To provide a zoom lens consisting of a small number of lenses, i.e. a zoom lens for a lens shutter camera which has four-group positive/negative/positive/negative constitution and high power variation and is compact.

The zoom lens has a 1st lens group with positive refracting power, a 2nd group with positive power which consists of a 2A group consisting of a single positive or negative lens, a 2B group consisting of positive and negative lens, and a 2C group consisting of a single positive lens in order from the object side, and a 3rd lens group in order from the object side and is varied in power from the wide angle end to the telephoto end by moving the respective lens groups toward the object while varying at least air gaps among the 1st, 2nd and 3rd lens groups.