Monochrome import - menu's greyed out

[DickieT]

I have looked all over the internet but can't find my answer. Here is my issue:

I import scanned (Nikon Coolscan 5000) black and white photo's as DNG file. This works fine. But when I want to apply filters (red for example) to the photo, a lot of menu's in the Develop section are greyed out. Most importantly HSL/Color/B&W and in the box is says "Monochrome photo selected".

Please help how I can make my adjustments - do I need to import differently ? Convert the photo ?

Thanks for much for your help ! Dick

[dj_paige · Accepted solution]

I think you need to scan the photo as color and not B&W

[Just Shoot Me]

In the Basic panel is Black & White selected at the top? If it is select Color.

If the Scanning software was set to B&W that might place a marker in the DNG file that doesn't allow you access to those settings that are grayed out. Try re-scanning as a color image.

[Per Berntsen]

I'm guessing that you are scanning in grayscale, in which case there is no color information in the file, and consequently no color to manipulate in the HSL/Color panel. To be able to do what you want, you will have to scan in RGB.

And I'm not sure if there is any advantage to converting scanned files to DNG. It does not turn them into raw files.

If you scan as 16-bit Tiff, and make sure that you include all the information in the negative (no clipped shadows or highlights), that's as good as any raw file.

[JP Hess]

The other alternative would be to scan it as a TIF file.

[DickieT]

Thanks guys - will give it a try!