Best codec to use for Motion 4?

Question

I have a prosumer-level AVCHD camcorder (Panasonic HDC-TM700) and am working with Final Cut Studio. After doing a great deal of research it appears that there is NO real benefit to using any codec other than ProRes 422 for straight editing (a camera at this price point doesn't shoot images of a high enough quality to warrant using 422 HQ, which also requires more processor power, and not only does 4444 require rendering it also takes up a ton of space). However, I have read (many times) that there may be some benefit to using 422 HQ if I am doing motion graphics work (ala Motion 4). Can anyone verify this? Would it make any discernible difference when shooting with a camera like this? Even though it is a prosumer camcorder I am trying to squeeze as much value as I can out of the entire production.
Any input or advice?
Thanks!

Answer 1

I recently started a thread with a similar concern but I was comparing 422 to 422LT.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2750971&start=0&tstart=0
My cameras are in the same category as yours - After using regular 422 with great results I'm presently working on my first project using 422LT. The seduction of using 30% less disc space was too difficult to resist.
If I see something that catches my eye I may go back and do more focused comparison tests.
I never do motion graphics etc. so I've never felt the need to explore HQ.
While there is clearly a difference in the various Prores versions which is evident by their respective file size and there is no discernible difference in quality when comparing the first generation transfers as StudioX has pointed out, I think it's fair for editors to be curious about what parameters actually quantify the difference between these codecs.
There doesn't seem to be any concrete information offered by Apple other than the vague scenarios described in the ProRes White Paper.
My guess is that the heavier versions probably hold up better under significant processing.
For example if you're doing ENG type work and you just need to shoot and cut then 422LT is obviously the choice for you. But if you do any sort of creative manipulation to your footage the jury is still out - at least for me.
Another scenario that's worth exploring is capturing your AVCHD footage as LT and then rendering and exporting as 422 or HQ. That way your saving tons of disc space on your initial transfer and backing up will be more manageable since you don't need to back up the larger render files.
As far as camera classification is concerned I think we're headed into a completely new paradigm. While my camera has a very small CMOS chip and limited manual control it does have an astonishing microprocessor and the combo optical / digital image stabilization is nothing short of amazing.
If you combine the current level of on-board processing power with a large modern sensor (I hope they work out rolling shutter and other CMOS anomalies) you'll have a camera that rivals even the best cameras of previous generations and will change the way people think about shooting as much as APPLE changed the way people think about editing video.
Please report back anything that you learn about the prores versions. I'd be curious to learn more about the info you read RE proresHQ.
Best,
g