I can not personally verify the quality of traditional "for minis" paints.
My wife is a trained artist. She worked at an art supply store and got to try a lot of "professional" grade paint (as in probably better than anything else. also pricier). So her opinion is educated.
Casually speaking, her Apple Barrel minis looked better than the stuff the war-gamers were doing with the "for minis" paint. She painted inividual figs, usually Reaper or Dark Heaven sculpts.
Apple Barrel(AB) does the job well. It is thinner than most pro-paint, so it takes more coats to get an even coloring in some situations. The mini's I painted with it turned out good (with coaching by her) and I did not find it hard to work with.
AB comes in a zillion colors. It is way more economical to buy all the bottles you need of that stuff than any of the "for minis" paint. And it works just as well. It lasts a long time (probably because it is thinner).
As an acrylic paint, it is very easy to work with. The only people who hate acrylic are Oil Painters. That stuff is toxic and takes months to dry.
As to what to use for primer? we've used brush on primer, and spray paint. Both work well. Another thing not to over spend on.
When finished, we spray our minis with a gloss or matte finishing spray, depending on taste. The point isn't to make them super shiny (don't ever overspray when using sprays or air brushes). It gives them a protective finish, and makes them look finished.
