I'm hoping to get some advice from more experienced Sony shooters on the best camera for a total beginner like me. I'm excited to get into photography more seriously, mostly shooting family, travel, and outdoor activities to start. As this will be my first non-phone camera, ease of use is pretty important while still getting decent quality.

After some initial research, two Sony mirrorless models stand out: the a6100 and a6400. On paper, both seem to hit a nice sweet spot for beginners - approachable controls, solid performance, lots of lens options. However, I still have some questions for those who have used them:

- How much more demanding is the a6400 to learn compared to the a6100? I like the idea of room to grow into more advanced features, but don't want to bite off more than I can chew out of the gate.

- For my uses (portraits, landscapes, general lifestyle photos), would I see a big image quality difference between them?

- How good is the autofocus on both? Missing focus was always an issue I had on phones.

- Between the two, which has better battery life? Extra batteries add up fast.

- Any other notable differences that would push a beginner towards one over the other?

I don't have a hard budget cap, but getting the best value is important. That said, I'm willing to spend more if the a6400 would be significantly better as a "grow into" camera. I eventually want to progress into flash photography, RAW processing, and more. Love to hear any insights or personal recommendations! Thanks in advance for the help.