h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

It has been claimed that large format cameras are only used in studios. As a former photography student at Ealing Tech., (did you know that the stupendous Freddy Mercury was an art student at Ealing Tech?)I can say that this is not true. I have carried a 5x4" monorail camera with vast tripod, on the district line all the way to Archway to photograph a colony of squatters in their own environment. There certainly weren't any studio conditions involved. I eventually became a squatter myself for a while, before returning to my natural surroundings. Photographers don't squat, not even in black and white, the kit is too expensive. Hi to any Ealing Tech ex photographers out there. It has evolved into a university now, I'm told!

Amen to that, a large format monorail camera is a great tool to take out in the field, I have on several occasions taken my 4x5 monorail camera, packed it in my back pack and headed out in to the mountains of Utah, burdened only with the desire to make some great photographs of those wonderful scenic splendors, and a 30 lb. tripod. You can't match the control you get with the tilts and swivels available on that camera.