In low orbit, sure, but if you're coming from outside the SOI, you can burn retrograde at periapsis just enough to be captured, then make a very inexpensive inclination change at apoapsis (my usual procedure for deploying a kethane scanner).
Yeah, that's a good trick - I was thinking specifically of the benefits of launching into an inclined orbit vs. the incredibly painful process of gravity turn, circularize, change inclination, and circularize again...