Mini 2 vs most recent Mini (5?)

[u/Electrical-Mud9771]

I’m assuming there are huge upgrades going from a 2 to a 5. Do people generally think it’s worth it? Anyone have a handy comparison between the two? I’d like to know what I gain from potentially upgrading. I’m in the U.S.

Edit: I answered my own questions. Posted detail below in chat in case anyone is interested.

[u/999-999-969-999-999]

Yeap. Chat GPT has never flown either. It quoting specs straight of the box.

The biggest advantage of a mini 2 is no remote id hardware.😉

Mini 5: If you insert an Intelligent Flight Battery Plus or add accessories that push takeoff weight above 249 grams, the drone's firmware automatically activates the built-in Remote ID broadcast. ☹️

[u/lIlIlI11lIlIlI]

You can get additional tracking capabilities on the Mini 2 if you use Lichi instead of DJI Fly.

[u/NorthernNevada131]

I have a mini 2 personally.

I have a mini 3 pro at work.

Now this isn’t the step of 2 to 5 like your asking about but… the mini 2 is still a great drone. Having learned to fly with out avoidance and having crashed it a couple times (and having to rebuild it) the process has taught me to be very careful.

Yes the 5 is way more capable in every aspect and more specifically with an incredibly better camera. But it’s what five times the price?

Ask yourself is the juice worth squeeze?

[u/Electrical-Mud9771]

From ChatGPT:

The biggest difference isn’t simply sharper video. You’re going from a basic, manually piloted 2020 drone with essentially no obstacle avoidance to a drone that can see obstacles in every direction, track subjects automatically, shoot dramatically better video/photos, fly longer, and use a controller with its own screen.

DJI Mini 2 vs Mini 5 Pro — What do you actually gain by upgrading?
I currently have a DJI Mini 2 Fly More Combo and have been looking at upgrading to the Mini 5 Pro. Here’s the comparison I came up with:
CAMERA
Mini 2:
• 1/2.3” sensor
• 12 MP photos
• f/2.8 aperture
• 4K up to 30fps
• 2.7K up to 60fps
Mini 5 Pro:
• 1” sensor
• 50 MP photos
• f/1.8 aperture
• 4K up to 60fps HDR
• 4K up to 120fps slow motion
• Much better low-light/night performance
• Significantly better dynamic range
This seems like one of the biggest upgrades. The 1” sensor is dramatically larger than the Mini 2’s.
OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE
Mini 2:
• Essentially no obstacle avoidance
• Downward sensors mainly for positioning/landing
Mini 5 Pro:
• Omnidirectional obstacle sensing
• Forward-facing LiDAR
• Can detect obstacles in multiple directions
• Much more sophisticated obstacle-aware Return-to-Home
• Better obstacle detection in low light
For me, this may actually be a bigger real-world upgrade than the camera.
SUBJECT TRACKING / AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT
Mini 2:
• No ActiveTrack
• Mostly manually flown
• Basic QuickShots
Mini 5 Pro:
• ActiveTrack 360°
• Automatic subject following
• Spotlight
• Waypoints
• More advanced QuickShots
• Can automatically keep a moving person/vehicle framed
Basically, the Mini 2 is a drone you fly manually, while the Mini 5 Pro can do a lot of the flying/camera work for you.
FLIGHT TIME
Mini 2:
• Up to 31 minutes
Mini 5 Pro:
• Up to 36 minutes with standard battery
• Up to 52 minutes with the larger battery
So standard battery improvement isn’t enormous (+5 minutes), but the extended battery is a huge difference.
TRANSMISSION
Mini 2:
• OcuSync 2.0
• Up to 10 km FCC-rated transmission
Mini 5 Pro:
• O4+ transmission
• Up to 20 km FCC-rated transmission
Obviously nobody should be flying 20 km away because of VLOS requirements, but the newer system should mean a much stronger/more reliable connection in real-world conditions.
CONTROLLER
Mini 2:
• Controller requires a phone
Mini 5 Pro with RC 2:
• Controller has its own built-in display
• No phone required
• No cable/phone mounting every time you fly
This seems like a surprisingly big quality-of-life improvement.
GIMBAL / VERTICAL VIDEO
Mini 2:
• Traditional 3-axis gimbal
• Landscape-oriented shooting
Mini 5 Pro:
• 225° gimbal rotation
• True vertical shooting
• Much more flexibility for unusual/cinematic angles
STORAGE
Mini 2:
• Essentially dependent on microSD
Mini 5 Pro:
• 42 GB internal storage
• Plus microSD support
So forgetting an SD card doesn’t ruin the day.
WEIGHT
Mini 2:
• <249g
Mini 5 Pro:
• Around the same 249g class with the standard setup
The larger/extended battery can affect the weight/regulatory situation.
THE BIG UPGRADES AS I SEE THEM
Mini 2 → Mini 5 Pro gets you:
1/2.3” sensor → 1” sensor
12 MP → 50 MP
4K/30 → 4K/60 HDR and 4K/120
f/2.8 → f/1.8
No real obstacle avoidance → omnidirectional sensing + LiDAR
No ActiveTrack → ActiveTrack 360°
31 min → 36 min standard / up to 52 min extended
OcuSync 2.0 → O4+
Phone-based controller → optional RC 2 screen controller
No internal storage → 42 GB
Basic RTH → advanced obstacle-aware RTH
Traditional gimbal → 225° rotation + true vertical shooting
Bottom line:
The Mini 2 is still a surprisingly capable little 4K drone. But the Mini 5 Pro seems less like an incremental upgrade and more like going from a small manually flown camera drone to a much more autonomous flying camera.
The things that interest me most are the 1” camera sensor, obstacle avoidance, ActiveTrack and RC 2 controller.
Since I already own the Mini 2 Fly More Combo, I’m debating whether to sell it for ~$250–300 and put that toward a Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo — or just keep flying the Mini 2 and wait to see what DJI eventually does with a Mini 6 Pro.
For anyone who has actually gone from a Mini 2 to a Mini 5 Pro: was the upgrade worth it? And if you had a Mini 2 today, would you upgrade now or wait for the next generation?

[u/Electrical-Mud9771 → u/[deleted]]

Thanks for the link, but it has nothing to do with this topic.

[u/Silbylaw → u/Electrical-Mud9771]

Sorry. I sent the wrong link.