For several years now, I’ve been using a smaller drone from the DJI Mini Pro series for travel and as a backup drone – I last used it in the Caribbean. It’s small, lightweight, and very quiet, which is exactly why it can be legally used in most countries around the world without registration, as its weight is just under 250 grams – the threshold below which stricter regulations usually begin.
The drone store Droon.ee in Estonia kindly let me try out their latest model – the DJI Mini 5 Pro, which comes with a C0 class label and falls under the A1 Open Category regulations (read more about that here). At the end of this article, I’ll also include a link to sample files (RAW DNG and some video footage).
I still own the Mini 3 Pro myself, which is now two generations older. I recently used it to shoot photos on Keri Island, as my drone… had a minor fall in the rain (knock on wood – don’t fly in heavy rain!). I’ll most likely upgrade it now, even though I rarely travel – I still always need a reliable backup drone.
Updates
I’ll just briefly mention the general stuff here (YouTube is full of detailed reviews): longer flight time, more safety sensors + front-facing LiDAR, which is more accurate and works even in the dark, better signal coverage, overall improved stability and wind resistance, and a very useful feature – 42 GB of built-in storage. This means you can now either intentionally or accidentally forget the memory card – and it’s no problem.
DJI drones are so insanely good from a technical standpoint that there’s hardly anything left to wish for. The fact that so many upgrades are packed into such a tiny 249g body is, honestly, jaw-dropping.
Camera improvements:
1-inch 50 MP sensor (wow, just like in the Air model), a 225° rotating gimbal, 10-bit HDR video, and significantly better photo and video quality in low light, with noticeably less noise.
Let’s try out the camera
Here are a few photos as well.
The DJI Mini 5 Pro has a single camera (the Air series has two, and the Mavic 3 – three). In video mode, there’s also 2x lossless zoom available thanks to the high-resolution sensor, which allows cropping a 4K image without sacrificing quality. That definitely gives content creators more creative freedom.
The lens is a classic wide-angle – 24 mm. While the sensor is 50 MP, I was shooting in 12 MP mode – every 4 pixels are automatically combined into one stronger pixel, resulting in the best possible quality. This is especially important in low light, where the image quality is genuinely very, very good.
Photos are captured in a 4:3 aspect ratio, which is personally one of my favorites.
In photos taken during the day, it’s hard to notice a significant difference compared to more powerful drones.
Night photography is always a serious test for cameras, and the DJI Mini 5 Pro performs very impressively here. The 1-inch sensor and bright f/1.8 aperture allow it to capture plenty of light even in the dark, and the dynamic range is truly excellent. Its performance even surpasses some professional drones that are only a few years old. There are slight differences in dynamic range compared to the professional-grade DJI Mavic 4 Pro, but that is completely understandable.
The image details are as sharp as a needle and very clean. After processing, I applied light noise reduction using Lightroom’s AI feature, mainly because of minor noise in the smooth sky areas — but it would be perfectly fine even without it.
These images have been processed according to my personal style. Of course, everyone has their own approach. For those less familiar with photo editing, below is a comparison: unedited vs. edited image screenshot.
In summary
I won’t say anything more except that I will be buying this drone as a backup for work, in situations where I don’t want or it’s not safe to risk flying the Mavic, as well as for travel. I think this best reflects my overall opinion of this model.
To wrap up – regulations for beginners
The Mini series is an entry-level drone for many in this field, so it’s useful to review the most important drone flight regulations.
Link to the CAA regulations in Latvia here – 🔗 Home – CAA
In my own words – the main rules and basic principles:
💠 Don’t be tempted to fly over airports, the eastern border of Estonia, military areas, government buildings, or even nearby. This is strictly prohibited and extremely dangerous. Keep in mind that nowadays most drones are visible to the police and border guards from the moment they are switched on — both the controller and drone, their altitude, and flight path are visible. Trust me, they will find you quickly and check who you are and what you’ve been filming. This has happened to me several times (I’ve flown many times near military borders), and it’s totally understandable given the tense situation in Europe. Communication with patrols on site has always been professional and polite. If you violate restricted zones, your drone will be confiscated and an administrative process will begin.
💠 Familiarize yourself with the map online – 🔗 Drones – Latvian Air Traffic. There you can see monitored areas with current restrictions. If there are multiple restrictions, the strictest one applies. There are also temporary restrictions (NOTAMs), for example, for visits by important foreign guests.
💠 Do not exceed altitude limits. In Latvia, the maximum allowed flight altitude is 120 m (this is set by default on drones — please don’t change this setting) and applies in controlled zones. Remember, you share the airspace with other aircraft, so the rules must be strict and justified. Check restrictions on the drone map.
💠 Avoid flying over people and especially over large crowds. At major events, this is usually prohibited or restricted by NOTAMs, for example, at the Song and Dance Festival, where only a small, experienced drone team in constant contact with the police is allowed to fly. Be very careful when near people, and ask curious onlookers to keep their distance because the propellers spin at about 7,000 RPM and can be very dangerous if someone gets too close. Children especially tend to approach very closely.
Be sure to also read the information about open category flights on the Civil Aviation Agency’s website.
In the Facebook group “Droni Latvija” you can look for advice and ask questions. By joining the group, you commit to safe flying.
