This is the most reproduced photograph of the Apollo era and why not? It is the culmination of the efforts of thousands of people who believed that America could put a man on the moon.

The following comments are taken from various sources including David Percy's - Dark Moon

• Why is Aldrin's right side, which is in shadow so well lit? As if from a secondary light source to left of camera position 'filling in'the shadows

• Aldrin appears to be standing in a 'pool' of light, as if from a large spot light. Yet the only known source of light is the Sun, which would give even illumination from camera to horizon.

• The background is out if focus, which would not occur when using a wide angle lens in bright light. The aperture used would be around f8 or f11

• Armstrong has his camera attached to his chest pack. Yet the viewpoint of this picture is as if the camera is at head height. You are looking down on Aldrin and can see the top of his helmet and the top of his backpack. The ground between the two is level.

  The 'head height' camera position can be proved mathematically.

  Oh, where do I begin? Let me start with the obvious.

  Let us talk about camera height! The conspiracy believers say that the 'head height' camera position can be proved mathematically.

  One of my pet hates is when people state opinion as fact, therefore the camera has been suggested - not proven, if you have read Dr David Groves statement in David Percy's - Dark Moon, he does not say he has proven anything ( as any self respecting PhD holder would do ), he suggests a hypothesis based on certain conditions. His calculations are based on a level surface. The evidence from various sources suggests that the ground is not level!

  If you read Apollo 11 - The NASA Mission Reports Volume 1 page 218, it states that the "LM attitude on the surface was tilted 4.5° from the vertical" this ties in with the photographs below:

  

  Using David Groves calculations, if you correct them with the surface being at 4.5° this makes a difference of approx 300 mm over the distance Armstrong is from Aldrin, bringing the head height camera position down to say about chest height.

  Secondly Dr Groves calculations suggest a camera height of between 1446 mm and 1527 mm, Armstrong was 5 ft 11 inch which puts the camera at throat height on level ground, not head height, before the corrections for an sloped surface. The mission reports and photographs show that the ground is not level

  In my opinion this is a classic example of conspiracy evidence that is extremely misleading. I say it proves nothing!