Fujifilm “Hidden” Shortcuts I Actually Use

As a long-time Fujifilm shooter, ex-ambassador, and a documentary wedding photographer who’s lived inside these menus and buttons for well over a decade. Between weddings, street work, workshops, and a mildly unhealthy curiosity, I’ve collected a bunch of quick button presses and long-press tricks that don’t always jump out from the manuals.

They’re not magic codes, but they can save time and faff when you’re working fast.

Below is a practical, copy-and-keep guide. I’ve grouped the shortcuts by camera, added usefulness notes, and included caveats so no one formats the wrong card five minutes before speeches.

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At a glance

• Quick format without menus: Hold Trash/Delete, then press the rear command dial to jump to Format.

• Check firmware fast: Power on while holding DISP/BACK.

• Edit the Q menu quickly: Long-press Q to enter edit mode.

• Fn assignment on the fly: Long-press DISP/BACK to open Function assignments.

• Re-centre AF point fast: Press the focus lever (joystick).

• Precision focus check: Press the rear command dial to magnify; long-press in MF to pick peaking/split-image where supported.

Tip - many of these are consistent across the X-Series, but behaviour can shift slightly by body and firmware.

X100VI – quick shortcuts I rely on

Fujifilm X100VI — quick button shortcuts and long-press tricks

Shortcut	What it does	How to use it	Why it’s handy
Quick Format	Jump straight to the Format prompt	Hold Trash/Delete and press the rear command dial	Fast card prep before heading out
Firmware Display	Show firmware / enter update flow	Power on while holding DISP/BACK	Quick version check before a shoot
Edit Q Menu	Rearrange Q items	Long-press Q	Keep your frequent settings where your thumb expects them
Fn Assignment	Open Function Button settings	Long-press DISP/BACK	Reassign buttons without menu digging
Re-centre AF	Recentres the AF point	Press the focus lever (joystick)	Get back to centre after edge focusing
AF Area Zoom	Magnify active focus area	Press the rear command dial	Confirm critical focus in a hurry
MF Assist Mode	Select peaking / split-image in MF	Long-press the rear command dial in MF	Pick your preferred manual-focus aid

Note: If Quick Format doesn’t appear, use Set Up → User Setting → Format. Custom key assignments can disable some long-press behaviours.

X-T5 – quick shortcuts I rely on

Fujifilm X-T5 — quick button shortcuts and long-press tricks

Shortcut	What it does	How to use it	Why it’s handy
Quick Format	Jump straight to the Format prompt	Hold Trash/Delete and press the rear command dial	Speedy turn-around between sets
Firmware Display	Show firmware / enter update flow	Power on while holding DISP/BACK	Sanity check before client work
Edit Q Menu	Rearrange Q items	Long-press Q	Make Q reflect how you shoot
Fn Assignment	Open Function Button settings	Long-press DISP/BACK	Tweak ergonomics on the spot
Re-centre AF	Recentres the AF point	Press the focus lever	Faster than menuing during action
AF Area Zoom	Magnify active focus area	Press the rear command dial	Confirm eye focus with longer lenses
MF Assist Mode	Select peaking / split-image in MF	Long-press the rear command dial in MF	Dial-in your preferred MF view

Note: If Q or DISP/BACK is remapped, restore defaults to regain long-press behaviour.

X-Pro3 – quick shortcuts I rely on

Fujifilm X-Pro3 — quick button shortcuts and long-press tricks

Shortcut	What it does	How to use it	Why it’s handy
Quick Format	Jump straight to the Format prompt	Hold Trash/Delete and press the rear command dial	Minimal menu time, more shooting
Firmware Display	Show firmware / enter update flow	Power on while holding DISP/BACK	Quick health check for the body
Edit Q Menu	Rearrange Q items	Long-press Q	Keep Classic Chrome tweaks close
Fn Assignment	Open Function Button settings	Long-press DISP/BACK	Tailor the body to your style
Re-centre AF	Recentres the AF point	Press the focus lever	Handy when you live off-centre
AF Area Zoom	Magnify active focus area	Press the rear command dial	Precision when using OVF/EVF switch
MF Assist Mode	Select peaking / split-image in MF	Long-press the rear command dial in MF	OVF shooters will appreciate this

Note: OVF/EVF switching can slightly alter what appears when you press or long-press; function still works.

X-E5 – quick shortcuts I rely on

Fujifilm X-E5 — quick button shortcuts and long-press tricks

Shortcut	What it does	How to use it	Why it’s handy
Quick Format	Jump straight to the Format prompt	Hold Trash/Delete and press the rear command dial	Great for travel card swaps
Firmware Display	Show firmware / enter update flow	Power on while holding DISP/BACK	Quick card-in check at startup
Edit Q Menu	Rearrange Q items	Long-press Q	Simplify the small-body workflow
Fn Assignment	Open Function Button settings	Long-press DISP/BACK	Make a small body act like a pro body
Re-centre AF	Recentres the AF point	Press the focus lever	Less fumbling on a compact
AF Area Zoom	Magnify active focus area	Press the rear command dial	Confirm critical focus on the fly
MF Assist Mode	Select peaking / split-image in MF	Long-press the rear command dial in MF	Helpful for adapted lenses

Note: Smaller bodies may ship with leaner default Q layouts — long-press Q to customise.

Caveats & Safe Practice

Formatting is destructive: always confirm the slot before you press OK. Label cards and be methodical.
Dual-slot care: if both slots are populated, double-check which card you are about to format.
Firmware differences: long-press behaviour can change with updates. If a combo fails, try the menu path instead.
Custom key overrides: remapping Q, DISP/BACK or the rear dial can disable long-press actions tied to those controls.
OVF vs EVF nuance: on X-Pro bodies the prompt or view may differ. The function still works.
Test before jobs: practise each shortcut at home so it becomes muscle memory under pressure.

Extra quality-of-life moves

• Reset Q to default: If your Q menu gets messy, look for the Q Edit screen and choose Reset to Defaults - then rebuild logically.

• Touch screen toggles: On touch-enabled bodies, a quick tap-and-hold on the touch icon cycles touch modes - useful when the screen starts moving AF points by accident.

• Drive button habits: If you never bracket, assign Drive to something more useful - or at least get in the habit of glancing at the top display so you don’t shoot a surprise burst during the vows.

Why this helps

• Speed over perfection: The quicker you can reach format, AF zoom, or Q edit, the more attention you can give to people and story.

• Consistency across bodies: Most of these shortcuts behave similarly from X-Pro to X-T to X100 - handy when you run mixed kits.

• Less menu time: Fewer trips into the Setup pages means you are more present for the moments that matter.

Checklist for your own kit

• Test Trash/Delete + rear dial for quick format on every body you own.

• Long-press Q on each body and rebuild the layout to match how you actually shoot.

• Long-press DISP/BACK and get comfortable reassigning Fn buttons for consistency across cameras.

• Practise rear dial press to magnify AF and rear dial long-press in MF to pick your preferred assist.

• Build the re-centre AF habit via a quick focus-lever press.

FAQ

• Are these truly “undocumented”?

  Not exactly. Many are in the manuals, but buried. Others are widely known in the community. The value here is a single, practical list you can use.

• Will these work on older bodies like X-T2 or X100F?

  Largely yes for firmware display and AF zoom. Quick-format and long-press behaviours may differ. Test on your camera.

• What if long-press Q does nothing?

  Make sure Q is assigned to the physical Q button, not remapped. If still no joy, edit the Q menu via the main menus.