Nikon F "Apollo"

Reviving an old thread.

I have a Nikon F so-called Apollo but it has a 72xxxx serial number. I was thinking it may have had a top cover replacement at some time but the original owner who I got it from (I am the second owner) says it is all original and has never had any changes..

Any input on this??
 
Colyn, does yours have the plastic covered advance lever, the plastic self timer lever, and the newer F2 style flash sync? I've seen cameras listed as "Apollo" F's that have only one, or two or all three of those features. I wonder if the changes were filtered in piecemeal over time, and I wonder if dealers could just put the plastic tip advance lever on non-Apollo cameras they had in stock to make them look more like the F2 and therefore easier to sell. Both the advance lever and the self timer lever would be simple swaps for any shop that had a decent service department.
 
Timmyjoe said:
Colyn, does yours have the plastic covered advance lever, the plastic self timer lever, and the newer F2 style flash sync? I've seen cameras listed as "Apollo" F's that have only one, or two or all three of those features. I wonder if the changes were filtered in piecemeal over time, and I wonder if dealers could just put the plastic tip advance lever on non-Apollo cameras they had in stock to make them look more like the F2 and therefore easier to sell. Both the advance lever and the self timer lever would be simple swaps for any shop that had a decent service department.
Click to expand...

It has the plastic tipped selftimer lever and advance lever but has the old style non-screw-in flash cable socket. I read where many early models did not have the flash socket change..

The problem with a swap is neither Dave (the original owner) nor me have ever sent it in for service. He only owned it a couple of months before I bought it off him in 1972. I did however service it myself in 2004 but made no changes..
 
I failed to mention the reason I can vouch for this camera is because a friend bought it new in late 1971 at the Navy exchange (EP marked). I bought it off him in early 1972..
 
One other thing I noticed is this camera does have the stainless steel inserts in the strap eyelets which was introduced with the Apollo and I was wrong in a previous post when I said it did not have the threaded pc socket. It in fact does have the threads..
 
Late Apollo F

Late Apollo F

Hi,

I’ve got a question. I just bought a Apollo F from KEH and it serial number is 7451390. There are several mentions on the Cameraquest site that the last official number 7451052 may not be in fact correct. See www.cameraquest.com/nfapol.htm. The camera as far as condition and details looks a lot like the one shown at www.cameraquest.com/NikonFL.htm. If anything maybe a little cleaner, with wear on top cover consistent with the rest of the camera.

So what would the consensus be, was it just a replacement top cover, a very late unit pulled together from parts, or is the 7451052 end number wrong?

Joe
 
No opinions out there???

jszokoli said:
Hi,

I’ve got a question. I just bought a Apollo F from KEH and it serial number is 7451390. There are several mentions on the Cameraquest site that the last official number 7451052 may not be in fact correct. See www.cameraquest.com/nfapol.htm. The camera as far as condition and details looks a lot like the one shown at www.cameraquest.com/NikonFL.htm. If anything maybe a little cleaner, with wear on top cover consistent with the rest of the camera.

So what would the consensus be, was it just a replacement top cover, a very late unit pulled together from parts, or is the 7451052 end number wrong?

Joe
Click to expand...
 
Apollo%20Creed_zpsmsuvtpes.jpg
 
jszokoli said:
No opinions out there???
Click to expand...

If you're looking for opinions, I'd say your Nikon F Apollo is a production model (if you post pictures it would be easier to tell).

From things I've read numerous places, Nikon was not like the German camera manufacturers, where they kept track of every single serial number and have lists published. The serial numbers on the Japanese cameras were not as carefully tracked back then. And I think the numbers listed on Cameraquest are taken from cameras that the site producer has seen or people have written in to him about. Your camera is probably just on the high end of the production of Apollo's and the reason Cameraquest has cut off at 7451052 is because that is the highest number camera he's seen or someone has told him about. I would recommend taking good pictures of your camera and sending them to him. Maybe he'll update the site.
 
Nikon must, in various places across the globe, have had some inventory of replacement bodies for service purposes past the official clearance - after all, they still were under legal obligations to service cameras sold in 1974 or the preceding years for several years (the actual number depending on local regulations). So there might well be cameras with higher numbers than the last one shipped to a shop.
 
Apollo Pictures

Apollo Pictures

Here are some pictures of 7451390;

Nikon (1 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (2 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (3 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (4 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (5 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (6 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (7 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (8 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (9 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (10 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Nikon (11 of 11) by Joe Szokoli, on Flickr

Joe
 
There you go; the repair sticker inside indicates a Nikon servicing so most likely the top left body casing was replaced with new higher serial number.
 
Joe,

You are a dog. LOL.

Really nice camera, mucho interesting, and with a sense of both history and mystery.

Kinda like my Wetzlar M6 with a Ti/zinc top plate that predates the limited edition Ti M6 by 5 years. BTW Ti M6 have brass top plates that were Ti plated.

I have a sweet spot for cameras that stand as individuals. BTW that Nikon F looks evil.

Cal
 
Cal,

It's funny how stuff just drops in your lap sometimes.

From what I can find on the web the second type of flash terminal found its way on to cameras mid '72. So even if this camera has had a replacement top it's quite late in the run. From the limited wear on the camera and that both left, and right tops, as well as that the rest of the camera shows constant wear patterns, the only way I could see this being a replacement top was if the camera was damaged very early on in its life. How else could a top with a a number so low get on it. As noted in an earlier post there is no proof that it's original but with more than 860k F's made at that point what would the chance of such a late camera being the one to get a replacement top with such an early number. (or is that a late number?? Depends how you look at it seems)

I know I had said no more film cameras, but I'm glad I had a moment of weakness, caused by a 15% off web offer from KEH.

I had expected that there would be something a little crude about the F compared to the F2 I have, but it's so nice...

Joe
 
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