What camera should I buy?

For as long as I've been taking photos, I have used my iPhone 5c. Not the greatest camera, but gets the job done. I'm now at the point where I would like to take photography up as a hobby. The camera would be used quite a bit for sports photography (basketball, athletics, etc), any thoughts?

Added (1). Anything under 1000 is ballpark

Nikon D5 or the more compact DX-format Nikon D500.

Sports photography where… Inside or out? This is where things can get expensive. If you are indoors the light isn't great for photography, despite what your eyes may say, so you will need a high ISO and wide maximum aperture to be able to get sufficiently fast shutter speeds so that the subjects aren't motion blurred. You also want a camera and lens that can focus quickly.

If you are reasonably close to the action you may be able to get away with using a 50mm f1.8 lens.

Don't think of using flash either.

Check the link for some pointers for what you may be getting into.

Go here: https://www.dpreview.com/...eview.com/ Sports photography is a challenge. You're almost always far away from the action. This means that you need a long lens. 50mm won't cut it. 200mm is probably the shortest usable focal length for sports. Indoors, as has already been mentioned, the light is generally poor. So you need a fast lens. This implies that your camera should be one that takes interchangeable lenses. A "super-zoom" is not a good choice. The lens is a poor performer at the long focal length and it's slow.

Notice that I didn't write anything about the camera yet. For sports, a camera with an APS-C sized sensor has more reach than one with a 135 sensor (the so-called "full frame"). Ignore people who tell you that "full frame" is better without giving you a solid reason why. They each have their best uses. There are excellent cameras from these manufacturers: Canon, Fuji, Nikon, Pentax, Panasonic, Sony.

I can tell you what I use when shooting sports

I use a Nikon D500 with a 200 mm f/2 as well as a Nikon D800e with 70-200 mm f/2.8.

You need a fully adjustable camera which uses interchangeable lenses. The telephoto lenses you need to use are ones with an aperture of f/2.8 or larger if you intend to shoot indoors or under the lights. Make sure that the digital SLR you buy performs well in low light (high ISO settings)

To do what you want, you may have to save your pennies for a year or two in order to purchase the necessary lenses In the meantime, you can start learning the fundamentals of photography, lighting and composition

Here are two samples shot with those camera/lens combinations.

You don't mention your budget. You can easily spend $10,000 on one camera and one lens.
Considering that you're currently using a point-and-shoot, I'll assume you want to keep the price under $1,000.

Generally, everyone agrees that to get a great photograph, it's not what you have, but how you use it. However, with sports and wildlife photography, what gear you own has a big impact on enabling you to capture the scene and avoid getting out-of-focus shots.

At this price range an entry-level DSLR and a 55-200 or 55-300 would be the cheapest entry point for outdoor sports during the day. Canon's SL1 or T5/T6 cameras are their entry-level camera bodies, and probably have the better focusing system. If you go with a mid-range DSLR like the Canon 70D, 77D, 80D; or the Nikon D5xxx series, you will get a camera that has a significantly better focusing system the entry-level models. Because of this, a mid-range model may be the better option since it'll perform well even as your skills improve. Going with an entry-level body will be a substantial increase compared to what you've been using. And with that in mind, an entry-level body will feel and perform great to you, but over time you'll outgrow it providing that you are doing sports photography on a regular basis.

Congratulations! I hope you do follow-up and get really passionate about photography; it's a great hobby you can enjoy for the rest of your life, and the more you learn the more you'll WANT to learn. But, what is your budget? What can you afford to spend? Have you even considered a USED camera, where you'll get more features, functions and options for less money?

Your first priority is a fully adjustable camera. I'd suggest something that you can grow into. All cameras do the same thing: capture images but they're only as good/bad as the person using it. There's a tremendous shortcut you can take: take a bona fide organized Beginner's Photography class; it will save you many months of reading and researching and viewing instructional and tutorial videos on Youtube.com (do it anyway to reinforce what you read in class). And it beats trial and error that is too often discouraging and frustrating.

After taking the class, you'll know all about cameras, you'll also know and understand all the features, functions and options of cameras… When and how to use them… And all about the different kinds of lenses and what they're used for. You'll also learn about light and shadows, composition and how to get around difficult lighting situations. The class will prepare you with the knowledge that will allow you to develop your skills and talents, and in a few months you'll have the confidence and experience to shoot well exposed, well composed images that will attract attention from family and friends alike.

Here's how to save money: seriously consider buying used. In buying used, you'll afford more than a new camera will have (features) and still have money left over for a good zoom lens (buy used and get more for your money, too). You must frequently go to B&H Photo (in NYC) or to KEH.com on the Internet; check their used camera department and used lens department. You may probably be able to get a used Nikon D5300, but try for the Nikon D7100 or even the D7200, a bit more expensive but also more sophisticated (may cost more but will be worth the money and you'll enjoy it for many, many years) and more robust EVEN if you buy it USED from a reputable place that will stand behind its sales.

Both B&G Photo and KEH.com are reputable and have been around for many years and both stand by their sales. I recommended Nikon only because I'm familiar with Nikon cameras but there are some very good Canon cameras, too. What you want to get into is a camera system with a wide variety of quality lenses you can buy in the future at affordable prices.

Canon EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR