Should You Buy the DJI Mini 5 Pro in Canada?

[trisen1981]

There’s been a lot of debate around whether the Mini 5 Pro is really “micro” in Canada once you actually weigh it.

I went through this personally after moving from a Mini 4 Pro to Mini 5 Pro and put together a short video explaining how the rules are structured, what happens at 252 g, and why the answer isn’t as simple as “just register it.”

Posting for anyone currently on the fence or trying to decide if the Mini 5 Pro makes sense for them in Canada.

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[Chrislaf]

I have mixed feelings about the Mini 5 Pro. I appreciate the upgrades - the 1 inch sensor, lidar, and twist lock props, but am puzzled why DJI decided to release a drone that is clearly over the 250g weight threshold in most cases except in maybe a few exceptions. As you have pointed out in your video, since in most cases the take-off weight is above 250g it requires one to have at least a basic pilots license and the drone to be registered to be legal.

For me, unless I replace my Mavic 3 Pro with the inferior Mini 5 Pro there is no reason for me to get a Mini 5 Pro when I already have a Mini 4 Pro when I want/need a drone to fly where I cannot legally fly my Mavic 3 Pro.

Another issue is many other countries have rejected the sub-250g rating for the Mini 5 Pro similar to Canada so this could be an issue for travel.

Chris

 

[Nexus Dragoon]

If you want, I just found it a little pointless, the whole reason for getting a mini was to be under 250g, else you get the Air 3s. If you're going to be over 250, why not go for the extra camera or wait for the avata360

 

[trisen1981]

I have mixed feelings about the Mini 5 Pro. I appreciate the upgrades - the 1 inch sensor, lidar, and twist lock props, but am puzzled why DJI decided to release a drone that is clearly over the 250g weight threshold in most cases except in maybe a few exceptions. As you have pointed out in your video, since in most cases the take-off weight is above 250g it requires one to have at least a basic pilots license and the drone to be registered to be legal.

For me, unless I replace my Mavic 3 Pro with the inferior Mini 5 Pro there is no reason for me to get a Mini 5 Pro when I already have a Mini 4 Pro when I want/need a drone to fly where I cannot legally fly my Mavic 3 Pro.

Another issue is many other countries have rejected the sub-250g rating for the Mini 5 Pro similar to Canada so this could be an issue for travel.

Chris

That’s a fair take, and I largely agree.


The Mini 5 Pro is an impressive piece of hardware on its own, but the problem isn’t the upgrades - it’s how those upgrades collide with the 250 g boundary. Once you cross that line in real-world takeoff weight, the whole value proposition of a “Mini” changes.

Like you said, if you already own a Mini 4 Pro specifically to cover situations where a Mavic 3 Pro isn’t practical or legal, the Mini 5 Pro doesn’t clearly replace that role anymore. It starts overlapping with small RPAS territory instead of sitting cleanly below it.

The international aspect is also a good point. With multiple countries taking a stricter view on the sub-250 g classification, the Mini 5 Pro becomes less predictable as a travel drone compared to previous Minis.

That uncertainty - more than the specs themselves - is what made me dig into this topic.