How to Enable Slow-Motion Video Mode on DJI Drone
Peter Leslie
22 May 2026
If you took a DJI drone out for a fast-moving subject and the playback came back regular-speed instead of the cinematic slow ramp you wanted, the Slow Motion sub-mode lives two taps away on the camera view inside DJI Fly. It sits in the same place on every current DJI drone, hidden behind a small mode label most owners never tap.
Drones this applies to
DJI Neo 2, DJI Mini 5 Pro, DJI Avata 2, DJI Air 3 Pro, DJI Mavic 4 Pro. The same procedure works on any drone running DJI Fly v1.21.2 or later — only the available frame rates and resolutions in Slow Motion vary between models, which the table further down spells out.
Quick guide
To enable Slow Motion on DJI Drone, go to DJI Fly → Camera view → Shooting-mode icon → Video → Mode label → Slow Motion. The drone locks into the high-frame-rate capture and the resolution chip greys out until you pick Normal again.
Step-by-step: How to Enable Slow-Motion Video Mode on DJI Drone
Follow these top to bottom the first time, and the path is muscle memory the second time. The labels and order are identical on every drone in the callout above — only the locked frame rate at the end of the sequence varies between models.
Open DJI Fly to the camera view with the drone connected
Power the drone on, wait for DJI Fly to connect, and tap into the camera view. The live feed from the drone fills the centre of the screen and the shooting-mode controls run down the right-hand edge.
Enter the general video mode from the shooting-mode icon
Tap the icon directly above the shutter button on the right-hand control column and pick Video from the list that slides out. The drone enters the general video mode with Normal selected by default — that is the row you are about to change.
Find the sub-mode label on the DJI Fly camera view
With the drone in the general video mode, the current sub-mode reads as a small label on the camera view — Normal by default, the first time you fly. This is the control that opens the sub-mode list when you tap it, and the reason most first flights record regular-speed when the pilot wanted Slow Motion.
Tap the sub-mode label to open the Normal and Slow Motion list
Tap the mode label once and the sub-mode list slides out. Two rows on most drones: Normal on the right, Slow Motion on the left. The currently-selected row is highlighted in the brand yellow so you can see the active mode at a glance.
Tap Slow Motion to lock the drone into the high-frame-rate capture
Tap Slow Motion from the sub-mode list. The drone locks the camera into the high-frame-rate capture for the model — the exact resolution and frame rate are spelled out in the per-drone table below — and the resolution chip greys out. The list closes the moment you tap.
Set the frame rate from the resolution chip if the drone offers a choice
On the smaller drones the frame rate is locked to a single value once Slow Motion is selected. On the larger Mavic and Air cameras the resolution chip stays tappable for the frame-rate choice — usually 120 or 240 frames per second. Pick the higher rate for a more stretched playback, the lower rate when you need a touch more low-light performance.
Confirm the camera view now reads Slow Motion as the active sub-mode
The sub-mode label on the camera view updates to read Slow Motion and the resolution chip locks at the rate you just picked. The selection is sticky — the drone keeps Slow Motion enabled across power cycles, so every clip you record stays at the high frame rate until you tap back to Normal.
Press the shutter and check the playback frame rate in your editor
Press the shutter to start recording. The clip lands on the SD card or internal storage at the native capture frame rate — drop it onto a 25 or 30 fps timeline in your editor and the motion plays back four to ten times slower than real time depending on the rate you picked. The slow-motion effect is a timeline thing, not a baked-in render on the drone.
Peter's tip
I treat Slow Motion as a deliberate pick, not a default. Two hundred and forty frames per second through a twenty-five fps timeline is genuinely cinematic for the right shot, but the locked resolution and the disabled audio mean I always flip back to Normal before the next flight — otherwise the first clip of the next shoot quietly records at 1080p when the brief asked for 4K.
Slow Motion capabilities by DJI drone
The procedure is identical across the line-up, but the locked resolution and frame rate in Slow Motion vary per drone. Pick from the table before the flight so you know what the clip will look like when you drop it onto the editor timeline.
| Drone | Slow Motion resolution and frame rate | Playback ramp on a 25 fps timeline |
|---|---|---|
| DJI Neo 2 | 1080p at 240 fps (locked) | Roughly 9.6 times slower than real time |
| DJI Mini 5 Pro | 1080p at 120 fps | Roughly 4.8 times slower than real time |
| DJI Avata 2 | 2.7K at 100 fps, 1080p at 100 fps | Roughly 4 times slower than real time |
| DJI Air 3 Pro | 4K at 100 fps, 1080p at 240 fps | 4 times slower at 4K, 9.6 times slower at 1080p |
| DJI Mavic 4 Pro | 4K at 120 fps, 1080p at 240 fps | 4.8 times slower at 4K, 9.6 times slower at 1080p |
Frequently asked questions
What frame rate does Slow Motion record on a DJI drone?
