If you’re looking for a dedicated black & white camera, chances are good that you’re a very particular sort of photographer. You want images full of drama and detail, with crisp details and gorgeous textures. You may want the flexibility of changing lenses, or you might well prefer the idea of an all-in-one compact that’s light on its feet. Cameras that are great for black & white also tend to be some of the best cameras for photography in general – and I’m here to help you find the right one for you.
Manufacturers are well aware of the popularity of monochrome, and have adapted their cameras accordingly with dedicated black & white modes. Indeed, some have gone the whole hog and brought out cameras that only shoot in black & white. All in all, there are lots to choose from. Note that I’m only dealing with digital models here; for shooting black and white analogue images, check out our best film guides. And for techniques on how to shoot great black and white images, read Will Cheung’s complete guide to black and white photography, which explains everything you need to know about capturing the world in monochrome.
All the cameras on this list are perfect for creating striking, dramatic black and white images, whether you capture them in-camera or want to convert the images later in software.
Best cameras for black and white photography: our quick list
- Best camera for black and white overall: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome – Buy now
- Best premium compact for black and white photography: Leica Q3 Monochrom – Buy now
- Best beginner camera for black and white photography: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV – Buy now
- Best smartphone for black and white photography: iPhone 17 Pro – Buy now
- Best camera for a black and white film look: Fujifilm X100VI – Buy now
- Best black and white rangefinder camera: Leica M11 Monochrom – Buy now
- Best second-hand black and white camera: Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) – Buy now
Read on for the best deals on black and white cameras, where you’ll also find some of the best monochrome camera deals, as our ‘Buy now’ buttons are set up to automatically take you to the best prices from trusted retailers. You’ll also find a list of other retailers below each camera, so you can find the right deal for you.
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Best overall
Best camera for black & white overall: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome
Amateur Photographer verdict
A capable compact that produces high-quality black & white images, the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome offers enthusiast-friendly controls – but be aware that it ONLY shoots B&W!- Very tiny and pocketable
- Stellar image quality
- Excellent control layout and handling
- Built-in switchable red filter for more dramatic shots
- MicroSD storage is fiddly
- Monochrome only
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | Ricoh GR IV Monochrome |
|---|---|
| Type | Compact |
| Sensor | 25.7MP APS-C monochrome |
| Continuous shooting | 4fps |
| ISO | 160–409,600 |
| Weight | 262g |
| Price | $2,200 / £1,599 |
While it is easier than ever to convert an image to black and white post-capture, a dedicated black and white camera with a monochrome sensor delivers genuine advantages. You get more detail, better dynamic range, lower noise and high ISOs. If you know you’re going to shoot in black and white exclusively, it’s well worth considering a camera that does the same thing – and my recommendation to most people in this category would be the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome.
Ricoh GR cameras have long been popular as day-to-day street-shooting models. Slim and pocketable, easy to take everywhere with you, they’re also nippy and offer impressive image quality for their size thanks to their APS-C sensors and sharp stabilised lenses. The Ricoh GR IV Monochrome is, as the name implies, a B&W-only version of the Ricoh GR IV. As Andy found in his full review, its black & white-only sensor renders pixel-level detail and texture with a level of crispness and precision that cameras with color filter arrays can only look upon with envy.
The handling of the GR IV Monochrome is also first-rate – like all these little compacts, it’s the kind of camera that gets you shooting more, purely because it’s so much fun to pick up and use. But while it’s not the most expensive black & white-only camera around (see below for that), it’s also not exactly cheap. You do have to be really committed to only shooting monochrome for it to be worth it. Still, if you are – what a camera this is.
Read our full Ricoh GR IV Monochrome review
Best premium
Best premium compact for black and white photography: Leica Q3 Monochrom
Amateur Photographer verdict
Indisputably the finest camera ever made for black & white street/travel/documentary photography – but the price would be eye-watering even if it weren’t so specialised.- Exceptional image quality
- Great lens that’s sharp wide open
- Reliably excellent AF
- Menu system works well
- That price though
- Screen doesn’t flip out
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | Leica Q3 Monochrom |
|---|---|
| Type | Compact |
| Sensor | 60.3MP full-frame monochrome |
| Continuous shooting | 15fps |
| ISO | 100-200,000 |
| Weight | 746g |
| Price | $7,790 / £5,800 |
I’ll be honest – if I won the lottery, buying a Leica Q3 Monochrom would be very high on my to-do list. Leica has become exceedingly efficient at producing monochrome-only cameras over the past decade-plus, and this b&w version of its street-shooting fixed-lens compact, the Leica Q3, is nothing short of spectacular. Its 60.3MP full-frame sensor, paired with a 28mm f/1.7 Summilux lens, eschews a colour filter in favour of delivering scintillating levels of image detail, and deliver it does.
As Damien found in his full review, the image quality produced by the Q3 Monochrom is little short of breathtaking. Detail is excellent, tonal transitions are lovely, and you can push that ISO all the way up to its maximum of 200,000 and still come away with images that can be massaged in tools like Camera Raw to look very good indeed. Handling is also first-rate; this is a heavy beast compared to the likes of the GR IV Monochrome, but it feels natural to use and the control scheme works well.
