The variable magnification optical system consists of a front group, a middle group, and a rear group, in order from an object side. The front group consists of two or fewer lens groups and has a negative refractive power. The middle group includes only one lens group that has a positive refractive power as a lens group. The rear group consists of three or less lens groups. An aperture stop is disposed between a lens surface closest to an image side in the front group and a lens surface closest to the object side in the rear group. The front group includes at least three negative lenses and at least one positive lens. A negative meniscus lens convex toward the object side is disposed closest to the object side in the front group. The variable magnification optical system satisfies predetermined conditional expressions.

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object along an optical axis: a first lens group having a negative refractive power; a second lens group having a positive refractive power; a third lens group having a negative refractive power; a fourth lens group; and a fifth lens group. When the zoom lens performs varying magnification, the distance between the first and second lens groups changes, the distance between the second and third lens groups changes, the distance between the third and fourth lens groups changes, the distance between the fourth and fifth lens groups changes, the second and fourth lens groups move along the same trajectory along the optical axis, and at least the third lens group moves along the optical axis.

A zoom optical system includes a plurality of lens units, the plurality of lens units consist of lens units having a positive refractive power and lens units having a negative refractive power, and the lens units having a positive refractive power include a positive lens unit and an image-side positive lens unit, the image-side positive lens unit is not moved, in the lens plurality of units, a space between the lens units disposed adjacently is changed at a time of zooming, at a time of focusing, or at a time of zooming and at a time of focusing, the positive lens unit includes a predetermined positive lens satisfying the following Conditional Expression (2), and the following Conditional Expression (1) is satisfied:

0.1≦fGBUN1/fGPM≦2.1  (1), and

60.8≦νdGPMP1≦100.0  (2).

A zoom lens includes a first lens group having negative refractive power; a second lens group having positive refractive power; a third lens group having negative refractive power and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power. Upon varying magnification, distances between the first lens group and the second lens group, between the second lens group and the third lens group and between the third lens group and the fourth lens group vary. The second lens group includes a front lens group, an aperture stop, and a rear lens group. Each of the front lens group and the rear lens group includes at least one positive lens. At least a part of the lenses in the second lens group is moved as a group to have a component in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis.

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object along an optical axis: a first lens group having a negative refractive power; a second lens group having a positive refractive power; a third lens group having a negative refractive power; a fourth lens group; and a fifth lens group. When the zoom lens performs varying magnification, the distance between the first and second lens groups changes, the distance between the second and third lens groups changes, the distance between the third and fourth lens groups changes, the distance between the fourth and fifth lens groups changes, the second and fourth lens groups move along the same trajectory along the optical axis, and at least the third lens group moves along the optical axis.

A zoom lens includes a first lens unit having negative refractive power, a second lens unit having positive refractive power, and a rear lens group including one or more lens units. The zoom lens includes an aperture stop. The rear lens group includes a focus lens unit having negative refractive power that is moved to an image side in focusing from an infinite to a close distance and at least one lens unit arranged on the image side of the focus lens unit. The first lens unit includes three or more negative lenses. The focus lens unit includes a cemented lens or a single lens. The zoom lens satisfies a predetermined inequality.

A variable magnification optical system comprises: a first lens group having a negative refractive power; at least one positive lens disposed closer to an image side than the first lens group; an aperture, the at least one positive lens being disposed between the first lens group and the aperture; an intermediate group having a plurality of lenses disposed closer to the image side than the aperture; and a vibration-reduction lens group disposed closer to the image side than the intermediate group. The plurality of lenses of the intermediate group integrally move upon varying magnification, and the system satisfies the conditional expression 1.500<f(1˜Gn)t/ft<100.000, where f(1˜Gn)t denotes a composite focal length from the first lens group to the intermediate group in a telephoto end state, and ft denotes a focal length of the entire system in the telephoto end state.

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, 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. The first lens unit includes a negative lens B1Ln with a concave surface facing the object side. The second lens unit includes at least one negative lens. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens unit moves, and the fourth lens unit is fixed or moves from the object side to the image side. A predetermined condition is satisfied.

An optical system (ZL(1)) comprises a plurality of lens groups including a first focusing lens group (G2) and a second focusing lens group (G4) that are disposed side by side on an optical axis, and the second focusing lens group (G4) is disposed at a position closer to an image surface than the first focusing lens group (G2). The first focusing lens group (G2) has positive refractive power, and moves toward an object along the optical axis from focusing on an infinite-distance object to focusing on a short-distance object. The second focusing lens group (G4) moves toward the image surface along the optical axis from focusing on the infinite-distance object to focusing on the short-distance object. The optical system (ZL(1)) satisfies the following conditional expression. −020<βF1/βF2<0.50 where βF1 is the lateral magnification of the first focusing lens group at the time of focusing on the infinite-distance object, and βF2 is the lateral magnification of the second focusing lens group at the time of focusing on the infinite-distance object.

A zoom lens includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, 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. The first lens unit includes a negative lens B1Ln with a concave surface facing the object side. The second lens unit includes at least one negative lens. During zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, the first lens unit moves, and the fourth lens unit is fixed or moves from the object side to the image side. A predetermined condition is satisfied.