kfoo Loc: Arkansas

I have a Nikon D7100. What are the 5 most crucial setting before you take a photo?

ricardo7 Loc: Washington, DC - Santiago, Chile

Why 5? Why not 3,, or 7, or 8???
If you want to make it simple set your camera to point-and-shoot (green square on dial) and just
take pictures. When you learn something about photography you'll understand there is no real answer
to your question.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

ISO
Shutter speed
Aperture
Focus
White balance

But there are SO many others.

Read The F***ing Manual if you want to take it off 'full auto' mode. It only takes 30 minutes per page to truly understand it.

It only takes 10,000 hours of practice to become proficient (at practically anything).

Spend the time. You'll be glad you did!

I don't mean to be rude or flip, but sometimes newbies need a reality check.

GREAT photographers learn by:

Reading
Doing
Viewing tens of thousands of REALLY GOOD photos.

Dive in!

blackest Loc: Ireland

shutter speed, f-stop, iso, focal length, focus, exposure compensation, and white balance. Sorry that's 7 but the last two you have some leeway if you are shooting raw.

orrie smith Loc: Kansas

You have been on this site for almost 2 years, and you have a camera that is not in the beginner range, so we have to assume that you know at least a little about photography.
1. set your focus point to a single point
2. if you shoot action, set your camera to continuous focus mode. if you shoot stationary set your camera to single focus mode.
3. set your metering to matrix.
4. set your ISO to manual and adjust according to your lighting.
5. Set your mode to aperture.

If none of this makes any sense to you, simply set your dial to auto mode.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Engage brain
Take off lens cap
Turn camera on
Get ready
Aim
Fire
Chimp
Adjust settings
Repeat steps 4 to 9

blackest Loc: Ireland

This questions fun, my preference for metering is spot, primarily to keep highlights under control 2 stops under the brightest highlight is where i like to be. That's often too dark for jpeg though.

How about compose? (subject & light) not really a setting as such but essential .

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

I believe that is covered in a previous members suggestion to RTFM.

tresap23 Loc: Texas

Wow, this forum can be brutal!! But, if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen, right? I had the same questions, when I got my first DSLR about 4 years ago. I have always loved photography, but could not always afford a nice DSLR. So I spent years with a point and shoot. I actually got pretty good with it. I joined forums like this. Took online courses. Read as much material as I could find available, about my camera, including the "manual"! I watched tutorials. And mostly, I "practiced". At first I shot in auto mode. Just to get use to my camera. I would go to parks, our local Arboretum, the lake. even my back yard. And I walked around and practiced my composition. Framing my shots. And I let my camera do the work in Auto. Well, if photography is "truly" a passion for you, then you will soon discover that you will get bored very quickly, just shooting in Auto. So it did not take me long to start "moving" the dial, and playing with the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed. But, as someone stated, there is sooo much more than that. But those are a start. You soon learn that your focus is very important. So I suggest you read the manual on that topic, and practice as you read. Have your camera right there to practice as you read. Also, lighting is everything! I have learned a lot. No where "near" as good as most of the people on here. Ones that have been doing this for a long time, and are truly great photographers. You will see what I mean when you look at the photos they publish. But, I will say this. Don't feel bad about buying a nice camera ( I am a Canon user and no nothing about Nikons, so I am not sure what level yours is) as a beginner in DSLR's, I started with a more expensive camera. Why not? Why buy an entry level, if you can afford a high end camera? You can learn just as easy with an expensive one as you can with an inexpensive one. There are no rules that say, if you own an expensive camera, you "must" already have knowledge about cameras and photography. Trust me, I have seen lots of parents, buy their 5 year olds "expensive" baseball bats, thinking it will make them a better player. So there is no room to judge about owning an expensive camera. So, ask your questions, read, watch, practice. And don't let the camera or people intimidate you. I am still learning, and I am still loving it!! That is the most important thing of all. You gotta love it!

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Let's change the question a bit...... to say, for example, "What are the 5 most crucial factors to take a photo?" (assuming, of course, you have a camera). This simplifies the answer, which is:
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice,
Practice!

SteveR Loc: Michigan

How large a jpeg or raw file you want, plus vivid or normal color.

HOT Texas Loc: From the Heart of Texas

Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

You nailed it. Isn't it funny how beginners look for a quick answer.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Using your eye to compose, using your eye to create, using your eye to frame, using your eye frame the best angle and place a subject of interest and how it interacts with the overall scene, using your eye to check subject mergers. These are the first five and of course there are more.

Ginny Leger Loc: Hampton, NH

Isn’t this site for all levels of photographers and a place for beginners and intermediate “newbies”, hobbyists, semi-pro and pros to seek advice? For those of you that are so stinking rude, did you forget all the questions you asked when you started out? Give people a chance. This is supposed to be a place where we support one another. Sometimes asking a question takes a lot of courage because none of us want to appear ignorant, stupid, or lacking knowledge some others already have acquired. Take your frustrations out on others and stop with the high and mighty attitude ... as well as pushing people away that have joined this site as a means of learning.