Nikon F "Apollo"

[mynikonf2]

Hello,
I have a question about the Nikon F "Apollo", does anyone know when Nikon started the production of this variation? I know from visiting Richard de Stoutz web page that he has an Apollo with serial # 737xxxx . I did not find a mention of when these began. So, if someone knows or can point me in the right direction to find this data, I would appreciate. If not, then I will start a data collection for these cameras.

[CameraQuest]

generally the 73 and later F's were the so called Apollo, or F's with F2 improvements.

Stephen

[Frankie]

Notwithstanding serial numbers, F "Apollo" is distinguished by F2 style plastic winder tip, self-time tip and viewfinder eyepiece housing.

[sevo]

Production started some time in 73. See http://www.cameraquest.com/nfapol.htm

[sevo]

Since the final Apollo Lunar mission was in 1972, I have to wonder why the 1974 Nikon F's are called the Apollo F?

For no good reason, other than collectors and dealers fantasies.

[Brian Sweeney]

They are called Apollo Nikon F's because of the wind-lever tip, developed for the Apollo mission. I've seen the phrase applied to the wind lever of the Nikkormat FT2 in the 1970s. Interesting enough: the early tapered wind lever tips for the Nikon F2 were made of metal, not plastic. After the 1600th or so Nikon F2, they switched to plastic.

There is a photo of a late 72xxxxx SN with the F2 cosmetics, ie Apollo, in a Nikon F owners manual.

My early Apollo Nikon F is 7303xxx. Production of Apollo and "regular" Nikon F's went on for a while. By about 737xxxx or so (I do not have a reference), the switchover was complete.

[NIKON KIU]

The Nikon F had a coded serial number in that the first two numbers indicated the year of production. The F cameras were last produced in 1974 hence their serial numbers begin as 74xxxx....

This is NOT true and most times does not indicate the year of production.
Records show the Nikon F production stopped in 1973, those 74xxxxx cameras were actually made in 1973( lots of replacement top panels exist within the 74xxxx batch), 64xxxxx cameras started production in 1959!

The second issue is that the break is not clean, there are many samples within the 72xxxxx batch that do not have the "Apollo" characteristics, yet are numbered higher than the "Apollo" samples!

Large batches of overlapping numbers are discovered within the 73xxxx cameras.

mynikonF2, you don't need to start the collection of numbers, Uli Koch has already done it in his book:
http://www.nikon-f.de/

Kiu

[Ken Shipman]

...By about 737xxxx or so (I do not have a reference), the switchover was complete.

I have an Apollo F s/n 7381xxx so it must have gone on a little bit longer.

[nikonhswebmaster]

So what do the first two numbers of the F & F2 serial number suggest? If not the year of production then why didn't Nikon just start at 0000001 and sequentially go from there?

They are serial number blocks reserved for specific models.

The F starts with 6400001 (in theory) for a block of 100,000 bodies. When that block of numbers was used up they went to 65, 66, etc until the last block which was 74. The 64 number was started in 1959, so as you can see it has nothing to do with the year.

The block preceding the F was the S3 rangefinder, block number 63xxxxx The 65 block is shared with the S4 rangefinder.

Like a broken clock that is right twice a day, the serial numbers in the 70~74 range hit the right years, pure accident.

[mynikonf2]

mynikonF2, you don't need to start the collection of numbers, Uli Koch has already done it in his book:
http://www.nikon-f.de/

Kiu

Thanks Kiu for pointing me in the right direction. I will look in Uli's book for the serial numbers.

The camera I own with the F2 lever, self timer, flash sync terminal & rewind was made sometime between Sept."73" to Oct. "73" (serial #74126xx). The last "official serial # is 7451052 with others, as you pointed out, being spare tops numbered up to 7464xxx.

Again thanks for everyones responce. The Nikon F is the camera that started my love of photography and the gear we use while photographing.

[Brian Sweeney]

It should be noted that the 66xxxxx block was mostly skipped, very few Nikon F's built in that range. They are considered collectible by those that have everything else Nikon. The S3M also used the 66 block.

