Quote Originally Posted by landstrykere View Post
I read in some of the many discussions here or elsewhere that it was a studio camera in Japan. Yet it looks very sturdy and ideal for carrying...
I've bought a Rittreck View that had Dymo tape with "STUDIO 2" written on it. I've also read that they were favoured by commercial street portrait photographers around tourist spots in Japan.

Note that there is a bewildering variety of backs available for them. Avoid the old wood half-plate backs. Most come with a rotating 4x5 back. The 5x7 back is lighter than the 4x5 back and more expensive than a camera itself, but it changes the camera from a "big and heavy 4x5" to a "light and compact 5x7". I also have the whole plate back and half a dozen of the matching Rittreck whole plate film holders. The format is a nice size, and a shame more film isn't available. From all reports the 8x10 back is limited in use.

The half-plate Toyo is tempting but it's based on the Speed Graphic so movements etc are limited. Its half-plate film back isn't standard (most half-plate holders have the same external dimension as 5x7, these are smaller) and half-plate film is not readily available anyway, and if it was it would be a pain to develop because no developing tanks fit that size. Note that if the camera used 5x7-sized holders it would be a really cheap 5x7 camera: a back was made but it's rare.