Dovetail plating is the only way to fly. I can autoguide using an 4" f10 refractor and an 8" meade SCT with np at all on a GM8 using the side by side mount. Yes it is a bit over the limit for photography for that size mount, but it leaves the over and under setup for dead with ease of use in autoguiding.
Balancing it is a learning process in itself though
