My Air 3 took a tumble, so I made the switch to the Mini 5 Pro. Here’s what I’ve noticed—especially the details that don’t get talked about enough.
When it comes to imaging, the Mini 5 Pro shares the same sensor as the Pocket 3. That means DJI’s color science and beauty effects feel strikingly familiar. While the 1-inch sensor does improve low-light performance a bit, noise is still noticeable in darker scenes. Also, the default color output in standard mode can sometimes look a little unnatural.
The standard version doesn’t come with support for external or built-in 4G modules—you’ll need the Transmission Enhancement Kit for that. It feels like a bit of an upsell move.
Shooting in 4K locks you into H.265 compression. If you want to use H.264, you’ll have to drop down to 1080p, which is a bit of a letdown.
Now, about that medium telephoto lens: the Mini 5 Pro delivers a 48mm focal length via electronic zoom, cropping the 1-inch sensor down to 1/1.3 inches. While the specs align with the Air 3’s dual-camera setup, e-zoom does come with its trade-offs. Still, it’s more than capable for commercial projects, social media clips, and scenic shots.
DJI really loaded up the Mini 5 Pro this time around. The official weight comes in at 249.9g (±4g), a noticeable step up from the Mini 4 Pro’s sub-249g claim. This might have something to do with loosened drone registration rules in parts of Europe.