Camera Upgrade Recos: Grainy, blurry photos from current EOS Rebel T3i

[T8rsmom]

Hello! I am looking for some advice on upgrading to a new camera. I am a novice who likes to take sports (baseball/basketball) photos for my son, pics of family vacations. I currently have a Canon T3i but I am not satisfied with the quality of the image. Everything looks grainy or out of focus. I do use manual. What would be the next camera up from the T3i? Should I look at mirrorless? Any help/advice  would be greatly appreciated. 

Thank you. 
Melissa

[deebatman316]

Do you have a budget for a new camera. What lenses do you currently have please provide FULL NAMES of the lenses in question. Everything is moving to mirrorless DSLR camera production has ended. Remaining stock is just selling. The same for DSLR lenses too. Remaining DSLR lens stock is just selling off. 

[kvbarkley]

Can you provide an example of a "grainy or out of focus" shot. Are you shooting full size jpeg's or RAW?

[Tintype_18]

Try a few shots of stationary subjects with Auto setting. See how those turn out.

[wq9nsc]

As deebatman316 noted, the lens is the critical element for sports and particularly low light sports.  A newer generation camera is certainly helpful but if you "cripple" it with a narrow maximum aperture lens in low light/fast action situations then it will perform worse than an older model with the proper lens.  Any removable lens camera is a system and is only as good as its weakest link.

Rodger

[LeeP]

I had a T3i and it served its purpose, but you're correct that it's time for an upgrade.

Why use manual? And I say that as a working photographer for 45 years. If I'm trying to do action shots, the last thing I'd want to do is fiddle with setting the exposure. If anything, I'd go with shutter priority mode.

I used my T3i as one of my cameras up to a year and a half ago when it became so outmoded that I gave up using it as my everyday/basic/go-everywhere camera body.

I replaced it with the ultra-cheap--but ultra value R100--and I have shot heavily with it. It's a good camera, but I also have an R8 that is a tremendous camera.

For sports photography, the T3i will bump up against it's 6400 ISO though you can squeeze out 12800, but I found that noise explodes after 800. If you couple that with a lens that does not have a fast aperture, you're in a bad way for sports photography with a T3i.

Option 1: go with a cheap solution via an R100 body and an EF-to-RF adapter and you could use your lens on the new body that will go to ISO 12800 without the lousy noise of a T3i. You'll still have noise, but not as horrific as the T3i. Noise is in action photography is kind of a given.

Option 2: get an R100 for cheap and spend big on a fast lens. The lens would be where I'd put my money if I had to choose between a higher-end lens versus a higher-end camera body.

The R100 is not the best choice for a body, but it would get you either a much better camera for your current lens for cheap if a faster aperture lens is not in the cards or not break the bank on body price as you level up on a fast lens.

Option 3: go with an R8 that can reach ISO 120,400 natively and adapt your lens with an ER to RF adaptor. The R8 has an accessible price point.

Option 4: R8 + fast lens.

[T8rsmom]

Thank you this is very helpful.

I don't really have a budget in mind but since I am not a pro and mostly use it for sporting events I just want to get an idea of what I should look at as a novice.

I currently have the following lenses.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM AF Zoom Lens
Canon EFS 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
Canon EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 III Lens
Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM Lens

[T8rsmom]

Here is a shot I took inside. 

I used this lens: Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM AF Zoom Lens

[T8rsmom]

I shoot full size JPG. I haven't shot RAW in a very long time. 

This was shot with a different lens.

[deebatman316]

With the current lenses you have I would not move to a Full Frame camera such as the EOS R8. I would also sell the EF-S 18-55mm F/4-5.6 IS STM lens and EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 III lens.The EF 75-300mm F/4-5.6 lens lineup is very poor optically and uses a very slow AF. Which dates back to 1993 and is very slow. Not to mention it can’t keep up on any relatively new DSLR. Also the aperture is too slow for sports. The EF-S 18-55mm F/4-5.6 IS STM is basically a duplicate focal length. Of the much higher quality EF-S 17-55mm F/2.8 IS USM lens. That lens is the best standard zoom lens for APS-C DSLRs. But camera choice is all dependent on your budget. Why suggest something that you can’t afford or don’t need. So please provide a budget for my colleagues and I.