Monorail camera

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Monorail cameras are the studio workhorses that are still used today in the digital photography age to make many of the images used in catalogs, magazines and publicity around the world.

Monorail cameras like this Linhof are very versatile photographic instruments.

They are usually both heavy and bulky, but have the major advantage of having almost unlimited camera movements. However, some models such as the ARCA Swiss F-Line are designed for field use, and retain generous movements.

While larger and heavier than other popular camera types, these cameras have capabilities that are not found in most other cameras. Both the lens and the film planes are separate and can be moved independently. By moving the front of the camera, the lens plane, independently of the rear which houses the film, the photographer can alter the depth-of-field without changing the perspective of the image. The converse is also true. The rear of the camera, which holds the film, can be moved to alter/improve the perspective of the image without changing the depth-of-field. Another important feature is the ability to switch types of film.

Film is typically loaded one sheet at a time into a special holder. Each film holder can hold two sheets of film -one on each side of the holder. By loading various types of film prior to shooting, the photographer is able to select whichever is most appropriate on the spot. Typical film size are 4 inch by 5 inch(4"x5") and 8 inch by 10 inch(8"x10"). 5X7 inch and 11x14 inch formats also exist.

Despite their capabilities, monorail cameras are among the simplest photographic instruments possible, consisting of front (holding the lens) and rear (holding the film and focussing ground glass) standards mounted on a single rail, with a light-tight bellows stretched between.

There are still quite a few companies producing these cameras. Some of the more popular makers are: Arca-Swiss, Ebony, Horseman, Linhof, Cambo, Sinar, and Toyo. Because of their simplicity and versatility, they will likely never go out of production.

See view camera.