It comes to the point where you say to yourself - "Am I taking these pictures as a hobby, to please myself and family, or am I trying to impress others with my skills, seeking APOD/Award fame and fortune?"
If it is about pleasing yourself, then who cares about throwing in a rotator, an AO unit, a mega mega mega pixel camera, etc etc. Just use an autoguder (no need for OAG - just use a guidescope - or a converted finder), and a DSLR and go for it.
You simply need to find the middle ground you are comfortable with. If it's a hobby, you don't need APOD or Malin Award standard.
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