The 35/70 F3.6 always had a reputation of being truely outstanding. I have never used one but by all accounts they were a world beater. When they crop up for sale now (Only rarely) you will have to pay an astronomic sum to buy one in good condition
Indeed, it was once true that the 35-70mm f/3.6 zoom was more highly prized than the variable aperture or the f/4 fixed aperture 35-70mm, and it was somewhat more difficult to find than the others on the used market. But is apparenlyly no longer true...just now on eBay I found FOUR of them for sale, all in the $65-80 range! There is another one whose title says
OLYMPUS OM ZUIKO 35-70mm F3.6 LENS NEW IN BOX
' at $350, but then that title is inconsistent with the description which says
"Used: An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections."
In any event, I had bought one at the same time as my new OM-1MD around 1975-76.
wants to build up his OM system from a single lens to a set of decent quality range of options that'll cover most bases to begin with, without shelling out a lot of cash on a system I'm not totally sure I'll stick with. @flavio81 gives some good advice - there's nothing more annoying than investing in a new lens only to find it's only marginally different to one you already own!
