Adam
I too am going to chime in on this, having torn apart both DNX and ProRes.
"I was told by the Nitris editor that they would have preferred that I worked in an uncompressed codec."
This one is actually simple, the uncompressed QT codecs import faster (by +4X) into the avid.
"high end Panasonic (full size) Camera. Apparently the video information from this camera has a wider color and luminance spectrum (higher then 100 Units of white) and when using a compressed format like the ProRes (HQ) codec,"
That "quality" would depend on a number of things from the basics like recording codec (AVC @ 10bit or DVCProHD @ 8bit) to advanced camera settings or externally recording to higher quality ( DPX or SR).
ProRes does support Superwhite (up to 115 IRE) but that does not translate to a higher luminance range.
I tend to agree with the others about arguments like this being one editors insecurity with his place in the food chain with the changing state of post technology.
Ask him what he means about lesser quality when most of the DNXHD codecs are only 8bit when all of the ProRes versions are 10bit or greater.
You might want to tell him that your 10bit ProRes HQ codec at 220mbps is every bit the equal to the 220x 10bit version of DNXHD. While the X version of the DNXHD codec matches Panasonic's D5 Mastering quality. ProRes is a newer iteration of compression that more closely matches the PNSR (peak signal to noise) ratio of the HDCamSR, considered by the industry as THE Master Tape format for highest quality recordings.
gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/adcock_gary/AJAIOHD.php
