In article <32E860D1.69FD@qualcomm.com>, pkirkland@qualcomm.com says...

>I am looking to purchase a wide angle lens 24mm for a Nikon. I have
>observed the average price of a Nikon AFD 20-35 to be $1400. I have
>observed the average price of a Nikon AFD 24-50 to be $300. Can someone
>tell me why there is a five times price difference for two lenses that
>seem so similar? What am I missing?

I am not the one to justify VERY high lens prices, since I consider them
a bit of a scam...., but if you consider the price jumps as you go down
in FL with wide-angle primes, and the speed difference (and constant
aperture aspect of the 20-35 vs. the 24-50 [and the fact that at 20mm,
the zoom must actually be faster than f2.8 to accomplish a constant f2.8
{with aperture compensations as the lens is zoomed, to keep the relative
aperture constant}]), combined with the greater optical complexity and
element sizes, a considerably higher price than that of the 24-50 f3.3-4.5
is justifiable for the 20-35 f2.8, I think...
Hope This Helps