•B/W processing is highly subjective to time & temperature.
•C-41(color negative) is "standardized", so all films have the same "normal" developing time.
•Manufacturer's recommended times are just that: "Recommended". Many film shooters(including myself) deviated from these "normal" times somewhat, as our own tastes might dictate more/less development based on our needs/requirements, or what we see. Some do imperical testing where data charts are plotted. I just use my eyes based on what I can get out of the film from a drum scan, or a wet print(this is my typical test, because I know that if I can get a good optical print, I can certainly match that with an equal, or better quality scan).
Personally, I'm partial to Kodak b/w and color products. Kodak Portra (160 and 400) are marvelous film emulsions, and I use them interchangeably, along with other films, in my photography, based on my needs. I've never blown highlights that I couldn't recover(albeit with a bit of work in post, or in the setup of a drum scan). I like Tmax 400, as it has very fine grain structure with most developers, but if you WANT more grain, then altering your development cycle with more agitation, higher developer temperature, or both simultaneously, can give you pretty nice results 'all round.
Fujifilm ACROS 100 (b/w film) is extremely fine-grained as well, and provides great negatives to print, or scan from.
Doing your own testing, to get your own parameters set up for your needs and purposes, is critical to getting the most out of your materials. It doesn't take a rocket scientist or a brain-trust of engineers to get great results quickly, and more importantly, REPEATEDLY. I'm not a "brain" so to speak, but I base my choice of materials based on what I see, not just what the data tells me.
Lots of great materials out there man, and everyone's opinion can(or will) differ from another's. While one person might be really fond of Ilford b/w film, someone else might think that Kodak is the best. You'll need to find that out for yourself.
Dynamic range isn't everything, but I've found that carefully exposing ANY film as if it were slide film helps a lot. Getting the film right in-camera really helps down the line in post.
-Dan
