Nikon F Special Models

These are the "hot rods" of the Nikon F world, special models that were either one-offed by Nikon or modified by the user.

• Nikon F Red DotThe actual story, based on an email I received:
  The Red Dot models originally appeared with the introduction of the Photomic T finder, thus on 659 and 660xxxx models. The Photomic T finder needed a factory modification of the body to install it properly -- the dip in the top plate where the finder's eyepiece sits needed to be widened on all earlier bodies. Nikon began to build all new F's with the widened top plate slot; in order to distinguish those cameras with the eyelevel prism and the new top plate from earlier versions, Nikon marked them with a red dot next to the serial number.

  My original text, based on rumor:
  This is perhaps the best known of the special models. These have a red dot next to the serial number and reputedly don't lose a frame when working the mirror lock-up on the camera. Not having any personal experience with a Red Dot, I'm not sure exactly how it works. Del's Camera mentions (in their September 1996 flyer) a F Mirror Up Button camera, which might be either a Red Dot or a special factory modification. There are rumors circulating over the usenet that the red dot was placed on the top plate when it was sent back to Nikon for repair that involved replacing the top plate, to indicate that the given serial number was not the original one. By the way, Pacific Rim Camera indicates that all 66xxxxx models are red dot models (and are all fairly rare).

• Nikon F High SpeedThere were actually two F HS's delivered: a 1971 model and a 1976 model. The original 1971 model delivered 7fps with the mirror locked up -- no pellicle yet -- and used sixteen AA batteries (presaging the coming of the F2-H, with its double-battery pack). In comparison, more pedestrian F/F36's delivered just 4fps with the mirror up.
  Just as Canon made special Lake Placid and Los Angeles models of its F-1, so did Nikon make the 1976 F HS for the Montreal games. It was slightly faster (9fps), but otherwise seems to be similar to the 1971 model, with the exception that the F250 back was supposedly made to work with this model in some way.

• Nikon F Apollo NASAIf you can get one of these, I'd be amazed -- these are supposedly the cameras carried to the moon (or maybe I'm wrong -- did Nikon release a special line of F's to commemorate the models they made for NASA?).

• Nikon F ApolloWell, actually, there are F's that went to the moon, but those are almost never referred to as "Apollo" cameras. Nikon introduced some F2 cosmetics on the F after 1972, including plastic-tipped advance and self-timer levers, and a round (rather than square) eyepiece surround on the eyelevel prism (similar to a DE-1). These are known as "Apollo" cameras, and have absolutely nothing to do with the moon (well, I suppose that you could shoot pictures of the moon with it, which, by the way, is correctly exposed at sunny-16 since it's directly lit by the sun ...).

• Nikon F NATOA white-colored F for NATO use, or was it olive-green?

• Nikon F KS-80AThis F came with an F36, the pistol grip, and a 43-86f/3.5. It was built mainly for the US military as a "grab shot" kind of camera -- i.e., with one hand driving/flying/whatever, you could use the other to take pictures with it. Actually, I think that it was used mainly for aerial photography, with the 43-86 sporting an infinity lock of some kind (it would make sense, too, that you wouldn't want to take both hands off of the airplane's controls).

• Early Nikon F's (S/N 640xxxx)Early Nikon F's have a hollow winding lever, a squarly-shaped and cross-hatched (knurled) self-timer lever (rather than the usual vertical "stripe" engraving), a "Nippon Kogaku" engraving inside the eyelevel prism, a fairly rough Fresnel pattern on the screen, which should be notched on both left and right (so that you can insert it in either way), and patent numbers engraved inside the slip-off back. In addition, I believe that it has the frame counter set so that the window is offset by about 30 degrees to the right of what is normal (straight back) -- see also cover III of the September 1969 Modern Photography.

• Nikon F White LeatherTwo Nikon F's were finished in white leather (serial numbers 6507770 and 6507771) and furnished to __ in New Jersey in 1963. Nikon later confirmned in 1982 that these were in fact the only such white-leather F's made.

  Sources: see my bibliography page. I mostly consulted B. Moose Peterson's book for this one. I also owe a deep debt to the online version of the Gray's of Westminster letter for much intelligence regarding the KS-80A and the F-H. Hayao Tanabe set me straight regarding both the Red Dot and the Early versions of the F, and provided priceless knowledge about the Model I, II, and III meters. Ted Wengelaar provided serial number and existence information regarding the White Leather F's.

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