Hi Troy, welcoms to IIS. Don't be afraid to ask questions before you buy, there are a lot of less than ideal cheap telescopes and mounts out there, doing some homework and seeking advice before buying is the way to go.
As for mounts, a minimum for Astro photography through a telescope is an HEQ5 or EQ6 (Skywatcher make both models), they come up for sale second hand in the Icetrade area from time to time, if you want flexibility then the Az-Eq5 or 6 is a good place to start.
Given your statement
Quote:
I am hoping to start simple in the new year and get myself a motorized mount and just use my camera for the short term and slowly progress from there.
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you might want to look at the Skywatcher Star Adventurer, around $600, from
Bintel you'll also need a sturdy tripod. That will allow you to use your existing camera (preferably at least DSLR) and lenses. If you then graduate to a more sophisticated mount, the Star Adventurer is a good compact solution for travel so your money's not wasted.