I did some testing myself and here's what happened.
Workflow:
* Original SVG downloaded from:
http://openclipart.org/detail/30301/tango-face-angel-by-warszawianka* Loaded into Inkscape and scaled up by 600% to approx. 236x270 pixels (original was tiny).
* Copy 1. Save as PDF: version 1.5, 144 res for raster, drawing area only, no other options selected.
* Copy 2. Save as EPS: PS level 3, 144 res for raster, drawing area only, no other options selected.
* Created Scribus document with imported SVG (message about unsupported features), EPS in image frame (fit image to frame), and PDF in image frame (also fit image to frame).
* Exported to PDF with PDF 1.5 compatibility. Results are in attached image_format_test.pdf
As you can see from the output:
* The SVG looks okay but the shadow effects aren't right, and there's a strange effect added to the halo that isn't apparent in the original.
* The EPS looks fine and the shadow looks right (but it doesn't seem quite as "refined" as the SVG version, to me at least).
* The PDF doesn't show the bottom shadow at all (while it does exist in the PDF that was exported from Inkscape) and it's also a bit "ragged/blocky" (to me anyway, look at the front of the halo).
(I also tried using the "embed PDF" feature but that doesn't look right at all. However that's an experimental feature so we can let it off. You takes your chances etc.)
So, some results from my admittedly non-exhaustive tests are:
* Importing SVGs gives great results but you can't trust what's been imported, meaning that you have to carefully check the PDF output to make sure nothing is missing/added (this could be a real pain if you're using lots of artwork).
* Using EPS looks fine (up to a point) but may not be right for "proper" printing depending on output resolution and the colour space issues mentioned in a previous post.
* Using PDF doesn't seem to give good results either with some bits missing and resolution issues.
I know I could probably get better results by endlessly fiddling with various options and stuff like that but I don't have the time to experiment with that sort of thing. I just want to pop the artwork in without worrying about it.
*** Important: I'd like to make the disclaimer here that I'm sure a lot of SVG files can be imported without any problem at all and a lot of people won't ever have issues. It's just that people need to know that what you import may not always be exactly what you get in your output. ***
I guess I'll be using a mix of EPS and SVG in the future until I hear otherwise. Trying to import the SVG first but if I get the "unsupported features" message I'll switch to EPS where necessary. It seems a fair compromise for my simple needs but may not be right for everyone.
If anyone has any suggestions or experiences I'd like to hear about them.