Just picked up your Sony a6000 series camera and wondering what the little “C1” and “C2” buttons mean?
They are custom buttons which can be assigned to essentially any function.
In this very brief and concise guide, we’ll go over how (and why) to change the custom buttons and what I’ve personally set mine to.
By the way, this guide pertains to not just the a6000, but the a6100, a6300, a6400, a6500, and a6600 as well.
Let’s dive in!
The Basics
The two dedicated custom buttons are on both the top of the camera near the shutter button and on the rear of the camera near the spinning dial.
However, Sony allows you to customize not just these two buttons, but many other buttons as well.
The AEL button can also be customized along with every “directional” button on the dial (left, right, top, bottom, and center).
This allows an incredible degree of customization for photographers who want to be able to personalize the usability of their camera exactly to their liking.
To find the custom button settings, simply press the menu button to open the menu system.
Next, page over to the gear icon, and then to page 6. Finally, open up “custom key settings”.
Here, you’ll be able to able to change every button that I previously mentioned to whichever function you’d like.
What do I use personally?
Personally, to keep things simple and straightforward, I’ve only customized three of the buttons.
AEL Button
First, I set my AEL button to focus magnifier.
This allows me to double check my focus when shooting with fully manual lenses.
C1 Button
Next, I set my C1 (custom button 1) to drive mode.
I tend to switch between single shot, self-timer (for long exposure) and bracket (for HDR) quite often during shoots.
Having a custom button allows me to focus less on digging through menus and more on shooting and capturing great pictures.
C2 Button
Finally, I have my C2 (custom button 2) set to focus mode.
Although I usually stay on single shot, I do like to switch to AF-C (AF-Continuous) on occasion when shooting portraits or fast moving action.
In addition to that, I also dabble in manual focus. Some lenses don’t include a physical AF/MF switch (like my Sigma 30mm F1.4), so it’s nice to have a quick button to switch it.
Conclusion
That’s really all there is to custom buttons!
Like I stated prior, you can customize almost every button on the a6000, allowing for almost full personalization and flexibility.
Looking to dive deeper into your camera’s manual settings? Read our guides on drive modes and focus modes.
Thanks for reading!