A variable focal length lens system includes: first to fourth lens groups alternately having negative and positive refractive power; and an aperture stop; the first to fourth lens group being arranged to allow a space between the first and second lens groups to be decreased and spaces between the second and third lens groups and between the third and fourth lens groups to be varied, the third lens group travelling to allow image-plane position variation caused by subject position variation to be compensated and satisfying a following conditional expression,
0.05<Da/R3a<0.5  (1) where Da is a distance from the aperture stop to a most image-sided lens surface in the third lens group in the wide end state, and R3a is a curvature radius of the most-image sided lens surface in the third lens group.

A variable focal length lens system includes: first to fourth lens groups alternately having negative and positive refractive power; and an aperture stop; the first to fourth lens group being arranged to allow a space between the first and second lens groups to be decreased and spaces between the second and third lens groups and between the third and fourth lens groups to be varied, the third lens group travelling to allow image-plane position variation caused by subject position variation to be compensated and satisfying a following conditional expression,
0.05<Da/R3a<0.5  (1) where Da is a distance from the aperture stop to a most image-sided lens surface in the third lens group in the wide end state, and R3a is a curvature radius of the most-image sided lens surface in the third lens group.

A projection zoom lens includes, sequentially from an enlargement conjugate side: a first lens group having negative refractive power; a second lens group having positive or negative refractive power; a third lens group having positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having negative refractive power; a fifth lens group having positive refractive power; and a sixth lens group having positive refractive power, and configured to perform a magnification variation by changing the interval between the respective lens groups, wherein the fourth lens group includes at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens, at least one of the positive lenses included in the fourth lens group satisfies the following Conditional Expressions: 0.71≦θg_Fp+0.004×νdp≦0.73 and 15≦νdp≦25, and the back focus of the entire projection zoom lenses satisfies the following Conditional Expression 1.0≦BF/Fw≦2.7.

A projection zoom lens includes, sequentially from an enlargement conjugate side: a first lens group having negative refractive power; a second lens group having positive or negative refractive power; a third lens group having positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having negative refractive power; a fifth lens group having positive refractive power; and a sixth lens group having positive refractive power, and configured to perform a magnification variation by changing the interval between the respective lens groups, wherein the fourth lens group includes at least one positive lens and at least one negative lens, at least one of the positive lenses included in the fourth lens group satisfies the following Conditional Expressions: 0.71≦θg_Fp+0.004×νdp≦0.73 and 15≦νdp≦25, and the back focus of the entire projection zoom lenses satisfies the following Conditional Expression 1.0≦BF/Fw≦2.7.

A projection zoom lens is constituted essentially by: a plurality of lens groups that include at least two lens groups that move when changing magnification; the distances among all pairs of adjacent lens groups changing when changing magnification; the reduction side being configured to be telecentric; and a negative first lens group, which is fixed when changing magnification, being provided most toward the magnification side. The first lens group is constituted essentially by, in order from the magnification side to the reduction side, a negative first lens, which is a meniscus lens having a convex surface toward the magnification side, a biconcave second lens, and a positive or negative third lens. Conditional Formula (1) related to fw, which is the focal length of the entire projection zoom lens at the wide angle end, and f3, which is the focal length of the third lens, is satisfied:
−0.070<fw/f3<0.070  (1).

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, the fourth lens group having at least two positive lenses, the zoom lens satisfying a conditional expression (a) of −2.0<f3/f4<−0.35 where f3 indicates a focal length of the third lens group and f4 indicates a focal length of the fourth lens group.

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power, the fourth lens group having at least two positive lenses, the zoom lens satisfying a conditional expression (a) of −2.0<f3/f4<−0.35 where f3 indicates a focal length of the third lens group and f4 indicates a focal length of the fourth lens group.

An inner focus lens system comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit, an aperture stop, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, a third lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, wherein the first lens unit has at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens, the second lens unit has at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens, the third lens unit has at least one negative lens, the fourth lens unit has at least one positive lens, at the time of focusing on an object at a short distance from an object at infinity, the third lens unit moves to an image side so as to lengthen a distance to the second lens unit and to shorten a distance to the fourth lens unit, and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied:
−6<f.sub.3/f<−1  (1).

An inner focus lens system comprises, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit, an aperture stop, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, a third lens unit having a negative refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, wherein the first lens unit has at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens, the second lens unit has at least one negative lens and at least one positive lens, the third lens unit has at least one negative lens, the fourth lens unit has at least one positive lens, at the time of focusing on an object at a short distance from an object at infinity, the third lens unit moves to an image side so as to lengthen a distance to the second lens unit and to shorten a distance to the fourth lens unit, and the following conditional expression (1) is satisfied:
−6<f.sub.3/f<−1  (1).

Provided is a zoom lens including, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens unit having a negative refractive power. In the zoom lens, an interval between each pair of adjacent lens units is changed during zooming, and the first lens unit is configured not to move for zooming. Further, a total length DT of the zoom lens at a telephoto end, a focal length fT of the zoom lens at the telephoto end, a distance BW of a back focus at a wide-angle end, a total length DW of the zoom lens at the wide-angle end, and a focal length f3 of the third lens unit are each appropriately set.