Elegoo Mars 5 Ultra

Ninety dollars over the Mars 5 buys a genuinely different machine rather than a trim level: the pixel pitch halves from 35 µm to 18 µm, the release film changes from FEP to ACF, and a camera appears. The pitch is the one that changes what comes off the plate — 18 µm is the point at which printed faces and fabric folds stop looking approximated at miniature scale. ACF film matters almost as much for a different reason: it releases with far less peel force, so the print is less likely to tear off its supports and the film itself lasts longer. A 153 × 78 mm plate is narrow but tall enough for most figures. If resin is the reason you are shopping at all, this is where the range starts being worth it.

Approx. price: ~$269
Build volume: 2.0 L
Per litre: $137
XY pixel: 18 µm

LAN-only modeproprietary firmware

Best forMiniatures and figures where surface detail is the entire point of choosing resin.

Specifications

Build volume: 153.36 × 77.76 × 165 mm
Volume: 2.0 L
Motion: gantry

Optics and handling

LCD resolution: 8520 × 4320 px
LCD size: 7 in
XY resolution: 18 µm
Layer height: from 10 µm
Release film: ACF
Vat capacity: 400 ml
Multi-material: None offered
Firmware: proprietary
LAN-only mode: Yes
Cloud: Optional
Camera: Yes
Assembly: Pre-assembled
Weight: 6.5 kg
Footprint: 227 × 227 × 401 mm

Features

7-inch 9K mono LCD, 8520 × 4320 pixels — an 18 µm pixel
ACF release film with much lower peel force than FEP
Built-in camera for remote monitoring and time-lapse
Intelligent automatic levelling and residue detection
400 ml vat
Dual-sided laser-engraved build plate for adhesion

What it does well

18 µm pixel pitch is the practical threshold where miniature faces stop looking approximated
ACF film releases far more gently than FEP, so fewer prints tear off their supports
Camera included at $269, which even some $500 resin machines omit
Only $90 over the Mars 5 for a meaningfully better machine
Taller 165 mm Z than the base model

Where it gives ground

153 × 78 mm plate is narrow — batch printing means stacking, not spreading out
Still needs the full resin workflow: ventilation, gloves, wash and cure
No heated vat, so cold rooms noticeably slow it down
Proprietary firmware with no local-control alternative

The points above are read off published specifications, not from owner reports.

What owners report

Drawn from owner discussions in 3D-printing communities, not from our own testing — this site has no test lab.

What owners like

It is the machine most often recommended to people starting resin printing specifically for wargaming miniatures, and owners report excellent figures from it when working
Easy to get going — owners describe good results from the first bottle of resin with little fuss
Small enough to fit in a spare room, which matters because resin needs somewhere ventilated that is not your main living space
The 18 µm pixel is fine enough that owners printing 28 mm-scale figures are not asking for more detail

Common complaints

UV light panel failures appear in owner reports, including one detailed account of the machine dying at three weeks with the official replacement procedure failing to fix it
Support response on those failures is described as slow and generic, leaving owners with an expensive non-working printer for weeks
Prints stopping sticking to the build plate after several months of good service is a specific recurring failure rather than a beginner error
The small plate limits batch printing, which owners notice quickly once they start painting armies
As with any resin printer, placement is constrained by ventilation — owners describe household negotiations about where it can live

The Mars 5 Ultra is the default recommendation for someone who wants to print wargaming miniatures and has not done resin before, and for many owners it delivers exactly that: good figures, straightforward setup, fine enough detail at 18 µm that nobody printing at 28 mm scale is asking for more.

The reliability reports are less comfortable and worth reading before buying. UV light panel failures appear in owner accounts, including a detailed one where the printer stopped working at three weeks and the manufacturer's own replacement guide did not restore it. Support in that account was slow and generic, leaving an expensive machine unusable for over a month. Separately, prints ceasing to adhere to the build plate after several months of working fine comes up as a distinct failure mode rather than a novice mistake.

The other thing owners raise is not about the printer at all: where to put it. Resin needs ventilation and a space that is not shared living area, and owner posts about negotiating a spare bedroom for it are common enough to be worth planning for before ordering.

Questions owners ask

+Is it good for Warhammer-scale miniatures?

Yes — it is one of the most commonly recommended starting points for exactly that, and owners printing 28 mm-scale figures report the 18 µm pixel being sufficient. Owners do suggest researching supports and exposure settings for miniatures specifically rather than relying on defaults.

+What goes wrong with the Mars 5 Ultra?

Two failures recur in owner reports: the UV light panel failing, in at least one detailed case within weeks and not resolved by the official replacement procedure; and prints ceasing to stick to the build plate after months of working correctly. Neither is universal, but both are worth knowing and worth buying from somewhere with a real return process.

+Where should I put a resin printer?

Somewhere ventilated that is not a main living space — owners commonly describe a spare room, a garage or a workshop. Uncured resin off-gasses while the vat is open and is a skin sensitiser, so ventilation, gloves and eye protection are baseline rather than optional, and the wash-and-cure workflow needs a surface you do not mind contaminating.

+Mars 5 Ultra or Saturn 4 Ultra?

About $100 separates them and the detail is effectively equivalent — 18 µm against 19 µm. The Saturn's plate is roughly three times larger. Owners who print single figures are happy with the Mars; owners who print batches consistently wish they had bought the Saturn.