the front – as well as the continued presence of the optical obstacle avoidance system. This should give the drone the ability to avoid objects in the dark – at least from the front.

The physically bigger camera has stylish and no doubt practical radiator style lines – it's hard to know if this is doing anything thermal on a lightweight plastic – but there is also a big grille-covered vent behind it, and more vents at the top rear of the drone.

At the back you find the USB-C socket for charging and the MicroSD card socket. Customers of the Fly More Kits can put up to three of the 2788mAh (standard) batteries in and charge them in one (or use it as a power station as the need arises).

The drone is now able to make use of the cameras to return home during good light, even if GPS systems fail it – that's interesting (especially in light of the HoverAir Aqua Ultra announcement). I haven't yet tested that (because flying in bad light isn't super legal in the UK) but it is encouraging that the drone is able to use what it can see to make a return-to-home journey.

The underside of the drone features landing sensors and a light – nothing new here but if you've not used previous Mini Pro drones it may come as a surprise to know you even get the tech for the drone to lands itself reliably in all lighting conditions.

One other nice touch is that you can extend the legs in any order you choose, and doing so powers the device up – it's a little thing but it does remove a frustration as against many other folding drones.

As with all mini drones, I strongly recommend using a landing pad, if not for landing (I found I was able to hand-land, though this isn't recommended) but for taking off because it ensures a flat surface and gives you an exact reminder of the return point.

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Performance

The Mini 5 Pro lives up to its promises, that I can say. My first day testing was not easy, battling British weather with showers and having to avoid gusty winds, but the little drone survived with aplomb, never getting blown away or seeming not to be able to cope when, I suspect, larger craft from recent times would have given up. It wasn't a fair test on the batteries, admittedly, so I won't say much about that until I can have a few more tests.

In terms of the fundamentals, the drone had no problem at all connecting to the controller, nor finding satellites, so there were no frustrations. Testing in and around trees, the drone didn't seem to have any issues identifying me as a subject for the AI tracking, nor in following or orbiting me when requested.

Back at base, too, copying files over was straightforward. I went with good old-fashioned USB-C plugging into my computer as I recorded all my video to the drone's built-in 42GB of storage and was very happy that I didn't even need to turn the device on for it to be recognised by my MacBook Pro and appear. I actually had more trouble getting the same computer to identify the SD card from my camera!

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Sample Images

From a photographic perspective, there is a lot to love here. The dynamic range is impressive, as shown by my RAW test above – shooting straight into the sun then pushing the image as far as I could go to see what detail we could see.

The other aspect of the drone's camera which impressed me was the quality of the 2x hybrid zoom, which I feel produces very serviceable images with around 12MP or 'real' data (though the files still seem to report having the same 50MP).

Image 1 of 4

First picture – 50MP landscape

Looking into the sun at 1x

Looking into the sun at 2x

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Sample Video

The video here comes from my first go with the drone, and doesn't represent all that it is capable of, but it does give a good idea how capable the image sensor is at capturing detail across the range from light to dark.

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Overall verdict

Given all that has happened to the phone in my pocket, it shouldn't surprise me that new and better lightweight tech finds its way into the ultralight flagship drone and it nevertheless stays under the legally crucial 250g / 8.8oz, yet it does. The capability of the Mini 5 Pro is a significantly bigger generation leap from the Mini 4 Pro than that drone was from the Mini 3 Pro, and that was not an insignificant improvement either.

I'd go so far as to say that, if a drone is a key part of your work, the upgrade to the five from the three is worth considering, especially if lower light scenarios play a part in your creativity thanks to the safety gear and the sensor.

The physical limits of the weight restriction can – as on those previous models – also be challenged if you're prepared to take the necessary extra legal steps, since DJI is offering a heavier battery. That unleashes extra power and slightly improved speeds. It's genuinely good to have that option, but it also serves as a reminder that physics – not technology – is starting to become the limiting factor with this product line. If you've been holding off, I'm not seeing much of a reason to wait any more.

Could things be better? Personally, I'd like things to be a bit quicker when I shoot with the bracketing feature, which still seems a wise precaution in the sky. But this is merely a very minor complaint about a few moments of time. Sure, my mirrorless camera is quicker, but you'd expect that!

DJI Mini 5 Pro: Alternatives

The DJI Mini 3 gets you a lot of what is on offer here for significantly less investment. It is based on an older model so it has a smaller image sensor, and without the 'Pro' moniker, it lacks 10-bit video or the surround collision sensors, but it still has the social-friendly ability to rotate the camera from landscape to portrait.

The HoverAir X1 Pro Max is a contender even where DJI products aren't available; it's got up to 8K video recording, although the 1/1.3-inch CMOS image sensor isn't as large and the controller range isn't quite the same the AI smarts and safety features are impressive in a different way, not to mention the pocketability.

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How I test drones

I have flown drones since it was a niche hobby and you had to build your own drones, and for a few years I worked as a professional drone operator so I have commercial experience too. Whether for fun or for a job, I've always found the best way to test a drone is to get out there and use it in the real world, and this is the same approach I take to reviewing. I get out there and I test the drone in different weather conditions – though of course I can only use what the universe will give me! I also test the supplied equipment, in this case DJI's set of filters.

I also do my best to experienced all the software and work my way though the charging process because use is not just the time in the field!