Photography is just like many other hobbies. Anyone who jumps into photography and spends large money for equipment has more money than sense or a very large ego fooling their selves into thinking their inexperience can be countered by the latest, greatest, expensive equipment and will produce professional results. It takes many years of learning and experimenting and practice, practice, practice to reach the level of professionalism many have achieved and most noobs and amateurs desire. I had to use restraint when entering into the world of photography over a year ago and am still shooting with the Nikon D3200 and like you will stick with it for awhile. However, I have found the glass really does make a huge difference so starting out with kit lenses I have now gone to better glass. This has brought me much satisfaction and, in my opinion, was worth the expense so if you decide you want to pursue photography I would strongly encourage looking at better glass before changing cameras. Also, here is a web site that will help you in all aspects of photography www.udemy.com. I hope you great success if you stay with photography and in my opinion you have made the correct, logical and well thought out decision. Good shooting to you!

Allen - this is not a level playing field for participants in this forum. You can see from some of the equipment lists, there are members with multiple full-frame bodies of various models representing $5000 to $10k investments in bodies alone. And then there's others jumping from one top-line model to the next every few years. And yet, if you look at their photo gallery contributions, you'll probably note they could do just as good with a lowly D3400...

With each iteration of the D3xxx line, reviewer Ken Rockwell identifies that model as the best choice for the overwhelming majority of photographers. The D3400 sports a 24MP sensor. This is the resolution considered as the tipping point of digital exceeding 35mm film, essentially putting even the entry-level cameras ahead of film in the 15-year debate on film v digital. This sensor captures more detail than Nikon's top professional cameras from just 4-years ago.

So, what others own really should not be an issue in your photography. What you are creating with your equipment should be all that matters. Do you shoot every day or at least some every week? Do you edit your images? Do you have the lens(es) that let you shoot effectively for the types of photography you want to pursue? In many cases, particularly with a new camera circa 2017, it's the other equipment that is more of an issue than the camera body.

Now if you keep up this worrying about your D3400, I'm going to send in Coach Gruden for the next pep talk....