PURPOSE: To simultaneously pick up a picture area with different average contrast level, by through multi-value-processing with a threshold value data and area-pickup, by determining a plurality of threshold values automatically from the distribution of contrast level of a picture.

CONSTITUTION: A contrast digital picture data is stored in a picture memory device 1 and the picture data stored in the device 1 is applied to a threshold value determining device 2 and a threshold value processor 3. The frequency distribution of contrast data of a picture in all pictures is calculated with a digital picture element determining device 6 of the device 2, and after the picture element is determined, the frequency distribution of the contrast data of the picture based on the position information and the picture data from the device 6 and the device 1 is calculated at a threshold value pickup device 5 and a plurality of threshold values are determined with the shape of distribution. A plurality of threshold values determined at the device 5 are applied to the device 3 and the picture areas with different average contrast level is simultaneously picked up and stored in a fixed memory device 4.