PURPOSE: To make an optical system compact, to improve an assembling characteristic, to reduce a cost and to enhance imaging performance by adopting prefixed diaphragm two-element lens constitution and specifying the conditions for constituting the two-element lenses.

CONSTITUTION: This wide angle lens is constituted by disposing, successively from an object side, a brightness diaphragm, a first lens L1 consisting of a positive or negative meniscus lens of which the convex face is directed to an object side and a second lens L2 consisting of a positive lens in this order. The wide angle lens is so constituted as to satisfy the condition equations -0.10<f2/f1<0.7, 0.4<f/R1<7.5, 0<f/R3<1.6, 0.10<D/f<0.22. In these equations, f1 is the focal length of the first lens L1; f2 is the focal length of the second lens L2; (f) is the focal length of the entire system of the lens; R1 is the radius of paraxial curvature of the object side face of the first lens L1; R3 is the radius of paraxial curvature on the object side face of the second lens L2; D is the distance from the object side face of the first lens L1 to the imaging face side face of the second lens L2. In such a case, the two lenses L1, L2 are preferably formed of plastic.