Winter Sun: Doan Mountain with the Fujifilm X100V

According to Strava, I’ve made the journey to the summit of Doan Mountain seventeen times over the past few years. It’s not a long hike, but the route includes enough swampy ground and exposed rock scrambles to keep things interesting. The reward, as always, is the view from the top especially at sunset, when the Mourne Mountains really come alive.

For this winter outing, the Fujifilm X100V once again proved to be a capable and reliable companion for documenting the experience.

Fujifilm X100V Setup

I kept the camera setup deliberately simple. The X100V was set to JPEG-only capture using the Classic Chrome film simulation. To preserve highlight detail and enhance the silhouettes, I underexposed each frame by between one and two stops, depending on the light. Spot metering helped ensure consistent exposure when shooting directly into the sun.

Post-Processing in Lightroom

Post-processing was minimal. In Lightroom, I applied just three small adjustments:

• Contrast increased by +10
• Blacks decreased by −10
• White balance warmed slightly (+12)

That subtle shift in white balance helped create the warmer, more atmospheric feel that suits a winter sunset.

Here are some additional images take on the route or at the top of Doan Mountain. These photographs are not necessarily from the Fujifilm X100VI.

Mourne Mountains: Doan

Doan Mountain, located in County Down, Northern Ireland, offers some of the most rewarding views in the Mournes. From the Ott Track stile to the sightlines toward Slieve Binnian, it’s a landscape that never feels repetitive—even after seventeen ascents.

I keep a weather-resistant kit mounted on the camera at all times. Despite using the lens hood, I still encountered a fair amount of lens flare when shooting directly into the sun. A square hood may have provided better protection in these conditions. My go-to accessories for the X100 series including a Pro Mist filter and the Lee Filters Seven5 system—are usually invaluable, but strong, low winter sun can still be challenging.

Winter Sun and Autofocus Performance

The autofocus performance of the Fujifilm X100V continues to impress. The tilting LCD screen was particularly useful on this shoot, allowing me to frame directly into the sun while looking down at the screen, shielded from glare by the camera body itself. It’s a small design detail that makes a real difference in the field.

Doan Mountain Final Thoughts

There are moments when I wish I could shoot a little wider, but the portability, form factor, and ease of use make the X100 series ideal for everyday and outdoor photography. That said, the Fujifilm X-E5 paired with a 16mm or 23mm lens is starting to look very tempting especially for film work in the (very) near future.

Links

100 Images Captured with the Fujifilm X100
Tiffen Pro Mist Filter [Ad]
FlixelPix Instagram 
Five Essential Accessories for the Fujifilm X100VI
Doan Mountain Video