DJI's Matrice 5T brings 1280×1024 thermal, a 252 mm tele and IP55. Full specs, how it compares to the 4T and the Mavic 4 Pro, and why video stops at 4K/30.
DJI launched the Matrice 5T on 5 November 2026. It's a folding enterprise drone with a 1280×1024 thermal camera, three 50 MP visible cameras up to a 252 mm equivalent tele (176x hybrid zoom), a 3 km laser rangefinder, IP55 and up to 59 minutes in the air. DJI hasn't published a price, and video from the visible cameras tops out at 4K/30 at 40 Mbps, so it's a search, inspection and safety tool, not a cinema drone.
We cover it anyway because the thermal and night footage from these drones ends up in documentaries, news packages and rescue stories, and because a few of you will get asked to fly one. Specs below come from DJI's official spec page, checked on 6 November 2026.
Everything here is from DJI's spec sheet. Flight times are DJI's no-wind, no-payload figures.
| Spec | Matrice 5T |
|---|---|
| Takeoff weight | 2239 g (2639 g max) |
| Folded size | 335 × 155 × 203 mm |
| Flight / hover time | 59 min / 54 min |
| Top speed | 23 m/s |
| Weather | IP55, −20 °C to 50 °C, 12 m/s wind at takeoff and landing |
| Wide camera | 1/0.98-inch, 50 MP, 23.5 mm equiv., f/1.8 |
| Medium tele | 1/1.28-inch, 50 MP, 70 mm equiv., f/2.88 |
| Tele | 1/1.5-inch, 50 MP, 252 mm equiv., f/2.8, 176x hybrid zoom |
| Thermal | 1280×1024 VOx, 53 mm equiv., f/0.85, ≤50 mK, 30 Hz |
| Laser rangefinder | 3000 m |
| Video | 4K or 1080p at 30 fps, H.265, 40 Mbps |
| Transmission | O4 Enterprise Enhanced, 20 km (CE), 40 km (Canada) |
| Battery | 10073 mAh, 215.2 Wh, 768 g, sold separately in the UK |
| Controller | DJI RC Plus 3 Enterprise, 7.44-inch, 2000 nits |
The 5T is almost twice as heavy as the 4T. In exchange you get four times the thermal pixels, a longer tele and weather sealing the 4T never had.
| Matrice 5T | Matrice 4T | |
|---|---|---|
| Takeoff weight | 2239 g | 1219 g |
| Flight time | 59 min | 49 min |
| Visible cameras | 3 × 50 MP | 3 × 48 MP |
| Thermal | 1280×1024 | 640×512 |
| Hybrid zoom | 176x | 112x |
| IP rating | IP55 | None |
| Range (CE) | 20 km | 12 km |
| Obstacle sensing | LiDAR and mmWave radar built in | Optional module |
The extra kilos matter in the EU. The 4T was light enough to fly as a C2 in the open category, and Heliguy lists the 5T as C2/C6 too, but the C6 part only matters for specific-category work with a geocage and DJI's flight termination module. Check the label on your unit before you plan a job.
For the shots it was made for, yes. For a commercial or a travel film, no. Put it next to the Mavic 4 Pro, the drone most of us would actually take on a shoot, and the gap shows up in the video column.
| Matrice 5T | Mavic 4 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Main sensor | 1/0.98-inch | 4/3-inch Hasselblad |
| Max video | 4K/30 | 6K/60, 4K/120 |
| Codecs | H.265 | H.264, H.265, H.264 ALL-I |
| Max bitrate | 40 Mbps | 180 Mbps H.265, 1200 Mbps ALL-I |
| Log / HDR | None listed | 10-bit D-Log, D-Log M, HLG |
| Longest lens | 252 mm equiv. | 168 mm equiv. |
| Thermal | 1280×1024 | None |
| Weight | 2239 g | about 1063 g |
40 Mbps H.265 with no log won't take a heavy grade, and 30 fps leaves no room for slow motion. If you don't know which DJI colour profile to pick on a drone that has them, our D-Log vs D-Log M vs HLG guide explains it.
| If you | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Shoot a rescue or wildlife documentary at night | Matrice 5T, rented with its operator | Real thermal and colour footage in near darkness |
| Film inspections, roofs or solar farms for a client | Matrice 5T | Thermal, laser distance and IP55 in the rain |
| Need a long lens to film from far away | Matrice 5T for reach, Mavic 4 Pro for quality | 252 mm against 168 mm, but 40 Mbps against 180 |
| Shoot commercials, travel or weddings | Mavic 4 Pro | 6K, 10-bit log, half the weight, a fraction of the cost |
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 1280×1024 thermal, sharp enough to cut into a documentary | 4K/30 at 40 Mbps, no log profile listed |
| Bright f/1.8 wide camera for night shots | 2.2 kg, C2 rules and a bigger case to carry |
| Flies in rain (IP55) and in the cold | No official price, sold only through dealers |
| 59 minutes per battery | Battery not included in the UK pre-order |
DJI hasn't published a price. DroneXL reports that Heliguy opened UK pre-orders at about $8,655 before VAT, with the battery sold separately, around $1,900 more than Heliguy charges for the 4T. Heliguy expects first stock the week of 23 November 2026. In Europe the 5T is sold through DJI Enterprise dealers, so ask one for a quote. In the US there's no clear path to buy it: DJI's spec sheet lists no FCC figures, and no new DJI model has had an FCC grant since the agency put foreign drones on its Covered List in December 2025. We covered how that keeps hitting DJI's consumer line in our Osmo Action 7 article, and if you fly in the EU our Mini 5 Pro C0 guide explains how class labels work.
DJI announced it on 5 November 2026 and said it's available from enterprise dealers. UK dealer Heliguy expects first stock the week of 23 November.
Yes, but only at 30 fps. DJI lists 3840×2160 at 30 fps in H.265 with a maximum bitrate of 40 Mbps, and no log profile.
The 5T is flown by a pilot with the DJI RC Plus 3 Enterprise. The 5TD shares the sensors and works from a DJI Dock for automated missions.
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