Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra

The Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra is a compact resin printer aimed at people printing miniatures, busts and master models. Compared to the base Mars 5 it adds a tilting vat, an AI camera that watches for failures, and one-touch automatic bed leveling, so setup takes a couple of taps and you can check a running print from your phone.

Build volume is 153×78×165 mm with a 7-inch 8520×4320 screen at an 18 μm pixel. The 150 mm/h figure comes from the tilt release: the vat peels away at an angle, peel force drops, and each layer finishes faster. Reviewers measure roughly a 30% cut in print time against machines that lift straight up.

Pros

• Tilt release saves real time — reviews measure about 30% faster prints with no visible hit to surface quality
• 18 μm pixel resolves faces and fine texture on 32 mm miniatures; reviewers rate detail among the best in the budget class
• One-touch auto leveling — no paper shim and screw fiddling for a first-time owner
• AI camera spots an empty plate or a detached print, records time-lapses, and streams over Wi-Fi
• 9H tempered glass over the LCD shields the panel from resin spills, a common source of costly repairs on rivals
• Mechanical sensor warns about low resin and leftover cured debris before a print starts

Cons

• No built-in air purifier — running it in a living room means adding a Mars Mate or venting the fumes yourself
• The tilting vat is more complex than a plain one: puncture the film and resin gets into the mechanism, and replacements cost more
• It is fussier about exposure and support tuning than a straight-lift machine — expect to recalibrate for each new resin
• Early prints are hard to pop off the plate until you get a feel for the scraper angle

It fits people printing tabletop miniatures, busts, jewellery masters and small functional parts who would rather not spend an evening calibrating. Experienced users get the speed; beginners get a gentle start, since the automatic setup and on-screen prompts head off most of the usual first-print mistakes.

Bottom line: a fast 9K printer with sensible automation at a fair price — detail and speed in exchange for a more delicate vat and no air filtration in the box.

Reviews

• Tom's Hardware — Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra Review: Gaming Miniatures Made Easy
• DIY Machines — Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra Resin 3D Printer Review
• Maker Hacks — Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra Review