I’ve been using the Lumix S1 for a couple of days, and honestly, with 6K Open Gate, amazing IBIS, and really solid build quality, I think it might be the best value full frame camera you can get in 2025—especially if you find it used under $1000. I’ve been on the Lumix S5 for about a year (YouTube, personal projects, even a feature), and I’ve always been curious about the S1 because of Open Gate. I ended up finding one used with the upgrades (V-Log + Open Gate) and negotiated it down to $900, which I’m very happy about. In this video I go through what matters for actual low-budget filmmaking: how the camera feels in the hand (it’s big, sturdy, and a bit heavy), what I like and don’t like about the screen, and why the image quality is the main reason I’m impressed. Open Gate is genuinely useful for framing faces, cropping to different aspect ratios, and especially for anamorphic. I also talk rolling shutter/readout speed and how you can “fix” it by switching to APS-C modes. And of course: IBIS (including anamorphic IBIS), internal desqueeze options, the reality of Lumix autofocus (bad, but that’s good for used prices), and my workflow thoughts on 6K 10-bit H.265—small files, heavier to edit, but manageable with proxies.