A zoom lens includes, from the object side, a positive first lens unit not moving for zooming, a negative second lens unit moving for zooming, and a positive third lens unit moving for zooming. The second lens unit includes a negative lens closest to the object side, the third lens unit consists of a 3-1 sub-lens unit and a 3-2 sub-lens unit from the object side. Conditional expressions
−18.0<f1/f2<−3.0,
0.2<f21/f2<3.6,
−0.95<f21/r2<−0.25,
7.0<β2t/β2w<125.0, and
0.3<f31/f32<2.5,
are satisfied where f1, f2, and f21 are the focal lengths of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the negative lens, r2 is an image-side radius of curvature of the negative lens, β2w and β2t are the lateral magnifications of the second lens unit at the wide angle end and the telephoto end, and f31 and f32 are the focal lengths of the 3-1 sub-lens unit and the 3-2 sub-lens unit.

A zoom lens includes, from the object side, a positive first lens unit not moving for zooming, a negative second lens unit moving for zooming, and a positive third lens unit moving for zooming. The second lens unit includes a negative lens closest to the object side, the third lens unit consists of a 3-1 sub-lens unit and a 3-2 sub-lens unit from the object side. Conditional expressions
−18.0<f1/f2<−3.0,
0.2<f21/f2<3.6,
−0.95<f21/r2<−0.25,
7.0<β2t/β2w<125.0, and
0.3<f31/f32<2.5,
are satisfied where f1, f2, and f21 are the focal lengths of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the negative lens, r2 is an image-side radius of curvature of the negative lens, β2w and β2t are the lateral magnifications of the second lens unit at the wide angle end and the telephoto end, and f31 and f32 are the focal lengths of the 3-1 sub-lens unit and the 3-2 sub-lens unit.

There is provided a lens system composed, in order from an enlargement side, of a first lens group with positive refractive power and a second lens group with positive refractive power, wherein when zooming from a telephoto end to a wide-angle end, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group decreases and a distance between the second lens group and a conjugate plane on a reduction side increases. The second lens group includes, closest to an enlargement side thereof, a lens with a second end surface that is concave on the enlargement side, and the first lens group includes a lens with an effective diameter of a first end surface closest to the reduction side that is larger than a maximum diameter in the second lens group.

A variable-magnification optical system (ZL) has a front-side lens group (GA) having a positive refractive power, a first intermediate lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power, a second intermediate lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power, and a succeeding lens group (GR), the succeeding lens group (GR) including a plurality of focusing lens groups that move along the optical axis during focusing, and satisfying the following conditions: −0.37<fFs/fFy<0.37, and 2.00<f1/fw/8.00, where fFs is the focal length of the focusing lens group that has the greatest refractive power from among the focusing lens groups, fFy is the focal length of the focusing lens group that has the smallest refractive power from among the focusing lens groups, f1 is the focal length of the front-side lens group (GA), and fw is the focal length of the variable-magnification optical system (ZL) at the wide-angle end thereof.

A variable-magnification optical system (ZL) has a front-side lens group (GA) having a positive refractive power, a first intermediate lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power, a second intermediate lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power, and a succeeding lens group (GR), the succeeding lens group (GR) including a plurality of focusing lens groups that move along the optical axis during focusing, and satisfying the following conditions: −0.37<fFs/fFy<0.37, and 2.00<f1/fw/8.00, where fFs is the focal length of the focusing lens group that has the greatest refractive power from among the focusing lens groups, fFy is the focal length of the focusing lens group that has the smallest refractive power from among the focusing lens groups, f1 is the focal length of the front-side lens group (GA), and fw is the focal length of the variable-magnification optical system (ZL) at the wide-angle end thereof.

A zoom optical system comprises, in order from an object: a front lens group (GFS) having a positive refractive power; an M1 lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power; an M2 lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power; and an RN lens group (GRN) having a negative refractive power, wherein upon zooming, distances between the front lens group and the M1 lens group, between the M1 lens group and the M2 lens group, and between the M2 lens group and the RN lens group change, upon focusing from an infinite distant object to a short distant object, the RN lens group moves, and the M2 lens group comprises an A lens group that satisfies a following conditional expression, 1.10<fvr/fTM2<2.00, where, fvr: a focal length of the A lens group, and fTM2: a focal length of the M2 lens group in a telephoto end state.

A zoom optical system comprises, in order from an object: a front lens group (GFS) having a positive refractive power; an M1 lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power; an M2 lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power; and an RN lens group (GRN) having a negative refractive power, wherein upon zooming, distances between the front lens group and the M1 lens group, between the M1 lens group and the M2 lens group, and between the M2 lens group and the RN lens group change, upon focusing from an infinite distant object to a short distant object, the RN lens group moves, and the M2 lens group comprises an A lens group that satisfies a following conditional expression, 1.10<fvr/fTM2<2.00, where, fvr: a focal length of the A lens group, and fTM2: a focal length of the M2 lens group in a telephoto end state.

Comprising a first lens group G1 having positive refractive power, disposed at the most object side, and an image side lens group disposed at a side closer to an image than the first lens group G1, upon zooming, at least a distance between the first lens group G1 and the image side lens group being varied, the image side lens group comprising a vibration reduction lens group GVR which is moved so as to have a component in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis and a focusing lens group GF which is moved along the optical axis upon focusing, thereby providing a variable magnification optical system which has a higher optical performance, an optical apparatus and a method for manufacturing a variable magnification optical system.

A zoom optical system comprises, in order from an object: a front lens group (GFS) having a positive refractive power; an M1 lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power; an M2 lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power; and an RN lens group (GRN) having a negative refractive power, wherein upon zooming, distances between the front lens group and the M1 lens group, between the M1 lens group and the M2 lens group, and between the M2 lens group and the RN lens group change, upon focusing from an infinite distant object to a short distant object, the RN lens group moves, and the M2 lens group comprises an A lens group that satisfies a following conditional expression, 1.10<fvr/fTM2<2.00, where, fvr: a focal length of the A lens group, and fTM2: a focal length of the M2 lens group in a telephoto end state.

A zoom optical system comprises, in order from an object: a front lens group (GFS) having a positive refractive power; an M1 lens group (GM1) having a negative refractive power; an M2 lens group (GM2) having a positive refractive power; and an RN lens group (GRN) having a negative refractive power, wherein upon zooming, distances between the front lens group and the M1 lens group, between the M1 lens group and the M2 lens group, and between the M2 lens group and the RN lens group change, upon focusing from an infinite distant object to a short distant object, the RN lens group moves, and the M2 lens group comprises an A lens group that satisfies a following conditional expression, 1.10<fvr/fTM2<2.00, where, fvr: a focal length of the A lens group, and fTM2: a focal length of the M2 lens group in a telephoto end state.