I'm an astro-novice and considering the D3 as an entry point. I love the stars + my partner is a photographer = fun for both of us! I had access to a Newton a few years back, but polar alignment issues prevented me from using it correctly and dampened my enthusiasm. Currently, we live in Hobart, Tasmania (Australia) and the south celestial pole is completely obstructed by our house. On to my D3 question. Am I understanding these two details correctly ...
First, we can use the D3 without polar alignment, as long as we keep the exposure times short (<15s). If we go too long, we'll get star trails, but that is the only real negative of no polar alignment.
Second, if I wish to polar align, without being able to actually see the SCP, I would:
- Point the D3 south using a good compass
- Adjust 15° East for our local magnetic declination
- Tilt the D3 upwards 43° using a inclination meter to account for our 43°S location
- From here onwards, the D3 + app will find the target objects and track them as photos are taken/stacked
I understand this method may not be perfect, but perfect is the enemy of good enough! We can do perfect when we go camping in dark skies ...