Everything I said about the GR IV Monochrome goes triple for the Leica Q3 Monochrom, since it’s about triple the price. You’ve got to really want to shoot monochrome to make it worth it (or, as I said, win the lottery). But this is undeniably a superb camera, and it’s the best you can buy for everyday b&w shooting.
Read our full Leica Q3 Monochrom review
Best beginner
Best beginner black & white camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV
Amateur Photographer verdict
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is an easy to handle entry level camera that’s also an affordable option for shooting black & white.- Small and portable
- Affordable price tag
- Excellent monochrome JPEG quality
- Smaller sensor affects dynamic range
- Aging autofocus system
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV |
|---|---|
| Type | Mirrorless |
| Sensor | 20MP Micro Four Thirds |
| Continuous shooting | Up to 15fps |
| ISO | 100-200,000 |
| Weight | 335g |
| Price | $699 / £649 |
For an affordable route into monochrome photography, we’d definitely recommend the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. It’s a Micro Four Thirds camera, meaning there are loads of lenses to choose from, just as with the Lumix GX9 above. Despite its small size and relatively beginner-friendly price, the E-M10 Mark IV packs in plenty of features that see it punching above its weight, such as highly effective 5-axis stabilisation, Live Composite mode for long exposures, and more.
Monochrome-wise, the E-M10 Mark IV offers in-camera Monochrome picture modes, with the option to add colour tints as though you were using a physical filter. For images with a bit more pop, you can also use Olympus’s digital Art Filter modes in monochrome. Give images a bit more punch with the Dramatic Tone Art Filter, or add a bit of grain for a film effect – it’s all there to play with.
Read our Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review.
Best smartphone
Best smartphone for black & white photography: iPhone 17 Pro
Amateur Photographer verdict
Want to shoot b&w images on a phone? For my money, the iPhone 17 Pro is your best bet. It offers a number of nice built-in monochrome looks, and its high-res camera array impresses.- Triple high-resolution sensors
- Picture Styles include monochrome
- Tough body
- High price
- Minor upgrade on 16 Pro
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | iPhone 17 Pro |
|---|---|
| Type | Smartphone |
| Sensor | Triple 48MP sensor array |
| Continuous shooting | Not specified |
| ISO | Not specified |
| Weight | 206g |
| Price | $1,099 / £1,099 (256GB) |
You may well prefer the idea of your monochrome camera being the one that’s always in your pocket. For shooting monochrome images on a smartphone, I would recommend the iPhone 17 Pro. With a triple array of 48MP cameras, including a wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lens, it’s equipped for all different types of photography – and it can produce some pretty cracking monochrome images too.
The trick lies in the Picture Styles, which is just Apple’s term for its image looks, but in this case gives you some rather lovely b&w options. The resident Picture Styles for black & white are MUTED B&W and STARK B&W, both of which can be adjusted to taste, but look pretty good to start with. Our in-house smartphone photography expert Amy Davies recently spent a week shooting with nothing but these modes on her iPhone 17 Pro, and she found herself so much more alert to shooting opportunities in her day to day life. And having these adjustable styles helped her produce a series of striking, impactful images – all on the same camera that millions of people are carrying around with them every day.
The iPhone 17 Pro is expensive. You know, being an iPhone and all. But if having a phone that’s great for monochrome photography is important to you, it could well be worth making the iPhone 17 Pro your next upgrade.
Read our full iPhone 17 Pro review.
Best for film look
Best camera for a black & white film look: Fujifilm X100VI
Amateur Photographer verdict
The X100VI is a stunning street camera that also benefits from Fujifilm’s superb ACROS Film Simulation, which is great for giving images a bit of analogue-style grit.- Detailed, crisp images
- Gorgeous b&w film simulations
- Unique design and handling
- One-of-a-kind viewfinder
- Full weather-sealing costs extra
- High demand makes it hard to buy
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | Fujifilm X100VI |
|---|---|
| Type | Compact |
| Sensor | 40.2MP APS-C |
| Continuous shooting | 20fps |
| ISO | 64–51,200 |
| Weight | 521g |
| Price | $1,599 / £1,599 |
Arguably, we could have put any recent Fujifilm X camera on this list, since they all boast the scintillating selection of Film Simulations that are so great for photographers chasing a vintage look. But the perennially popular X100VI is a camera in the mold of the likes of the GR IV and the Q3, and it will likely appeal to the same sorts of users, even if it isn’t monochrome-only.
The Film Simulation relevant to our purposes here is ACROS, Fuji’s gorgeous monochrome look. It’s rich and lovely, with soft grey tones, excellent detail and just a touch of film-like grain to give your images a little bite. It can also be customised with Red, Green or Yellow filter modes – just as back in the day, monochrome photographers would add coloured glass filters to alter the contrast of a scene by screening out certain wavelengths. The best way to get used to what they do is simply to try them out!
