Which intermediate codec to use?

[gs684]

I'm new to modern editing. Trying to figure out which intermediate codecs are best to use and the pros/cons of each.
Everyone says to use ProRes, DNxHD/HR, or Cineform. I'm on Windows, so that takes ProRes out of the picture.
But is there any substantial difference between DNx and Cineform?

FYI: My current projects are currently SD in case that makes any difference.

[manono]

I always use lossless AVI, Lagarith, usually.

[Cornucopia]

Who is "everyone"?

I think most here (at least, longtimers) would agree that what is recommended for intermediate is either lossless (huffyuv, lagarith, ut, magic, etc) or virtually, visually lossless (dnxhd, cineform, prores, hqx, etc) and possibly even some lossy formats (mjpeg, dv family, avc-intra, etc), depending on your workflow needs - multiple variables here: size, quality, features, decode speed/efficiency, smart-render compatibility, architecture compatibility, legacy continuity/compatibility.

Between dnxhd and cineform, the main differences are bitrate options (tiered vs continuously adjustable), artifact types (IIRC, dnxhd is dct based, while cineform is wavelet based), architecture/fileformat compatibility, and features (e.g. if you needed stereo3d support, cineform can have full support). Also if your editor is designed for one of those, it is a natural thing to go with its complement. You can get roughly equivalent quality from either one.

Scott