color neg is better for convenience and standard print. chrome is better if your results are destined exclusively for scanning/digital enlargement and large format print.
here's what I use from the slow to high speed, in all formats:
b/w
slow: Efke 25, Efke 50, Ilford Pan F+ (50) - Efke 25 is beautiful, but not for everyone, can be a finicky film due to its lessened red sensitivity (it is panchromatic, just has less in the reds than the rest of the spectrum), Pan F+ 50 is the most versatile overall in my opinion, but it is pretty contrasty so you have to watch the highlights.
mid: Ilford Delta 100, Ilford FP4+, Plus-X, Fuji Neopan Acros, Fuji Neopan SS - I've floated between all of these for the past year and a half, I like Delta a lot, and Acros too, but I like FP4+ and Plus-X the most. Neopan SS is good too, but I prefer FP4+ and PX over it.
mid-fast: Tri-X, Delta 400, Neopan 400 - any of these are fantastic, but I've shot Tri-X the most of the 3, since it can be pushed the hardest, and thus functions as both my mid-fast and fast film. Neopan 400 is my preferred straight 400, and I like Delta in the summer, since I feel like Neopan is a colder film in terms of its tonality.
fast: Delta 3200 - I usually just push Tri-X to 1600 or 3200, and develop in D76 stock, or Acufine, but Delta 3200 is a great, unique film.
color:
slow: Kodachrome 64, Fujichrome Velvia - Kodachrome is dying, don't get invested in it, Velvia is super harsh in the color dept, but a lot of digital shooters seem to like that.
mid: Portra 160NC/VC, Fujichrome Astia, Velvia 100F - Portra is hard to go wrong with, I really like Velvia 100F, and prefer it over Velvia 100 due to its less harsh color palette. Astia is amazing for less intense color.
mid-fast: Portra 400NC/VC, Fujichrome Provia 400X - again, portra is probably the best color neg in this area. Provia 400 is really flexible, gives really great neutral rendition.
fast: Kodak Portra 800. - great character, I really love the 800 speed variant of portra, it's grainy, but in a pleasing way.
if I was just starting to use film, I would use the following:
b/w: FP4+ and Tri-X, both of these have large latitude, which means a bigger margin of error, and very nice grain structures. You can shoot Tri-X at any speed from 200 to 3200, and still get great negatives. FP4+ can go from 64 to 250 no problem, so you're covered by those two films for pretty much any given situation.
color: chromes; Astia 100F, Provia 400X. negs; Portra 160NC, 400NC, 800. Color is really up to your taste in images, but these are what I like. I've never shot Fuji color neg, so I can't offer my opinion on that. I've not tried any of Kodak's Ektachrome emulsions either, so someone else will have to cover those.
