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Originally Posted by DJ N
With a fork mounted SCT, I would assume something like LX90 or LX200? For astrophotography, would it be absolutely necessary for an equatorial wedge? I suppose the downside of a fork mount would be that you do not have flexibility for OTA changeover.
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For SCT I'd be going with a fork mount, LX200. But I'm bias - I have an LX200's and am really happy with it's performance over the last 6 years, as far as I'm concerned it really is very near reserach quality - train the PEC, balance it right, then you have excellent precision etc. 40 minute exposures is testiment to that.
The thing I hate about GEM's is the meridian flip. Big pain for photography I think. I fear what the problems would be with plate solve's, causing problems for automation?
As for swing-through clearance - straight up isn't any problem at all with a wedge (probably is for alt-az), heaps of room on my LX in EQ mode. Looking south gets a little tricky, I can view the whole of the LMC but only just. But it can be solved by shortenning the imaging train, just needs $200 odd for adaptors.
Short exposure can be done without a wedge as other have said, but you really need a wedge.
I'm not sure on the cost comparisons.
You're right you can't change the OTA over with fork mounts. Guess it depends what you're planning to do if that's a problem or not. You can piggyback small-medium refractors.
That's my scattered thoughts/2c worth.
Roger.