To provide a compact zoom lens suitable for a video camera or the like using a solid-state image pickup element or the like, having a zoom ratio being ≥3.5, having an angle of view in a wide-angle end state being ≥60°, and having excellent image formation performance.

This zoom lens is constituted of a 1st lens group G1 having negative refractive power, a 2nd lens group G2 having positive refractive power and a 3rd lens group G3 having positive refractive power in order from an object side. The front principal point of the 2nd lens group G2 is positioned nearer to the object side than the lens surface of the 2nd lens group G2 nearest to the object side. In the case of zooming from the wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, space between the 1st lens group G1 and the 2nd lens group G2 is reduced, and space between the 2nd lens group G2 and the 3rd lens group G3 is extended, and further the zoom lens satisfies a specified conditional expression.