Hello!! I am a huge space nerd and have been looking to start astrophotography for a good while. Problem is, in my research I have found the topic to be quite daunting for a beginner who knows nothing about cameras. I have a telescope of my own, an Orion Skyquest Dobsonian (XT8 or XT6, I do not remember since this was purchased a while ago by my dad). I have used this telescope for observing the moon and other planets but I wanted to take the next step and start photographing what I am seeing.
Ideally I would like to do some planetary photography as well as deep space photography. I am unsure as to what camera/attachments would be good for a beginner (and would also fit in a reasonable budget, I’m a college student unfortunately). I’ve seen that people have been able to use their smart phones as well? Basically, I need some guidance. What would be the next steps in terms of photography equipment? Thank you so much.