Raw Processing

[Wayfarer]

When images are downloaded from my camera in Raw format, the pictures which were taken in monotone open as colour files in photoshop.
Can anyone explain why this is and how to open them in monotone for post processing as required. Thankyou.

[Merlyn]

What are your camera settings? Are you shooting RAW plus jpeg or just RAW?
If you are shooting RAW, then the monochrome option is just setting a metadata tag in the file, like color temperature. all information captured is still there. Check you data and see what it says for the photo. All I can say with the info you have given. Anyone have other input?

[nfnitloop]

The idea of RAW is that your image is not processed by the camera at all. In order to make an image monochrome, the camera would have to do processing. If your camera has a RAW+JPEG option and you choose this along with the monochrome color setting, your RAW will be full color and your JPEG will be the monochrome version.
If you're using Photoshop anyway, I'd skip the monochrome option in the camera (especially if you're using RAW) and just make the image monochrome in Photoshop. This makes much better looking Black & Whites IMHO. If I remember right, there's a post on the DPS blog from not too long ago about this very subject.
If you don't want to filter channels and just want it done quickly, use Image > Adjustments > Desaturate (SHIFT+CTRL+U).