Cameras that offer extremely high contrast shooting mode

I’m looking for a point-and-shoot that offers a high contrast art filter effect where everything in the image is either black or white with no spectral gray. Something similar to Kodalith film where tonal range is rendered as either black or white. Some dithering is likely desirable.

I have no interest in doing the high contrast work in post with editing software. I know exactly how to do this in Photoshop several different ways while having a full range of control. The strong preference is to preview the high contrast on scene in the LCD screen and allow it to inform my choices while shooting. That’s critical in this conversation.

The Kodak Charmera offers this effect, but other options would be nice. The Game Boy camera (1998-2002) technically offers a form of my request. But the resulting image is basically 95% dithering and 5% Kodalith.

For budgetary reasons, I’m not particularly interested in high-end cameras where in-camera recipes can be applied. I haven’t been able to find a way to effectively do it on my Nikon D600. It can simulate “monotone” and also maximize the custom contrast setting, but it doesn’t come anywhere close to that true Kodalith effect of black, white, and zero gray. If there’s a way to do it on the D600, then I’m open ears. But I’m really not so much interested in how it can be done on other brands because I’m not planning on buying said cameras.

Many low-price cameras offer a “grayscale” or “black and white” shooting mode, but they include the gray tonal range not desirable for my needs.

That’s where I’m curious for point-and-shoot cameras that offer an extreme black and white contrast as an in-camera art filter or shooting mode.

Thank you!

From Google Gemini AI:

Several camera manufacturers offer dedicated "high contrast" art filters or film simulations that produce a dramatic, black-and-white look straight-out-of-camera.
The most prominent options for this specific style include:

1. Ricoh GR Series (High Contrast B&W)​

The Ricoh GR series (including the GR III and GR IV) is famous for its "High Contrast B&W" mode.

• The Look: It produces bold contrast and textured gray areas, mimicking the look of ultrasensitive film or push-processed analog photography.
• Grain: In this mode, the camera configuration creates a "snappy and bold" look with large, contrasted particles rather than typical digital noise.
• Availability: This mode is available in the SCENE or Image Control menus on most GR models.

2. Fujifilm X-Series (ACROS & Film Simulations)​

Fujifilm cameras are highly regarded for their Film Simulations, which can be customized to create extremely high-contrast results.

• ACROS: This simulation mimics a professional monochrome film and can be paired with built-in Red (R) or Yellow (Ye) filters to considerably enhance contrast and darken skies.
• Customization: You can further push the contrast by adjusting Highlight and Shadow Tone settings (up to 13 increments on some models) directly in the camera menu.
• Bleach Bypass: The ETERNA Bleach Bypass simulation also offers a high-contrast, low-saturation look popular for dramatic storytelling.

3. Olympus/OM System (Art Filters)​

Olympus cameras (like the PEN-F or OM-D E-M10 Mark IV) feature a dedicated "Art Filter" mode.

• Dramatic B&W: The "Dramatic Tone" art filter is specifically designed to create high-contrast, moody images with deep shadows and emphasized textures.
• Dedicated Dials: The PEN-F includes a physical Creative Dial on the front of the body to quickly switch between color and high-contrast monochrome modes.

4. Leica (Monochrome High Contrast)​

High-end Leica cameras, such as the Q2 Monochrom and M11 Monochrom, include a specialized "Monochrome High Contrast" mode.

• True Monochrome: Because these cameras (the "Monochrom" editions) lack a color filter array, they capture tonal detail directly, which results in exceptionally clean, high-contrast imagery.

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Summary Table of High-Contrast Modes | Manufacturer | Feature Name | Common Models | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Ricoh | High Contrast B&W | GR III, GR IIIx, GR IV | | Fujifilm | ACROS + Red Filter | X100VI, X-T5, X-S20 | | Olympus | Dramatic Tone / Art Filter | PEN-F, E-M10 IV | | Leica | Monochrome High Contrast | Q3 Monochrom, M11 Monochrom |
Would you like me to find specific "recipes" or settings to achieve a particular high-contrast film look on one of these cameras?

