About the Nikon F Apollo SLR Camera
The Nikon F "Apollo" SLR camera was so named because the film advance lever resembles the film advance lever of the Nikon F cameras NASA used on Apollo missions 15, 16 and 17. Nikon F cameras were used inside the Command Module and on the lunar surface during these missions. The cameras were equipped with various Nikkor lenses, including 55mm f/1.2 and 35mm f/2.8 lenses. They were used to take photographs of the lunar surface, the lunar module, and various scientific experiments.
Really, the "Apollo" cameras are just using Nikon F2 cosmetics. They use plastic or hard rubber tipped film advance levers and plastic/rubber tipped self-timer levers. All Apollo cameras that came with a standard eyelevel prism can accept diopters (the variations of the eyelevel prism are for another article). In fact, Nikon started using eyelevel viewfinders that accept diopters in 1968, which is about four years before the introduction of the Nikon F "Apollo" in 1972.
The latest serial number of the Nikon F Apollo seen to date is 7451390 which is not one with the top plate replaced because replacement top plates for the Nikon F have serial numbers 746xxxx.
Apollo cameras began showing up in the 72xxxxx serial number range but it was not a clean switch as Nikon were still producing Nikon F cameras without these upgrades in this range. It is believed that by 73xxxxx, all Nikon F cameras were Apollo variants to some degree. "To some degree," because the above photo shows the late Apollo cameras with the black flash sync terminal isolator ring. Some Apollo cameras have a white one like all earlier Nikon F cameras have. At some point during the production of the Nikon F Apollo camera, a switch was made to a threaded flash sync port like the Nikon F2 SLR camera features. This was a nice added feature.
All these nuances keep collectors busy. If not a collector, just purchase the Nikon F2 as it has all these advancements plus much, much more.
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