Well, FWIW, I shoot landscapes with a 5D/24-105 on a Bogen 3046 tripod and 3275 geared head. After viewfinder composition and test shots, three 5-lb. shot bags go over the 3046 crossarms. After rechecking the comp and finetuning focus with an angle finder, a 16 oz. beanbag is laid half on the 5D body and half on the lens. Then it's black gaffer's tape over the viewfinder, cable release, MLU and 5-count, in bracketed sets of three exposures; 2-count if clouds are moving.
I use a Sherpa cart (a trail-ruggedized golf cart) to haul it all around, along with the usual assortment of ancillary gear, water, sat phone, munchies, camp chair, etc. I used to drag the laptop along, with a TV table to set it on, and shoot tethered... but it was too anal, even for me.
The advantage to all this rigmarole is it makes me slow down and think, and results in tack-sharp bracketed exposures that are (barring wind or very soft ground) in essentially perfect registration. Anything needing faster setup, I use a monopod or shoot handheld.
The disadvantage is running into other photographers who shake their heads, and with a piteous smile, say, "Medium format."
And if you think that's compulsive, you don't want to hear my PP workflow.
- Fred Dawson