Monorail cameras are the studio workhorses that are still used today in the digital photography age to make many of the images for catalogs, magazines, and advertising around the world.
Monorail camera
Techniques Glossary Monorail camera
A large format camera that is built on rail. Its lens is mounted on a front panel, the film is held in a rear panel and they're connected with bellows.
Monorail or field camera?
This is a common question for anyone starting in large format photography. The usual answer is "monorail for indoor work, field camera outdoors". This is fine in principle but reality is rarely so tidy.
Monorail camera
Large format camera, constructed on a single rail. Offers the maximum of camera movements.
(see Baseboard, Camera movements, Field camera & Technical) ...
Monorail
Large format camera (usually, though there are medium format examples) constructed on an " optical bench " principle with front and rear standards on a rail.
Monorail camera is a sheet film camera, of modular construction, mounted on a rail system to give maximum camera movements.
Montage is a composite picture made from a number of photographs.
Toyo-View 810GII Monorail
Toyo-View 810II Monorail
Toyo View 810GII & 810MII Accessories ...
Generally, all view cameras have the following standard parts: Monorail or bed. Serves as the base or support to hold all the other components. Front lens standard. Permits the lens to be locked into any position on the monorail.
My Toyo CX with it's 18 inch (450mm) monorail is advertised to have 445mm of bellows extension but actually is only capable of about 390mm between film and lens plane. This is because the Toyo CX has a slightly recessed front standard.
While there are many varied designs of large format cameras, there are two basic varieties: the monorail camera, and the field camera.
If you are on a budget and need to buy new (pretty silly, really) then you can buy a new Calumet Cadet 4 x 5 monorail camera for $349.99.
As noted in "Choosing a Large Format Camera", when using a monorail view camera on location, you probably aren't going to be carrying it too far (was it Edward Weston who said "if it is more than 500 feet from the car, it isn't photogenic"?).
-Rack and pinion focusing - mechanical focusing system used on copying or monorail cameras. A pinion engages a rack on a slide. Focusing is achieved by turning a knob or wheel, which moves the lens or image panel.
Swing back/front
A Photographic term used to describe the movable lens and back panels of most view and monorail cameras. They allow manipulation of perspective and depth of field.
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Next let's check out the mounting system for our flash units. The mounting system for the StarFlash® was designed with the weight of a SoftBox in mind. We employ a monorail track that spans the length of the StarFlash® head.
Among this Singapore native's most successful techniques: framing background subjects within the lines created by bridge trellises, columns, highway overpasses, and, as pictured here, monorail tracks.
 See also: Camera, Photograph, Lens, Image, Photography
  
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