WORKFLOW
Unlike conventional darkroom timers, MAYA is designed around darkroom techniques in order to simplify your workflow and let you take care of the final print without diving deep into calculations.
Simply start your session by using the highly customizable Test Strip Tool to create F-Stop based test strips and choose the step you like the best.
Make a test print and start thinking about where you want to dodge and burn and by how many stops. Add each action to MAYA using the Dodge and Burn Tools, based in F-Stops and simple location reminders.
MAYA will take care of everything and guide you along the way.
INTERFACE
Use the left dial to navigate through the menus and the right dial to change the highlighted setting.
Focus Button turns the enlarger on until you press it again.
Expose Button starts the exposure countdown.
Channel Button toggles between A and B channels within the Memory Channel, often used for split grade printing.
Lights Button toggles the room lights / safe light.
Memory Buttons recall your saved recipes (each with individual A and B channels).
Base Time in F-Stops and Seconds
Edit your exposure time in F-Stops (in 0.1 EV steps) as well as seconds (in 0.1″ increments).
Set your time in seconds if you already know the base time. Adjust in F-Stops if you want to make small changes.
Use the Enter Button or either dial to make faster or more precise adjustments. Hold down any of them to go back to the main menu.
Test strip mode
Configure Test Strip 1 and 2 according to your preferences. Use them to quickly create test strips and select your favourite step as your base time.
Strip Count: Number of exposure steps
Step Size: Exposure difference between each step (in F-Stops)
Linear/Individual: Exposed on a single paper or individual sheets
Shortest/Middle: Each step will be added to the starting time or starting time will be bracketed
Direction: Longest or shortest step first, move your mask to cover or reveal your paper with each step.
Test strip Review
After the test strip procedure, you’ll be asked which step you like the best
Strip Nr: Which step you prefer (will be your base time)
OK: Goes to main menu with the new base time
Refine: Exposes another test strip to refine the candidate time (this procedure is also configurable)
Retry: Go through the procedure once again, in case anything went wrong
Cancel: Discard everything and go back to the main menu
Dodge / Burn
You can add up to 9 dodge and 9 burn actions per channel. Each action comes with its own F-Stop time and area reminder.
Area: Where on paper to perform the next Dodge/Burn action (Location (any corner, side or center) or Subject A, B, C…). Simply acts as a reminder.
EV: Dodge/Burn amount in F-Stops.
Compensate
You can compensate your base time in accordance to:
Length: Measure one side of your paper or your subject’s length, raise or lower the enlarger head or change your enlarging lens, measure again and enter old and new dimensions.
Aperture: Change the aperture on your enalrger lens, enter old and new values.
Manual: Specify an F-Stop compensation manually.
Channel: You can compensate the active channel or both A/B channels at once when doing split grade prints.
Since all your Dodge/Burn times are specified in F-Stops, everything will be recalculated during exposure.
Drydown
Add an amount of compensation (in 0.05 EV) to your test print to see how it will look once your paper dries.
Hold Expose Button for 3″ to print without compensation.
Enlarger
Select which enlarger will be used for exposure. Configure how many enlargers you have and which sockets they are connected to on the Power Brick through the Set Up Menu.
Grade
This setting does not affect the actual exposure time.
The display on the left serves as a reminder for which filter to use, especially useful during split grade printing.
If Color is selected, all lights will be turned off before exposure and Color Enlarger State will be used (Options 2.1.2.1, 2.1.2.2).
If Developer, Fixer or Paper Flasher are selected, respectively configured power sockets will be active during countdown (Options 2.1.1.6, 2.1.1.7, 2.1.1.8).
Power bricks
Power Bricks are power sockets that are individually controllable. By default, you simply connect your Enlarger, Safe Light and Room light.
There are multiple States that you can configure per each Power Brick you have, which dictates which sockets will be powered during each State.
This way, you can have your safelight on while printing (easier to locate your masks and other tools) but have them off during focusing (easier to see and judge focus).
States
Default State: When Power Brick is first powered on (for example, safelights will be on so that you can see around).
Power Off State: When MAYA is turned off (e.g. leave a room light on, which you can turn off via its own switch as you exit your darkroom.
Safe Light: Self explanatory
Room Light: Self explanatory
Color Pre Expose: Usually all lights are off before making a color print.
Paper Developer: If you selected PD as your Grade to time your paper development, you can for example turn an extra safe light near your paper trays.
Paper Fixer: Same as above.
Paper Flasher: You can use a room light or any other light source to flash your paper when PF is selected as your Grade.
Film Developer
MAYA is capable of acting as a film development timer and even calculate development times according to temperature changes.
This feature will have its own section in near future.