The zoom lens consists of a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group moving during zooming, a positive third lens group moving during zooming, and a positive fourth lens group which does not move during zooming in order from an object side. Only the third lens group moves during focusing. A lens surface closest to an object is a convex surface. A conditional expression of 5<TL.sup.2/(Y×ft)<9.5 which is related to a total optical length TL at a telephoto end, a maximum image height Y, and a focal length ft of the entire system at the telephoto end in a state in which an object at infinity is in focus is satisfied.

A compact zooming optical system, an optical apparatus and a method for manufacturing the zooming optical system having a vibration reduction function, a high zooming ratio, a wide-angle view and superb optical performance are provided, the system including, in order from an object side: a first lens group G1 having positive refractive power; a second lens group G2 having negative refractive power; a third lens group G3 having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group G4 having negative refractive power; upon zooming from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, a distance between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2, a distance between the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 and a distance between the third lens group G3 and the fourth lens group G4 being respectively varied; the third lens group G3 having, in order from the object side, a first segment group G31 having positive refractive power and a second segment group G32; the second segment group G32 being moved to have a component in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis; and predetermined conditional expressions being satisfied.

A communication device includes a zoom lens that collects signal light.

A variable magnification optical system comprising, in order from an object side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, and a rear lens group having positive refractive power; upon varying a magnification, a distance between the first lens group and the second lens group being varied, a distance between the second lens group and the third lens group being varied, and a distance between the third lens group and the rear lens group being varied; the rear lens group comprising a focusing lens group which is moved upon carrying out focusing from an infinitely distant object to a closely distant object; and predetermined conditional expression(s) being satisfied, thereby various aberrations being corrected superbly.

A variable power optical system (ZL) used for an optical apparatus, such as a camera (1), includes, in order from an object: a first lens group (G1) having positive refractive power; a second lens group (G2) having negative refractive power; a third lens group (G3) having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group (G4) having positive refractive power. The distance between the respective lens groups changes upon zooming from the wide-angle end state to the telephoto end state. The third lens group (G3) includes: an intermediate group (G3b) constituted by a positive lens, a negative lens, a negative lens, and a positive lens; and an image side group (G3c) having negative refractive power and disposed to an image side of the intermediate group (G3b). Upon focusing, the position of the intermediate group (G3b) with respect to the image plane is fixed and the image side group (G3c) moves along the optical axis.

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 lens including from object side: a positive first unit; at least one negative unit moving toward image side for zooming from wide to telephoto; and at least two positive units each moving toward object side for the zooming, in which the positive first unit includes a biconcave lens closest to object side, in which an N unit is one of the at least one negative unit and having largest amount of movement during the zooming, and P unit is one of the at least two positive units having largest amount of movement during the zooming; in which focal lengths of the first lens unit, of the zoom lens at wide end and telephoto end, a difference between distances from the N unit to image plane at telephoto end and at wide end and a distance from the P unit to image plane at telephoto end are appropriately set.

The zoom lens consists of a first unit, a second unit, a third unit, a fourth unit, and a fifth unit in order from the magnification side, and forms an intermediate image. The first unit consists of one lens group which has a positive refractive power. The second unit consists of two lens groups which move during magnification change and has a negative refractive power as a whole at the wide angle end. The third unit includes one or more lens groups which move during magnification change. The fourth unit includes one or more lens groups which move during magnification change.

A zoom lens includes, 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, and a subsequent unit having a positive refractive power as a whole. A distance between adjacent lens units changes during zooming. The first lens unit includes a single lens, and the subsequent unit includes a third lens unit having a positive refractive power closest to the object side in the subsequent unit and a lens unit LP having a positive refractive power closest to the image side among the zoom lenses. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the second lens unit moves toward the object side. A predetermined condition is satisfied.

A communication device includes a zoom lens that collects signal light.