To provide a zoom lens which has a high zoom ratio, is capable of easily obtaining high optical performance over the entire zoom range, and is compact on the whole.

The zoom lens comprises, in order from an object side to an image 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, a fourth lens group having negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group having positive refractive power. The first lens group comprises, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative lens, a positive lens, and a positive lens. The second lens group comprises, in order from the object side to the image side, a negative lens, a negative lens, and a positive lens. When zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, the respective lens groups are moved so that the interval between the first lens group and the second lens group is increased, the interval between the second lens group and the third lens group is decreased, the interval between the third lens group and the fourth lens group is increased, and the interval between the fourth lens group and the fifth lens group is increased. Movement amounts M2 and M4 of the second lens group and the fourth lens group, lateral magnifications β2w and β2t of the second lens group at the telephoto end, and focal lengths fw and ft of the entire system at the wide angle end and at the telephoto end are properly set respectively.