>>4151487thanks mang. i did find the light pollution map site. the closest low light area near me is wellfleet, MA. so the best thing to do would prolly be to rent a cottage in the dead of winter. elevation and humidity might be problems, but it beats lugging shit around my usual camping haunts in NH (there's more light pollution at my usual spots anyway).
if you can't tell, i'm this anon taking microscope photos. so i'm pretty well versed in treating a camera as a CMOS attached to some electronics.
>>4150974>>4150990i will definitely keep weight ratings into consideration as i research and shop. more heavy duty is usually better for this kind of thing, for example, my car jack stands are individually rated for an unnecessary 6 tons each.
re: not wasting money. i just finished modding my basic-ass camera (canon EOS T7) and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the filter. pic related is a raw dark frame shot without a lens, exposure turned up all the way. nice even pattern.
anyway, thanks for the help anon. i'd rather just chill, research, and save up for some high quality used equipment to start next year. in the meantime, i have a nice microscope that's a lot of fun, and plans to build a custom light source for UV, infrared, and fluorescent imaging.
>>4151515>Robert's Photo is a good place for used gearjust bought a couple things from them, actually. not lenses or cameras, but i don't doubt they're legit.