DJI’s New Light-as-Hell Drone Has the Best Camera You Can’t Buy

The U.S. government has effectively halted shipments of any of China-based drone maker DJI’s products to the States. If you’re already annoyed you can’t buy the latest, greatest drones, you’ll be much more than miffed to learn DJI finally showed off details of its Mini 5 Pro, which will have an all-new large CMOS sensor strapped to an upgraded gimbal, plus LIDAR sensing for better obstacle avoidance. Good luck trying to get it in the U.S. since you can’t even find it on the company’s store page.

While at IFA 2025, DJI invited me behind the scenes to check out the Mini 5 Pro. Of course, I wasn’t about to fly it in the confined office space they had set up. The pitch is still compelling enough. This is DJI’s first small-scale drone with a 50-megapixel 1-inch CMOS sensor. That’s compared to the 1/1.30-inch, 48-megapixel camera on the Mini 4 Pro. It’s equivalent to the Air 3S, DJI’s older, less compact drone from 2024. I’ve had plenty of experience flying the Air 3S around my parents’ house in North Carolina, and the picture quality you get with a larger sensor easily makes up for its bulkier size. The Mini 5 Pro promises a similar sensor with less heft.

Meet DJI Mini 5 Pro – All-In-One 1-Inch Large CMOS Mini Camera Drone

DJI Mini 5 Pro features a 1-inch CMOS camera, nightscape omnidirectional obstacle sensing, a gimbal with 225° of flexible rotation, and upgraded ActiveTrack 360°, all packed into its signature lightweight body.… pic.twitter.com/TCaqMwLy2t

— DJI (@DJIGlobal) September 17, 2025

The new sensor should have 14 stops of dynamic range, which means the image could capture a wider variety of brightness levels for accurate video than DJI’s other small-scale drones. It also has an f/1.8 aperture for enhanced low-light performance, plus a novel telephoto camera with a 48mm Med-Tele mode for digital zoom. The drone can capture 4K video at 60 and 120 fps. Probably its most impressive upgrade beyond the sensor is its 225-degree gimbal rotation (not as good as the 360-degree gimbal on the Mavic 4 Pro). DJI says this drone can now capture vertical video seamlessly without any need for fancy flying. Essentially, the new Mini 5 Pro takes cues from both the Air and Mavic drone lineups to craft something that straddles the line between a beginner and professional-end drone.

DJI’s Mini 5 Pro can reach a max flight speed of 42 mph with a lift speed of 10 m/s, or 22 mph. The new drone also gains the Air line’s forward-facing LIDAR for better low-light obstacle avoidance and a more accurate return-to-home function. DJI has also positioned the new Mini 5 Pro along the lines of its more compact drones, like the DJI Neo and DJI Flip. It will automatically power on when you unfold its wings, and it supplies the same QuickShots feature for controller-free 360 shots around a target. The company claims its upgraded ActiveTrack 360 will help it follow users better without needing to worry about it crashing into any intervening tree limbs.

The drone still sits just below 250g in weight, meaning you don’t need a permit with the Federal Aviation Administration if you somehow bring one to the U.S. DJI also claims the Mini 5 Pro gets slightly better battery life with 36 minutes of flight time without the extended battery. If you somehow manage to schmooze a reseller for that improved battery, you may be able to get closer to 52 minutes of aerial shooting, longer than the Air 3S’s 45-minute max flight time, at the cost of extra weight.

The latest Mini 5 Pro may be the perfect mix of ultra-light drone and mid-range UAV, but of course, we U.S. buyers won’t get to know it any more intimately due to the ongoing soft ban on DJI shipments. This is also where we’d talk about price, but it’s not available on DJI’s site for U.S. customers. It costs 799 euros in Europe, or about $947 U.S., without one of the combos that bundle in a controller. DJI’s products are one of many brands that are finding it difficult to navigate the U.S.’s international trade policies. The drone maker simply has it worse than most. In an email statement to Gizmodo, a DJI spokesperson said, “The DJI Mini 5 Pro will not be available officially in the United States upon its global launch on September 17. DJI remains dedicated to the U.S. market and is optimizing our strategy to best serve our customers amidst evolving local conditions.”