I have been using a pentax 6x7 with a 75mm shift lens with a tripod for a number of years. I now want to move into large format photography.

Since I live in New York City and do not have a car, I generally bike around the city with my equipment (tripod strapped to my bike rack and camera in my back pack), lock the bike up when I get to my location, take out my camera and tripod and explore.

Since I'm shooting in a built-up area, the shift lens has been perfect for my needs as I can correct converging lines. A lot of my work is shot at night.

The Speed Graphic appeals to me due to its portability and its ease of set up. Also as I'm shooting a lot at night, I like that the Speed Graphic does not require a dark cloth. But my question is: Does the Speed Graphic have an equivalent rise to the pentax shift lens that I have been using. I have read that is has limited rise, but what is limited?

Or is there another 4x5 camera that is portable and would be easily closed and opened up with a good rise on the front? If I had a car I would probably buy a regular field camera, but I don't, I don't want to loose the mobility of my bike.