[NIKON KIU]

For no good reason, other than collectors and dealers fantasies.
Not entirely!
I thought a lot before replying to this post.
Let me tell you something about those collectors, most do not even care about the so called "Apollo" version, over by the NHS, we are ashamed to even call them that. Hence the term, Nikon F with F2 cosmetics!
Why? Because some of the members do own real "NASA" models that were flown in space missions! funny is, none of those cameras have the plastic tipped stuff!!

However, back in the early seventies the USA distributor came out with the followin logo:
http://images.yuku.com/image/pjpeg/da2259288194f71403310ac7ad06e33e7d1daa4.jpg
This sticker was put on or included lots of boxes(camera and lenses) at the time. Ironic is, Nikon did take a production model off the shelf(factory shelf that is), but upgraded it with many things before it was used in space, the original advertising was kinda misleading.

The dealers were having a ball selling "Photomic" finders at the time, this was icing on the cake, from that point on---> it was "Apollo"...poor dealers had all this late Nikon Fs sitting on their shelves, everybody was looking for the F2 so they had to do something to get rid of them!!

But funnier is, these days, for every one NHS member, there are a dozen Photo hobbyist looking for the so called "Apollo" Nikon F, most of them after reading many on-line articles concerning this subject.
Soooo, don't blame the poor collectors, we refuse to pay a premium for these cameras...Have you seen what a nice one in the box sells for today?


Kiu

[Brian Sweeney]

Mine was $100 at a show, and it had the motor plate on it.

The near mint 7444xxx was $150 with a 35/2.8 Nikkor.

[John Kozy]

A day or so ago A Nikon "Apollo" F , a beautiful black model sold for $1325 on e bay . It was from New Zealand . I have a lovely black F from 1970 and I wondered just what the Apollo model has that mine didn't . Thanks for your inputs .

[Dwig]

Notwithstanding serial numbers, F "Apollo" is distinguished by F2 style plastic winder tip, self-time tip and viewfinder eyepiece housing.


... and the oft forgotten vastly improved F2 style strap lugs. These can be identified by their stainless steel inserts. The original F lugs were one piece plated brass, as were almost all lugs at the time, and were prone to wearing thin.

[Brian Sweeney]

The first 1600 or so Nikon F2 bodies did not have the stainless steel insert for the strap lugs. So much for the term Nikon F with F2 cosmetics! I have two of these early F2 bodies, both bought at a camera show. No premium paid for them, just dumb luck. One was $125 with the early DP-1.

I prefer and use the term "Apollo Nikon F" as I have since the 1970s when the term was coined. Or we could use the phrase Nikon F2 with Nikon F cosmetics for these early F2 bodies.

[nikonhswebmaster]

The first 1600 or so Nikon F2 bodies did not have the stainless steel insert for the strap lugs. So much for the term Nikon F with F2 cosmetics! I have two of these early F2 bodies, both bought at a camera show. No premium paid for them, just dumb luck. One was $125 with the early DP-1.

I prefer and use the term "Apollo Nikon F" as I have since the 1970s when the term was coined. Or we could use the phrase Nikon F2 with Nikon F cosmetics for these early F2 bodies.

Are you sure they were not replaced? I have never seen an F with a plastic tip lever without the lugs. Not that I pay much attention to the F2, it never interested me, I skipped that model entirely and went straight to the F3 from the F.

I have very early F2 literature, I will have to look at the photos, and serial numbers... sometime.

[Brian Sweeney]

It is the two Nikon F2 bodies that do not have the stainless steel inserts. These are F2 7101xxx bodies, very close in number. The 7303xxx F "Apollo" body has the inserts. The only difference that I can see between the two Nikon F "Apollo's" is on the flash contact: the early 7303xxx has white insulating plastic on the flash connection and the late 7444xxx has black insulating plastic. The most unique feature of the early F2: the tip for the wind lever is metal, not plastic.

[nikonhswebmaster]

Photos of 7100035 clearly do not have neck-strap ring inserts. From F2 Photomic instruction manual (71.7.E) &-1.