Keeping video proportions during still image export/import

What I'm doing is exporting a still image to the Mac desktop, then dropping it into Photo-to-Movie where I create pans and zooms on it, then exporting the pan/zoom sequence as a Quicktime movie that I drop back into FCE and splice into the Timeline.
Trouble is, the image in the pan/zoom sequence always comes back into FCE distorted (elongated), I guess because the exported still image that it was made from reverts to the square pixels during the export process from FCE.
So, my question is, in what form should I export the still image from FCE so that it retains the proportions it has in the video, so that when I operate on it in Photo-to-Movie and then bring it back into FCE, it still has the proportions of a video (NTSC) image?
In other words, I need to retain the video (NTSC) image's proportions throughout the process of export, then creating pan/zooms on it in Photo-to-Movie, and then reimporting it into FCE.
To accomplish this, I presume I have to either export it from FCE in some special NTSC-video-compatible form, or else convert it in Photoshop to an NTSC-compatible image before I drop it into PTM, create the pan/zoom sequence, and then bring that sequence back into FCE.
I'd be grateful if anyone could suggest a solution to this problem.
Tom

Hello Tom Baker 1
My friend let me tell you something - I TOTALLY share your frustrations, and disgust with the poor results of Keyframe (within FCE).
I am not a software engineer, but my perseverance to try and try again, is far above average.
At the risk of getting on a soapbox, (and I can attest to my excellent equipment capability), please believe me, (like yourself), I've paid my dues trying to get Keyframing to work suitably with stills in FCE.
I think I can safely say, beyond all doubt, if you want to get satisfactory results in regard to pans and zooms, (without being a math major), some options for reliability and smoothness are: 'Photo to Movie' (just as you're doing), Fotomagico, http://boinx.com/fotomagico/overview/, (although I've only heard it's pretty good) - haven't tried it yet.
OR
A recent discovery of mine: Lyric Media Pan and Zoom http://www.lyric.com/fcp-plugins/panzoompro/pzp.htm - The really nice thing about this is that it's a FC, or FCE Plug In, and utilizes FC's keyframe software engine. Why is it different than Keyframe by itself in FCE? Because (so far), what I can see is that it sort of fixes the mickey-mousery, herky-jerky nightmare of Keyframe within FCE. To me it sure looks like it can take whatever pixel size you throw at it, (and without being a math major having to apply cautionary resizing to every darn still), it just does the job. Yes it seems to do the re-sizing for you, and consequently produces smooth, reliable motion to stills.
Of course the advantage to this is that you're finally using an application (within FCE), to create your pans and stills right there. No exporting/importing of QT files as with Photo to Movie, or iMovie. And the parameters of control are more sophicated than Photo to Movie.
Again, I'm still working with it, and I still need to master it, but it sure beats keyframe.
One side note:
I really love the crispness of an iMovie pan or zoom, but we all know by now that it's downfall are the dreaded 'JAGGIES'. As confirmed here on the forum, what seems to make Photo to Movie work so well, is the fact that by it's very nature of design, it automatically smoothes out, and probably reduces or resizes images so that they will NOT produce unwanted glistening (aliasing). And as once said here, your eye will accept this softening of an image, far better than the Jaggies, or the herky jerky.
With all that said, I hope I didn't rant on too much - as I mentioned, there's nothing like 'experience'.
Peace
Mike
(it would be nice to see someone comment on Lyric Media Pan Zoom Pro)
PS- an excerpt from the documentary I'm working on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmB0_qiONQs

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