There's a member of this forum who is an extremely talented American photographer who lives and works as a commercial photographer in Rome. Several years ago, in a personal message exchange, he suggested that I start using a levelling base instead of a tripod head. It was some of the best photography advice that I've ever received. I only use a tripod head now if I need the precision of a Manfrotto geared head.
That's for a standard carbon fibre or aluminium tripod. I like to use a Ries for 8x10 outdoors. I was a skeptic about wooden tripods until I had an opportunity to try out a friend's Reis J 100 with a J 250 double tilt head. I was an instant convert. It doesn't weigh that much more than my carbon fibre tripod, and it's rock solid and very well-balanced for outdoor carry. It's also a pleasure to use. That said, it is arguably overkill for 4x5.
For 4x5 and 6x7, I typically use a Gitzo Series 3 tripod and a Gitzo levelling base. Levelling the tripod from the legs is not rocket science. The levelling base gives me 15° for final levelling. In exchange, I get a more stable platform for the camera and I don't have to carry around, or bother with, a tripod head.
The photographer who gave me that advice hasn't posted here since 2015, but it appears from his simple, bare bones website that he had a show last year:
http://cbroadbent.it
Bookmarks