A zoom lens, a camera module, and a mobile terminal. The zoom lens includes a first lens group with negative focal power, a second lens group with positive focal power, and a third lens group with negative focal power that are sequentially arranged from an object side to an image side. The first lens group is a fixed lens group. The second lens group is a zoom lens group and slides along an optical axis on an image side of the first lens group. The third lens group is a compensation lens group and slides along the optical axis on an image side of the second lens group. In addition, the zoom lens may further include a fixed fourth lens group located on an image side of the third lens group.

A lens system (10) for image pickup includes, in order from an object side (11), a first lens group (G1) that has negative refractive power and is fixed during focusing, a second lens group (G2) that has positive refractive power and moves during focusing, a third lens group (G3) that has positive refractive power and is fixed during focusing, and a fourth lens group (G4) that has a stop disposed on the object side, is disposed closest to an image plane side, has positive refractive power, and is fixed during focusing. The first lens group includes a first lens (L11) with positive refractive power that is disposed closest to the object side.

A lens system (10) for image pickup includes, in order from an object side (11), a first lens group (G1) that has negative refractive power and is fixed during focusing, a second lens group (G2) that has positive refractive power and moves during focusing, a third lens group (G3) that has positive refractive power and is fixed during focusing, and a fourth lens group (G4) that has a stop disposed on the object side, is disposed closest to an image plane side, has positive refractive power, and is fixed during focusing. The first lens group includes a first lens (L11) with positive refractive power that is disposed closest to the object side.

A variable magnification projection optical system includes, in order from an enlargement side: a first lens group having negative refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; and a third lens group having positive refractive power. During zooming, the first lens group is fixed, and the second lens group and the third lens group move. The second lens group includes a plurality of lenses each having positive refractive power. All lenses each having positive refractive power in the first lens group and the second lens group are made of a glass material having a transmittance greater than 0.98 per thickness of 10 mm with respect to light having a wavelength of 440 nm.

A variable magnification projection optical system includes, in order from an enlargement side: a first lens group having negative refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; and a third lens group having positive refractive power. During zooming, the first lens group is fixed, and the second lens group and the third lens group move. The second lens group includes a plurality of lenses each having positive refractive power. All lenses each having positive refractive power in the first lens group and the second lens group are made of a glass material having a transmittance greater than 0.98 per thickness of 10 mm with respect to light having a wavelength of 440 nm.

A zoom projection lens with eleven lens elements is provided. The zoom projection lens sequentially includes a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, an aperture stop, a fourth lens group and a fifth lens group along an optical axis from a screen side to an image source side. The first lens group has a negative refractive power and includes three lens elements. The second lens group has a positive refractive power and includes one lens element. The third lens group has a positive refractive power and includes one lens element. The fourth lens group has a negative refractive power and includes four lens elements. The fifth lens group has a positive refractive power and includes two lens elements. A first lens element in the first lens group is an aspheric lens made of plastic.

A zoom projection lens with eleven lens elements is provided. The zoom projection lens sequentially includes a first lens group, a second lens group, a third lens group, an aperture stop, a fourth lens group and a fifth lens group along an optical axis from a screen side to an image source side. The first lens group has a negative refractive power and includes three lens elements. The second lens group has a positive refractive power and includes one lens element. The third lens group has a positive refractive power and includes one lens element. The fourth lens group has a negative refractive power and includes four lens elements. The fifth lens group has a positive refractive power and includes two lens elements. A first lens element in the first lens group is an aspheric lens made of plastic.

The objective lens unit includes, a front lens group having a negative refractive power, a diaphragm, and a rear lens group having a positive refractive power, in order from an object side. The front lens group includes a negative lens having a concave surface facing an image surface side, and a positive lens having a convex surface facing the object side, and the rear lens group includes a positive lens having a convex surface facing the image surface side and a cemented lens in which a positive lens and a negative lens are cemented. The endoscope objective lens unit satisfies −1.6<f.sub.F/f.sub.R<−1.2 and −1.3<f.sub.3/f.sub.F<−0.7. Note that f.sub.F and f.sub.R are focal lengths of the entire system of the front lens group and the rear lens group, and f.sub.3 is a focal length of a positive lens, in the rear lens group.

The objective lens unit includes, a front lens group having a negative refractive power, a diaphragm, and a rear lens group having a positive refractive power, in order from an object side. The front lens group includes a negative lens having a concave surface facing an image surface side, and a positive lens having a convex surface facing the object side, and the rear lens group includes a positive lens having a convex surface facing the image surface side and a cemented lens in which a positive lens and a negative lens are cemented. The endoscope objective lens unit satisfies −1.6<f.sub.F/f.sub.R<−1.2 and −1.3<f.sub.3/f.sub.F<−0.7. Note that f.sub.F and f.sub.R are focal lengths of the entire system of the front lens group and the rear lens group, and f.sub.3 is a focal length of a positive lens, in the rear lens group.

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a rear group having a positive refractive power as a whole including at least one lens unit. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, a distance between adjacent lens units changes. The first lens unit includes at least three negative single lenses, and a predetermined condition is satisfied.