How to shoot vertical video with a DJI drone

To shoot vertical video with a DJI drone, either rotate the camera 90° or record a 9:16 crop, depending on the model. The Mini 5 Pro, Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3 and Mavic 4 Pro roll their gimbal for true vertical from the full sensor. The Air 3S, Flip and Neo record a vertical crop. Drones without a vertical mode, like the Avata 2, can shoot 4K 4:3 and crop 9:16 in editing.

Vertical shooting on DJI drones — How each DJI drone records vertical video, from DJI's specs and our model guides. True vertical rotates the camera; crop modes cut a 9:16 frame from the sensor.

What "drone vertical shooting" means

There are two approaches:

True vertical: the gimbal rolls the camera 90°, so the sensor itself is upright. You keep the full resolution and field of view in portrait.
Cropped vertical: the camera stays level and records a tall 9:16 slice of the sensor. Simpler, but lower resolution and a narrower view.

Both produce files ready for Reels, TikTok and Shorts, which display at 1080×1920.

How to switch, by drone

Mini 5 Pro: roll the gimbal 90°. On the DJI RC 2, hold C1 and turn the camera dial; on the RC-N3, hold the custom button and turn the gimbal dial. The gimbal can roll through 225° in total. See Mini 5 Pro vertical.
Mini 4 Pro and Mini 3: tap the landscape/portrait switch in the DJI Fly camera view and the camera rotates. See Mini 4 Pro vertical.
Mavic 4 Pro: the Hasselblad camera rotates for 4K vertical; the tele cameras crop to 2.7K.
Air 3S: select the vertical ratio; both cameras record 2.7K 9:16 at up to 60 fps. See Air 3S vertical.
Flip: 2.7K or 1080p 9:16 by cropping.
Neo: 1080p 9:16 at up to 60 fps, selected as a ratio in the resolution settings. See Neo vertical.
Avata 2: no vertical mode; shoot 4K 4:3 and crop.

Newer models, such as the Neo 2, aren't covered here. Check the "Vertical Shooting" line on DJI's spec page for your drone.

Shoot vertical or crop later?

Shoot vertical when:

You're posting straight to social media.
Your drone has true vertical (no quality loss).
You want to frame precisely while flying.

Shoot horizontal 4K and crop when:

You need both a landscape and a vertical version.
Your drone only crops in vertical mode anyway.
You'll stabilize or reframe in editing.

A 4K 16:9 frame (3840×2160) yields a 9:16 crop about 1215×2160, still above 1080×1920. A 4:3 frame gives even more height.

Shots that work vertically

Ascending reveals of towers, waterfalls and cliffs.
Top-down shots of roads, rivers and beaches running through the frame.
Follow shots along a trail or road.
Pedestal moves rising in front of a subject.

Keep key subjects away from the top and bottom fifth, where apps put captions and buttons.

Settings

Shoot 30 fps (60 if you'll slow it), shutter near double the frame rate with ND filters in sun, and Normal color if you'll post without grading. For export and upload tips, read drone video for Instagram.

The Mini 5 Pro is our pick for vertical: full-sensor 1-inch vertical in a drone under 250 g. The Mini 4 Pro offers true vertical for less.