Wide-angle zoom lens system

1. A wide-angle zoom lens system comprising a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a positive third lens group, in this order from an object,

wherein upon zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity, the distance between said negative first lens group and said positive second lens group decreases, and the distance between said positive second lens group and said positive third lens group decreases;

wherein said negative first lens group comprises at least one positive lens element; and

wherein said wide-angle zoom lens system satisfies the following conditions:

0.30<fw/f 1P <0.40

−1.0<( r 1P-2 +r 1P-1 )/( r 1P-2 −r 1P-1 )<1.0

wherein

fw designates the entire focal length of the zoom lens system at the short focal length extremity;

f 1P designates the focal length of a positive lens element having the strongest optical power (hereinafter, power) in said negative first lens group;

r 1P-1 designates the radius of curvature of the object-side surface of said positive lens element having the strongest power in said negative first lens group; and

r 1P-2 designates the radius of curvature of the image-side surface of said positive lens element having the strongest power in said negative first lens group.

2. The wide-angle zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein said negative first lens group comprises a negative meniscus lens element having the convex surface facing toward said object, another negative meniscus lens element having the convex surface facing toward said object, a meniscus lens element, with a weak power, having the convex surface facing toward said object, and a biconvex positive lens element, in this order from said object; and

wherein said biconvex positive lens element at the most image-side of said negative first lens group has the strongest positive power in said negative first lens group.

3. The wide-angle zoom lens system according to claim 1 , further satisfying the following condition:

0.66 <ΔX 2 /ΔX 3<0.80

wherein

ΔX2 designates the traveling distance of said positive second lens group from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity; and

ΔX3 designates the traveling distance of said positive third lens group from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity.

4. The wide-angle zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein a diaphragm is provided on the object-side of said positive third lens group, and arranged to move together with said positive third lens group.

5. A wide-angle zoom lens system comprising a negative first lens group, a positive second lens group, and a positive third lens group, in this order from an object,

wherein upon zooming from the short focal length extremity to the long focal length extremity, the distance between said negative first lens group and said positive second lens group decreases, and the distance between said positive second lens group and said positive third lens group decreases;

wherein said negative first lens group comprises a positive lens element provided at the most image-side thereof, and a meniscus lens element that has a weak power, that has the convex surface facing toward said object, and that is positioned on the object-side of said positive lens element;

wherein said meniscus lens element is made of plastic, and comprises at least one aspherical surface on which a positive power becomes stronger as the height from the optical axis increases, compared with a positive power of a paraxial spherical surface portion of said aspherical surface; and

wherein said wide-angle zoom lens system satisfies the following condition:

fw/|fm|<0.25

wherein

fm designates the focal length of said plastic meniscus lens element having the aspherical surface; and

fw designates the entire focal length of said wide-angle zoom lens system at the short focal length extremity.

6. The wide-angle zoom lens system according to claim 5 , wherein said plastic meniscus lens element comprises an aspherical surface on both surfaces thereof; and

wherein said wide-angle zoom lens system satisfies the following condition:

0.06<(Δ ASP1 −Δ ASP2 )/ fw <0.10

wherein

Δ ASP1 designates the difference in sagitta of said aspherical surface and sagitta of a paraxial spherical surface at the height h from the optical axis on the object-side surface of said plastic meniscus lens element; and

Δ ASP2 designates the difference in sagitta of said aspherical surface and sagitta of a paraxial spherical surface at the height h from the optical axis on the image-side surface of said plastic meniscus lens element.