I think my old Canon Powershot S5 IS could do this. You can set up a custom My Colors mode.

Alan Edward Klein said:

From Google Gemini AI:

Several camera manufacturers offer dedicated "high contrast" art filters or film simulations that produce a dramatic, black-and-white look straight-out-of-camera.
The most prominent options for this specific style include:

1. Ricoh GR Series (High Contrast B&W)​

The Ricoh GR series (including the GR III and GR IV) is famous for its "High Contrast B&W" mode.

• The Look: It produces bold contrast and textured gray areas, mimicking the look of ultrasensitive film or push-processed analog photography.
• Grain: In this mode, the camera configuration creates a "snappy and bold" look with large, contrasted particles rather than typical digital noise.
• Availability: This mode is available in the SCENE or Image Control menus on most GR models.

2. Fujifilm X-Series (ACROS & Film Simulations)​

Fujifilm cameras are highly regarded for their Film Simulations, which can be customized to create extremely high-contrast results.

• ACROS: This simulation mimics a professional monochrome film and can be paired with built-in Red (R) or Yellow (Ye) filters to considerably enhance contrast and darken skies.
• Customization: You can further push the contrast by adjusting Highlight and Shadow Tone settings (up to 13 increments on some models) directly in the camera menu.
• Bleach Bypass: The ETERNA Bleach Bypass simulation also offers a high-contrast, low-saturation look popular for dramatic storytelling.

3. Olympus/OM System (Art Filters)​

Olympus cameras (like the PEN-F or OM-D E-M10 Mark IV) feature a dedicated "Art Filter" mode.

• Dramatic B&W: The "Dramatic Tone" art filter is specifically designed to create high-contrast, moody images with deep shadows and emphasized textures.
• Dedicated Dials: The PEN-F includes a physical Creative Dial on the front of the body to quickly switch between color and high-contrast monochrome modes.

4. Leica (Monochrome High Contrast)​

High-end Leica cameras, such as the Q2 Monochrom and M11 Monochrom, include a specialized "Monochrome High Contrast" mode.

• True Monochrome: Because these cameras (the "Monochrom" editions) lack a color filter array, they capture tonal detail directly, which results in exceptionally clean, high-contrast imagery.

---

Summary Table of High-Contrast Modes | Manufacturer | Feature Name | Common Models | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Ricoh | High Contrast B&W | GR III, GR IIIx, GR IV | | Fujifilm | ACROS + Red Filter | X100VI, X-T5, X-S20 | | Olympus | Dramatic Tone / Art Filter | PEN-F, E-M10 IV | | Leica | Monochrome High Contrast | Q3 Monochrom, M11 Monochrom |
Would you like me to find specific "recipes" or settings to achieve a particular high-contrast film look on one of these cameras?

Click to expand...

Thanks for taking the time to respond. While that lengthy response looks impressive, after investigating each instance, it misses the mark.

The mentioned cameras, and their listed effects, still exhibit gray values and do not achieve the Kodalith effect.

• Ricoh GR Series High Contrast B&W
• Fujifilm X-Series ACROS
• Fujifilm X-Series ETERNA Bleach Bypass
• Olympus/OM System Dramatic Tone
• Olympus/OM System Creative Dial
• Leica Monochrome High Contrast

Is there certainty that any one of these can have a recipe applied that achieves the desired sans gray Kodalith effect?

I'm still holding hope that there's a simple point-and-shoot that offers black-and-white-with-no-gray in the shooting menu.

I seem to recall some point-and-shoot cameras from the 2000s had a document scanning mode. Maybe this would do what you are seeking?

If you've got an iPhone, I'd suggest trying the Provoke Camera app. It doesn't quite do the either black or white with no gray in between effect you're seeking, but at least three of its filter options are pretty close to that. Here are a few images I've made with it over the years:

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