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, the RN lens group comprises at least one lens having a positive refractive power, and at least one lens having a negative refractive power, and following conditional expressions are satisfied, 2.70<fFP/(−fFN)<4.50, 0.25<(−fF)/f1<0.45, where fFP: a focal length of a lens having a strongest positive refractive power in the RN lens group, fFN: a focal length of a lens having a strongest negative refractive power in the RN lens group, fF: a focal length of the RN lens group, and f1: a focal length of the front lens group.

A lens attachment module is configured for coupling with a zoom module of a finite conjugate optical assembly. The lens attachment module includes a lens assembly that has a positive focal length, and exhibits a pupil size of between 16 and 25 mm and a pupil depth greater than 50 mm.

The zoom lens includes, in order from object side to image side, a positive first lens unit, a negative second lens unit, a positive third lens unit, and a rear lens group including at least one lens unit, in which intervals between adjacent lens units are changed during zooming. The third lens unit includes at least two negative lenses and at least three positive lenses. An average value of partial dispersion ratios of two negative lenses having strongest refractive powers of the at least two negative lenses, an average value of partial dispersion ratios of three positive lenses having strongest refractive powers of the at least three positive lenses, an average value of Abbe numbers of the two negative lenses, an average value of Abbe numbers of the three positive lenses, a back focus, and a focal length of zoom lens at wide angle end are appropriately set.

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 negative refractive power; upon varying a magnification from a wide angle end state to a tele photo end state, 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 third lens group or 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 zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, first, second and third lens units having positive, negative and positive refractive powers. The first lens unit moves during zooming. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, a distance between the first and second lens units widens, and a distance between the second and third lens units narrows. The first lens unit consists of three or less lenses. The second lens unit consists of, in order from the object side to the image side, a first single lens as a spherical lens having a negative refractive power, a cemented lens in which a lens having a negative refractive power and a lens having a positive refractive power are cemented, and a second single lens as a spherical lens having a negative refractive power. A predetermined condition is satisfied.

A zoom lens system includes: a first lens group having positive power; a second lens group having negative power; a third lens group having positive power; a fourth lens group having negative power; and a fifth lens group having positive power. The first lens group is made up of a single lens. The second lens group is made up of four lenses. While the zoom lens system is zooming from a wide-angle end toward a telephoto end during a shooting session, the fifth lens group does not move but the first to fourth lens groups move to change intervals between the lens groups.

A variable magnification optical system comprises, 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 varying a magnification, a distance between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2 being varied, a distance between the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 being varied, and a distance between the third lens group G3 and the fourth lens group G4 being varied; upon focusing, the fourth lens group being moved; and a predetermined conditional expression being satisfied. With such configuration, there is provided a variable magnification optical system whose focusing lens group is compact in size and reduced in weight, so high speed and quiet focusing can be effected without lens barrel being made large in size, and further by which variations in aberrations upon varying magnification from the wide angle end state to the telephoto end state as well as variations in aberrations upon focusing from the infinite distance object to the close distance object can be superbly suppressed.

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; an RN lens group (GRN) having a negative refractive power; and a subsequent lens group (GRS). Upon zooming, the distance between the front lens group (GFS) and the M1 lens group (GM1) changes, the distance between the M1 lens group (GM1) and the M2 lens group (GM2) changes, and the distance between the M2 lens group (GM2) and the RN lens group (GRN) changes. Upon focusing from an infinite distant object to a short distant object, the RN lens group (GRN) moves.

A zooming optical system comprises, in order from an object, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group having positive refractive power. Upon zooming, distances between adjacent lens groups of the first to the fifth lens groups change respectively. The zooming optical system further satisfies the conditional expression 9.6<ft/(−f2)<20.0, where ft denotes a focal length of the zooming optical system in a telephoto end state, and f2 denotes a focal length of the second lens group.