It´s okay. There really is not much choice left now. Astia was my favorite but I liked 400X as well. Maybe you can still find some? If not, Provia 100F will do fine. I found Astia to be on the warmer side and Provia 100F on the cooler side with 400X somewhere in between. What I liked very much with 400X was that it was rather neutral in color temperature but the colors were a tad more punchy and not as muted as with Astia plus it was 400 ISO (and easily pushed to 800 ISO). Made it ideal for my (amateurish ;-) ) fashion shoots.
It may also be worth trying Agfa CR200 as well. It's got a warmer tone than the Fujifilms (though a little on the golden side) but it is grainy in 35mm. It does render a pretty nostalgic look that might be good for portraiture depending on your subjects.
Scotch Chome (which is what Ferrania is supposed to be replicating) was a little dated even when it was discontinued
My Provia 400X stash is delegated to portrait duty, but I'm already looking for an alternative
I've been happy with people shots on Provia 100F, and I typically use a Tiffen 812 filter, which is specifically to help out skin tones. A few candids I did while I was out with a friend taking photos of monsoon storms and flash flooding ended up being too cool, and made my-fair skinned friend look a bit like a zombie, but it was overcast that day and I did not have my 812 with me. Easy enough to correct after scanning, though.
Back in the 90s, most of the studio photographers I assisted used Provia and I was always blown away by the color and clarity when the sheets came back from the lab. Film technology was really at it's peak, and then...
Thanks- I need to pick up a 812/81B/KR 1.5 or something
I had some people in shots of a roll of Provia 100F I shot a while back and the blue cast was a little too much in the midday