Outdoors: Super XX, 1/50 of a second, f22, 15 feet (7ft to infinity), No. 5 flashbulb if it is in the shade or heavily overcast. Indoors: SuperXX, 1/25 of a second, f22, 6 feet (3 to 10ft), No. 5 flashbulb. That was all you had to know. What is it that makes that seem complicated today. Millions of photographers managed to get good photos with those settings for many, many years.
If I told you I had a camera that had a 35-135 zoom, ASA 50-400 speed sensitivity, could take one shot or many with no waste, could do extreme close ups without any accessories, you would think I was talking about the latest digital. Strangely, the Press Camera filled exactly the same niche in its day as the Digital camera does today.
We tend to be very precise with our photography today. That is a legacy of 50 years of 35mm work, and the fine art movement of the 1970’s. Fill the frame. Crop in the camera. Previsualize. Get the exposure exactly right. Focus must be dead on. Use a tripod. Zone system. Spotmeter. Temperature control to 1/4 a degree. Comb your hair, stand up straight. Rules, rules, and more rules. Nonsense!