Not new to UAV or quads.......My line of work has had me involved with aerial topography for many years. Now, semi-retired and tired of playing with toys, I purchased out of my own pocket, a real starter to get "back in the saddle" with........So, I do have a question or two that I haven't found a direct answer to.......Hope some one will chime in and hold my hand a just a little......lol
I just purchased a new Mini 2 SE......should be in my hands Tuesday. I've downloaded and printed a hard copy of the user manaul and have loaded the Fly app to my Samsung. Read it and watched a few DJI help vids.......but still have not found an answer to this question......:

1)  Since the Mini 2 SE can be flown, with limitations, without the phone and app engared........does it still have the ability to take stills and video record without the phone being used....since everything you shoot to begin with is stored on the quads SD card, I assumed it would function like the old days (notice my avatar) camera recording and storing on-board the craft.....I'm planning on flying her for awhile, without phone/app, just to get the feel of this new technology........I possess decent, but old school pilot skills.....lol
It's not a big issue, since the app aspect is fantastic.....but I'll suffer from aging eyes and limited learning curve memory tools.....lol

2)  Since this quad has many "bells and whistles" I noticed after reading through everything a few times, no mention of a "headless hold" application. Maybe DJI calls it something else.........or maybe it won't be needed. Everything I've flown in the past, the last few years, has had it, and it really has helped me with the photography aspects in windy conditions or when I've gotten my self in a jam.
Again, not a big issue if this quad's orientation tools solve that issue.......which I'm looking forward to.....!

Anyway, that's it for now...........Hope someone chimes in.....and thanks in advance for any assistance provided.

Thanks for all the input folks........lol
Few and far between help videos that directly answered my 2 questions...........But, I have my answers, siince I have the Mini 2 SE in my hands now....Tom Leeman's and Drone Valley videos helped ME the most, so I got a little jump on the applications before my quad arrived.


So, the Mini 2 SE will record stills onto the internal SD card when not paired with the App....so far only stills. However, I did my initial pairing with the App and phone method....I still don't know if it would have been possible without the app installed.

The Mini 2 SE (for that matter, all DJI Mini series) do not reference a term "headless hold" due to the fact it's telemetry software/tools are so much more sophisticated than the "toy" models that provide such.......Once I flew this quad, it became crystal clear just how "dumbed down" (that's a good thing) the flying aspects of their quads have become.....compared to the "old school" pilot skills that were required when I first learned this stuff.....Like flying the old Blade quads......lol

So far, I've spent quite a bit of time flying the quad without using the App......she does have range limitations, but just fine for my "get acquainted" period. I'll be diving into the App and smartphone applications today..........From what I've learned watching the videos, the smart thing to do is spend time familiarizing myself with the App settings and functions PRIOR to flying it connected.....set all of your personal photoing and telemetry control aspects FIRST, then refine them once you've got a little confindence in yourself and the quad.

Like I mentioned previously, it's been years since I've taken this "hobby" seriously..........Moderen technology has come so far.......just amazing.......providing a level of comfort with the transferable skills and knowledge .......now, to learn this App stuff........lol

Not to forget to mention.......the "investment" I made in this UAV was a long time in comming.......DJI has been on my bucket list forever.......I'll most likely take this Mini 2 SE to my grave, I'm 70yrs old (in very good health) and it's built far better than I am now........and I've discovered that you can teach "an old dog new tricks"....this little quad is proving it every time I fly it.....!