It depends on the drone. The DJI Neo 2 records 1080p at 240 frames per second; the larger camera drones in the current line-up record 1080p at up to 240 frames per second and some offer 4K Slow Motion at 100 to 120 frames per second. The resolution chip greys out the moment you pick Slow Motion, so the resolution is fixed for the duration of the sub-mode.
What playback frame rate should I drop a Slow Motion clip onto?
A 25 frames per second timeline for UK delivery or a 30 frames per second timeline for social media. A 240 frames per second clip plays back roughly eight to ten times slower than real time on those timelines; a 120 frames per second clip plays back four to five times slower. The slow-motion effect is a timeline thing, not a baked-in render on the drone.
Does the 180-degree shutter rule still apply in Slow Motion?
Yes, and most drone pilots forget it the moment the frame rate climbs. The 180-degree shutter rule means the shutter speed should be roughly double the capture frame rate — so 1 over 480 of a second at 240 frames per second, not the 1 over 50 you would use on a 25 frames per second clip. In auto exposure DJI Fly does this for you; in manual exposure the burden is on you to set it before the clip rolls.
Does the DJI drone stay in Slow Motion after I power-cycle it?
Yes on every current DJI drone running DJI Fly. The sub-mode selection is sticky — the drone remembers Slow Motion across power cycles and starts the next flight in the same sub-mode. Flip back to Normal deliberately if the next shoot is client work, otherwise the first clip of the day records 1080p when you wanted 4K.
Does Slow Motion record audio?
No usable audio. DJI drones either have no onboard microphone or capture audio through the phone connected to DJI Fly, and audio capture is disabled in Slow Motion because the playback frame rate breaks sync. Plan for music or ambient overlay in post for any Slow Motion clip.
When should I leave the drone on Normal instead of Slow Motion?
Most client work, landscape pans, hover shots, and any dialogue or commentary footage. Normal lets you pair the resolution chip with 4K, 2.7K, or 1080p and keeps the audio in sync. Slow Motion is the deliberate pick for fast subjects, transition ramps, and moments worth stretching — not the everyday default.
Can I switch into Slow Motion while the drone is in the air?
Yes, but only between clips. The sub-mode list is greyed out while the drone is actively recording. Stop the clip, tap the mode label, pick Slow Motion, and start a fresh recording — expect a tiny pause as the drone reconfigures the camera before the new clip rolls.
Why does my Slow Motion clip not look slowed down in playback?
The Slow Motion sub-mode records at the high frame rate but does not retime the clip on the drone — the file lands on storage at the native capture frame rate. The slow-motion effect only appears when you drop the clip onto a 25 or 30 frames per second timeline in your editor. If you preview the raw file in a viewer that matches the source frame rate, the footage plays back at normal speed.
Slow Motion is a one-tap sub-mode hiding behind a sub-mode label most DJI owners never tap, and the difference between a flat 30 fps grab and a stretched 240 fps version of the same moment is the difference between a clip and a beat in your edit. Pick it deliberately for the shot, then flip back before the next flight.
If you want a second opinion on whether a specific shoot needs Slow Motion or whether Normal is the better call, drop the details to peter@hiredronepilot.uk and I will come back to you directly. The video version of this walkthrough is on YouTube and the comments are open.
References
Primary source material for this article is the official DJI user documentation for each drone in the callout and DJI Fly. External links open in a new tab.
- DJI Fly — App download and release notes · The app where the shooting-mode icon, the video sub-mode list, and the Slow Motion selector live across every current DJI drone. Release notes record menu changes between versions.
- DJI — UK consumer drone product line-up · Per-drone product pages and downloadable user manuals carry the available Slow Motion resolutions and frame rates for each model in the table.
- UK Civil Aviation Authority — The Drone and Model Aircraft Code (CAP2320) · The visual-line-of-sight and altitude rules that still apply when you fly any DJI drone in Slow Motion in UK airspace.
Peter Leslie
Founder & GVC Drone Pilot
Peter is the founder of HireDronePilot. With thousands of logged commercial flight hours, he writes about drone technology, commercial surveying tactics, and UK aviation compliance.
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