Looking into purchasing my first camera and I'm torn between the Nikon D3400 and the Sony a6000. Which is better & worth the investment?

Looking into purchasing my first camera and I'm torn between the Nikon D3400 and the Sony a6000. Which is better & worth the investment?

Definitely get the Sony a6000. I got the exact same camera for my husband for Christmas. He loves it. It takes incredible shots and is great for taking videos. I really have enjoyed this camera! This is a great purchase and I promise you won't be disappointed!

The Sony is a mirrorless, thus, you will be using a EVF (electronic viewfinder).
The Nikon uses an optical viewfinder.
If battery life (number of shots per charge) is important, I would avoid mirrorless bodies.
The Sony will have a smaller body which has advantages.

If you can, go to a camera store and try them out and see which one you like.

Depends if you want a DSLR or an EVIL.

If you go for EVIL, the A6000 is hard to beat, but if you want a DSLR, certainly Pentax, and probably Canon will serve you just as well (or better) than a Nikon.

In either case, find a dealer and HANDLE a couple of candidates. You're the one who'll be shooting with it after all.

First, the image quality capability of each camera is very similar. There are a few differences in some of the features.
Nikon advantages: optical viewfinder (better for sports); battery life - over 3x longer.
Sony Advantages: Focus points - 179 to 11; tilting LCD screen; continuous drive - 11fps vs. 5.

None of these are deal breakers for me. I would go with Nikon purely based on their superior maintenance program.