Astrophotography Japan / Unlevel Tripod Consequences (Episode 25)
This video provides data to confirm the prevailing wisdom that an unlevel tripod does not affect guided (astro) imaging when using a polar aligned EQ mount. It explores the consequences of extreme angles of unlevelness, confirms that Polar Alignment (PA) and/or Guiding alone can each compensate for the tripod misalignment and reveals some quirks about the PA process with unlevel tripods. I found that PA is easier and hence can be more accurate when using a precisely leveled tripod. Although this fact is not critical for guided imaging, it is an important consideration for imaging without guiding.
01:23. Equipment used in this Investigation
02:30. Protocol – Appli / Focus / Polar Alignment / Guiding
04:00. The Imaging target – M34 Star Cluster
04:48. Part I – Tripod Levels Comparison
05:23. Part I – Data Analysis
09:50. Part II – Data Collection (night 2)
10:20. Part II – Extreme Angle Tripod Investigation
11:08. Part II – Data Analysis
15:06. Summary
16:28. Conclusion & Recommendation
18:27. Holiday scenes around Yokohama & Tokyo