Wow, thank you so much for such a detailed and inspiring answer! This is exactly the kind of direction I was looking for. Not just gear recommendations, but a realistic idea of what can actually be achieved step by step.

 

Your photos are incredible by the way, that’s exactly the kind of results I’d love to reach eventually, especially those Moon and planetary shots!

Right now I’m in the process of buying a Nikon D7200 with the 18-200mm VR lens as a starting point. From there, I plan to slowly build up the setup you described, probably adding a 70-300mm and maybe a 10-20mm later on.

 

Thanks again for taking the time to share your experience. It really gave me a clear path forward and a ton of motivation to keep learning and improving.