Tech News
← Back to articles

DJI's new mini drone is a powerhouse with an upgraded camera, but I have two concerns

read original related products more articles

DJI Mini 5 Pro ZDNET's key takeaways The DJI Mini 5 Pro is available in the UK and EU at £689/€799 respectively.

Its camera has a one-inch sensor for superior shooting in low-light conditions, and the drone is packed with obstacle avoidance sensors.

It's not yet available in the US, and its battery life at a theoretical runtime of 21 minutes is a lot lower than its predecessor. View now at DJI

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.

The Mini Pro drones are my all-time favorite drones in the DJI lineup. Sure, I love the power and performance of the Mavic Pro line, but having a capable drone that fits into a sub-250 gram package gets around a lot of legal and legislative hurdles to flying a drone anywhere near people.

DJI just unveiled the latest in its Mini line: the Mini 5 Pro. Visually, it's very much line it's predecessor, but it packs quite a few upgrades that I've been very excited to check out.

Also: The best drones you can buy: Expert tested

First off, the camera gets a big upgrade. It's easy to think of DJI as a drone company, but it's also a world leader in camera and gimbal technology. Drones are fun, but without a camera on a stabilizing gimbal, the fun would soon wear off.

Luckily, the camera on the Mini 5 Pro is a huge leap forward to what we've expected from small drones. Packing one-inch sensors with a 50-megapixel resolution capable of 14 stops of dynamic range, it's ideal for sunrises, sunsets, and even nighttime shooting.

The lens is a 24mm equivalent, making it ideal for landscape shooting. But for those who like to punch in on the action, the Mini 5 Pro has a new 48mm Med-Tele mode with higher digital zoom resolution.

... continue reading