Pairing a high-quality APS-C sensor with a sharp, stabilised 28mm lens and tactile dial-based controls, the Fujifilm X100VI is a dream retro-style camera – as proven by the fact that it keeps selling out everywhere! You may need to sign up to stock alerts to be in with a chance of getting one.
Read our full Fujifilm X100VI review
Best rangefinder
Best black and white rangefinder camera: Leica M11 Monochrom
Amateur Photographer verdict
For black and white photographers looking for the experience of shooting with a manual focusing rangefinder camera, the Leica M11 Monochrom is your dream machine – but you’ll need deep pockets.- Large viewfinder and first-class rangefinder
- Superlative image quality
- Gives a great user experience
- Ludicrously expensive
- Touchscreen could be better integrated
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | Leica M11 Monochrom |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital rangefinder |
| Sensor | 60.4MP monochrome full-frame |
| Continuous shooting | 4.5fps |
| ISO | 125–200,000 |
| Weight | 540g |
| Price | $9,195 / £8,300 |
For those really committed to black and white and the experience of shooting with a manual focusing rangefinder camera, the Leica M11 Monochrom is your dream machine – but once again, you’ll need deep pockets. It’s $9,195 / £8,300 (body only) and Leica M optics aren’t cheap either – the Summilux-M 50mm f/1.4 ASPH is $4,495 / £4,100. As we said in our review, the experience of using this camera is incredible – that rich, high-resolution sensor captures the finest details, and while the experience of rangefinder focusing is tricky to master, it’s immensely satisfying once you get it down.
With tremendous high-ISO performance, impressive dynamic range and exquisite handling, the M11 Monochrom is hugely capable and extremely desirable. However, as this is a Leica, ownership comes at a very significant cost.
Read our Leica M11 Monochrom review
Best used option
Best second-hand black and white camera: Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246)
Amateur Photographer verdict
With a dedicated monochrome sensor, this Leica rangefinder is perfect for black and white photography. Having the Leica M mount also gives you access to some of the best lenses money can buy.- Exceptional dynamic range
- Price has come down since launch
- Still very pricey
- Rangefinder focusing takes practice
Specifications at a glance:
| Specifications | Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) |
|---|---|
| Type | Digital rangefinder |
| Sensor | 24MP full-frame monochrome |
| Continuous shooting | 4fps |
| ISO | 320–25,600 |
| Weight | 680g |
| Price | Around $4,400 / £3,000 |
We first published our Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) review back in 2015. At that time, it was retailing for £5,750 body-only, but these days on the second-hand market, we’ve seen it going in the range of $3400-3550 / £2,599-2,879. While that’s still a chunk of change, it’s also a hell of a saving on a frankly exceptional camera.
With a dedicated monochrome sensor, this Leica rangefinder is optimised for black-and-white imaging, delivering exceptional dynamic range and quality. Having the Leica M mount also gives you access to some of the finest lenses money can buy.
How to choose the best cameras for black & white
So what are the priorities for picking a camera that’s going to capture fantastic black & white images? Dynamic range is of huge importance – this defines the difference between the darkest and lightest tones in an image, and is crucial for creating monochrome images with depth and tonality. Cameras with larger sensors offer greater dynamic range. However, these are also bigger and more expensive (see our guide to camera sensor sizes for more on this). Sharpness is just as important in monochrome as it is in colour, so you may also want to pick a camera with a fast, accurate autofocus system.
Then there are “true” monochrome cameras – that only shoot black & white. These deliver the best raw monochrome image quality, but tend to be very expensive. Using a regular colour camera is the more accessible route for most people, and many manufacturers pack their models with fantastic in-camera monochrome modes; particularly Fujifilm. The third option is to have a colour camera converted to shoot black & white images by a specialist – this is especially good if you shoot infrared photography. Check out infraredcameraconversions.co.uk to learn more.
How we test black & white cameras
For every camera test, we take cameras out into real-world conditions to assess their shooting capability, ease of use, handling and image quality. We look at autofocus performance, shooting speed and low-light performance, as well as physical features of the design like the screen and viewfinder. All this is to give us the most complete picture possible of how a camera performs.
With black & white cameras and shooting modes, we pay particular attention to the level of detail resolved in images – as this is ideally what a monochrome camera should be best at. We also consider the aesthetic quality of images more broadly, looking at texture, tonal range, contrast and more.
Recent updates:
- July 2026: Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, Leica Q3 Monochrom, iPhone 17 Pro and Fujifilm X100VI have been added. The Pentax K-3 Mark III Monochrome, Fujifilm X-T30 II, Leica Q2 Monochrom and Ricoh GR IV have all been removed or replaced.
- November 2025: Panasonic Lumix GX9, Fujifilm GFX50S II, Fujifilm X-Pro3 and Panasonic Lumix S5 have been removed as they are no longer available to buy. The Ricoh GR III / GR IIIx has been updated to the GR IV. Black Friday Deals added.
Written by Jon Stapley with additional information by Joshua Waller & Michael Topham
Related reading:
- How to shoot stunning black & white portraits
- How to convert images to black & white in Adobe Lightroom
- Black & white street photography: Tips and techniques from the experts
- Mono magic: Black & white landscape photography
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