Exactly one year ago I bought my first anamorphic lens, and in this video I’m basically doing a full recap of what I’ve learned after shooting anamorphic on personal projects, YouTube videos, and even a low-budget feature film. The lens that got me into it is the Blazar Remus 35mm T1.6 1.5x, and it’s still the only anamorphic lens I’ve used this whole year. I talk about what I actually like about it (especially the barrel distortion), what’s not great (close focus), and why I genuinely think it might be the best budget anamorphic option considering it’s under $1,000. I also go through the camera setups I’ve been using: I started on the URSA Mini Pro 12K, which looks great and feels sturdy handheld, but the 17:9 sensor means you end up cropping a lot for a 2.39:1 delivery—and it’s not exactly run-and-gun friendly. That’s why I moved to the Lumix S5 as my main anamorphic setup: internal 1.5x desqueeze, surprisingly good anamorphic IBIS, and a really solid APS-C mode that still gives you 4K and cuts the rolling shutter down to around 10ms. Finally, I break down real-world use cases: shooting a 14-day feature in the woods with a tiny crew, using anamorphic for talking heads (even full frame with a crop to remove vignetting), experimenting with vertical anamorphic by rotating the lens, and pushing the look even further on the Lumix S1 in open gate for a crazier, more vintage vibe.