Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra Review: The Small Way Into Resin
A 7-inch 9K resin printer with tilt release and a camera at an entry price. When the small bed is enough, and when to buy the bigger Saturn.
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The Mars 5 Ultra is Elegoo’s small resin printer. It brings most of the Saturn 4 Ultra’s features down to a 7-inch screen and an entry price.
What carries over
- Tilt release, so layers peel off gently and quickly. Elegoo quotes up to 150 mm/h.
- Auto levelling and a mechanical sensor that catches foreign objects before they crack the LCD.
- An AI camera for watching prints, and Wi-Fi file transfer.
Its 9K screen gives 18 x 18 µm pixels. They are square, so detail is the same in both directions.
The limit
The build volume is 153.36 x 77.76 x 165 mm. That fits one or a few miniatures, a ring, or a small mechanical part. It does not fit a batch of figures, a bust, or anything long. That is the usual reason people trade up to a 10-inch printer.
The size does not reduce the set-up resin needs. You still need ventilation, nitrile gloves, alcohol or water washing depending on the resin, and UV curing. See FDM vs resin.
Verdict
The Mars 5 Ultra is the right buy for trying resin on small work. If you already know you will print batches, buy the Saturn.
What works
- 18 x 18 µm XY resolution with square pixels, so detail is even in both directions
- Keeps the bigger Elegoo's tilt release, auto levelling and foreign-object detection at an entry price
- An AI camera and Wi-Fi file transfer are rare on a printer this small
- Small enough for a shelf
What doesn't
- A 153 x 78 x 165 mm volume fits single miniatures and small parts, not batches or tall pieces
- Still needs the full resin set-up: ventilation, gloves, and wash-and-cure