MicaSense is bringing the RedEdge-MX back into production with an updated design, modern interfaces, and manufacturing in Texas. The camera has been used for years in agricultural mapping, environmental research, and other applications where calibrated multispectral data is essential.
The RedEdge-MX is a compact five-band multispectral camera designed for UAV-based imaging. It captures five narrow spectral bands across the visible, red-edge, and near-infrared portions of the spectrum, making it suitable for vegetation analysis, precision agriculture, ecological research, and environmental monitoring.
Band | Center wavelength | Bandwidth |
Blue | 475 nm | 32 nm |
Green | 560 nm | 27 nm |
Red | 668 nm | 16 nm |
Red Edge | 717 nm | 12 nm |
Near Infrared | 842 nm | 57 nm |
Each band uses a 1280 × 960 pixel imager, providing 1.2 MP resolution per band. The sensor produces 12-bit imagery and uses global shutters across all five imagers.
At 120 m above ground level, the RedEdge-MX provides approximately 8 cm/pixel GSD per band. At 60 m, this drops to approximately 4 cm/pixel.
The camera measures 83 × 59 × 45.4 mm and weighs 231.9 g together with the DLS 2 light sensor. Average power consumption is around 3.5 W, with an 8 W peak when the camera is not powering an external GPS module.
Over the years, the RedEdge-MX has become one of the most widely adopted multispectral UAV sensors. In 2021, EagleNXT described it as being integrated with more than 150 different drone platforms and referenced in more than 100 research publications worldwide.
A camera upgrade is straightforward when a user is starting a new project. It is much more complicated when a research team has already spent years collecting data.
Consider a university monitoring the same experimental fields every season. The project may have:
Moving to another camera can be perfectly reasonable, but it introduces another variable into the dataset.
Even when two sensors capture similar spectral regions, their optical characteristics, spectral response, resolution, and calibration behavior can differ.
A 2026 study published in Precision Agriculture examined cross-calibration between UAV multispectral sensors using a multi-year, multi-crop dataset collected with the MicaSense RedEdge-MX. The authors also highlighted the challenge of sensor-specific calibration in a UAV sensor market characterized by rapidly advancing technology and short product lifecycles
According to EagleNXT, the decision came directly from its users.
The company says the updated RedEdge-MX is being brought back in response to growing demand and feedback from its global user base.
“We have always prioritized listening to the voice of the customer. The return of the RedEdge-MX is a direct response to that feedback and the growing demand we have seen for this trusted sensor”
In practical terms, EagleNXT says the new version combines the established RedEdge-MX platform with updated technology.
As de Badts put it, the sensor has been “updated for today’s technology” while maintaining the reliability and data quality that made the original popular.
EagleNXT is not presenting the new RedEdge-MX as a replacement for the RedEdge-P. The company is bringing back a platform that still makes sense for a different group of users.
Although the updated RedEdge-MX retains the same multispectral imaging concept, EagleNXT has modernized the platform to better fit current UAV workflows.
EagleNXT describes the sensor as being built for scientific research and real-world field conditions, with an emphasis on repeatable, calibrated data.
Rather than a completely new generation, the updated RedEdge-MX is essentially a modernized version of an established platform.
For users with existing RedEdge-MX workflows and datasets, that may be exactly the point.
The return of the RedEdge-MX does not replace the RedEdge-P in the MicaSense lineup. The two cameras now serve different groups of users and address different project requirements.
The RedEdge-P was introduced as a more capable successor to the RedEdge-MX, with higher resolution, faster capture, and an additional panchromatic camera.
The multispectral imagers have a resolution of 1456 × 1088 pixels, while the panchromatic imager provides 5.1 MP. The system can capture up to three images per second, compared with approximately one capture per second for the RedEdge-MX. It also combines the panchromatic and multispectral data to produce higher-resolution imagery.
For projects that prioritize spatial detail, faster data collection, and pan-sharpened imagery, the RedEdge-P is the more capable option.
The RedEdge-MX, however, remains attractive for organizations where consistency with existing datasets, established processing workflows, and long-term monitoring are more important than maximum spatial resolution.
Feature | ||
Multispectral bands | 5 | 5 |
Panchromatic camera | No | Yes |
Multispectral resolution | 1280 × 960 | 1456 × 1088 |
Panchromatic resolution | — | 2464 × 2056, 5.1 MP |
GSD at 120 m | ~8 cm/pixel | ~7.7 cm/pixel MS; ~3.98 cm/pixel PAN |
Capture rate | ~1 capture/s with standard SD configuration | Up to 3 captures/s |
Global shutter | Yes | Yes |
DLS 2 | Yes | Yes |
Main advantage | Established workflow and data continuity | Higher-resolution output and faster acquisition |
The choice therefore depends less on which camera is “better” and more on what the project requires.
RedEdge-P makes more sense when higher spatial resolution, faster acquisition, and pan-sharpened imagery are priorities.
RedEdge-MX makes a strong case when data continuity, established workflows, field integration, and long-term monitoring matter more.
The return of the RedEdge-MX gives users another option in the MicaSense lineup rather than replacing the RedEdge-P.
The updated camera keeps the five-band multispectral configuration, DLS 2 support, global-shutter imaging, and integration approach that made the original RedEdge-MX widely used. At the same time, EagleNXT has updated its interfaces, moved production to its Allen, Texas facility, and brought the sensor back in response to continued demand from its user base.
For new projects that require higher spatial resolution and faster data collection, the RedEdge-P remains the more advanced choice. For research, agriculture, and environmental monitoring programs built around RedEdge-MX data, however, the return of the platform offers a way to continue using a familiar sensor without changing the entire workflow.
Product relaunches usually focus on introducing something newer and more powerful. The return of the RedEdge-MX reflects a different priority: maintaining continuity for users whose work depends on consistent multispectral data collected over years.
The RedEdge-MX captures five narrow spectral bands: Blue at 475 nm, Green at 560 nm, Red at 668 nm, Red Edge at 717 nm, and Near Infrared at 842 nm on RX02 and later units.
These bands allow the camera to capture information beyond standard RGB imagery and support vegetation analysis using indices such as NDVI, NDRE, and GNDVI.
Yes. The RedEdge-MX supports the DLS 2 Downwelling Light Sensor for measuring changing light conditions during flight and improving radiometric consistency during processing.
A calibrated reflectance panel is also included in the standard standalone RedEdge-MX package and is used as part of the calibration workflow.
According to EagleNXT, the return of the RedEdge-MX was driven by demand and feedback from its global user base.
The updated model is intended for users who rely on existing RedEdge-MX workflows, historical datasets, and long-term monitoring projects while adding modern interfaces and updated manufacturing.
Neither camera is universally better. The choice depends on the project requirements.
RedEdge-P offers higher multispectral resolution, a 5.1 MP panchromatic camera, and faster capture rates, making it suitable for projects where spatial detail and acquisition speed are priorities.
RedEdge-MX remains a strong option for organizations that need compatibility with existing datasets, established workflows, and long-term vegetation monitoring programs.
The updated RedEdge-MX features modern interfacing, a metallic enclosure designed for field durability, optional DLS 2 support, compatibility with a wide range of UAV platforms, and production at EagleNXT’s facility in Allen, Texas.
The core five-band multispectral configuration and workflow approach remain unchanged.
EagleNXT says the updated RedEdge-MX is produced and assembled at its facility in Allen, Texas.
The RedEdge-MX is used in precision agriculture, crop health monitoring, plant phenotyping, forestry, ecological research, environmental monitoring, and vegetation mapping.
Its main advantage is the ability to collect consistent multispectral data that can be compared across flights, seasons, and long-term research projects.
