ZOOM LENS AND IMAGING APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the size of the overall lens by decreasing the diameter of a third lens group in a zoom lens.SOLUTION: A zoom lens comprises, in order from an object side: a first lens group that has a positive refractive power; a second lens group that has a negative refractive power; and a third lens group that has a positive refractive power. Zooming is performed by changing spaces between the first to third lens groups during zooming from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end. The third lens group includes, in order from the object side, a positive lens group that has a positive refractive power, and a negative lens group that is disposed to be close to the image side thereof and has a negative refractive power, with an air gap, which is widest in the third lens group, interposed therebetween. A conditional expression (1), namely, -0.45