The second set of cameras are the Field cameras, these can either be made of wood or metal. They are generally light and fold into a very convenient package that's far easier to carry. They still need to be focussed through the ground glass screen and so still need to be used on a tripod. Because they have fixed bellows you will need a recessed lens board to use 90mm lenses with sufficient movements which can be fiddly but ultimately workable. Movements are limited compared to a monorail but generally are more than sufficient for field work.
The third set of cameras are the press cameras. These are light and generally designed to be used without movement, but do have the unique advantage of a separate rangefinder focussing system and so can be used hand held with the film loaded. An offshoot of this design is the Technical camera which is like a press camera in that it has a rangefinder focussing system but also offers a fair range of movements and folds into a nice neat and cartable, (though slightly heavier than a Wista/Toyo), package.
A few corrections are needed here:
I don't know of any modern (1970's onwards) 5x4 field camera that needs recessed lens boards for a 90mm lens, I dont't need a recessed board with my 65mm and 75mm Super Angulons on my Wista. Most field cameras have a good range of movements and have Double Extension bellows - that's typically 300mm/12" - twice the standard 150mm/6" standard FL lens.
Metal bodied Technical cameras go back to the better AVUS style German 9x12 cameras most of which offered no more than rise and fall, and sometimes a little front shift. However a few top end cameras offered better movements rotating backs and interchangable lens boards, a good example is the Universal Silar sold by Porst and Meyer and manufactured by Perka Präzisions-Camerawerk between 1922 and the companies closure in 1930. So here's an early technical camera offering triple-extension bellows, rotating back, drop bed, and front rise, shift and tilt Another example is the ICA (later Zeiss) Juwell.
Linhof took over production after Perka closed and the Silar evolved into the Linhof standard and then the Technika. Post WWII brought International standards to plate and film holder dimensions and the Linhof Technika III was a 9x12/5x4 camera with an International back.
Technical cameras like the post WWII Technika III and later models, and the MPP Micro Technical cameras, offer a good range of movements, and are more robust than wooden field cameras, designed for tripod or hand held use, and often fitted with a range-finder. They have triple extension bellows allowing easier use of longer focal length lenses and close up work, but they tend to be heavier than a wooden field camera.
Metal bodied 5x4 field cameras started with the Rittreck View in 1965 which was a 7x5 with a 5x4 reducing back, although Kodak made a metal bodied 10x8 field camera a little earlier. Rittreck ceased trading in 1972 but production started again as Wista.
Press cameras like the Speed Graphics were derived from the earlier British and American wooden bodied Hand/Stand cameras which offered few movements. so unrelated to the German derived Technical cameras. After WWII Graflex added limited movements to the Speed and Crown Graphics but they couldn't compete with Linhof and later MPP outside the US. The Super Graphic with more movement and a revolving back was their answer. When Graflex ceased trading the tooling and rights were bought by Toyo who continued to produce the Super Graphic in Japan.
That's where we come full circle and the Super Graphics are close to becoming a metal bodied field camera. I was looking for a Toyo 45A to replace my Wista 45DX when I came across my Super Graphic at a bargain price. At the time there were Toyo 45A cameras around at low prices now demand has driven prices up.
Ian
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