Imaging lens and imaging apparatus

1. An imaging lens comprising only four lenses:

a first lens:

a second lens;

a third lens;

an aperture stop; and

a fourth lens, which are sequentially arranged from the object side of the imaging lens,

wherein the first lens has negative power, and an object-side surface of the first lens is convex and an image-side surface of the first lens is concave, and

wherein an object-side surface and an image-side surface of the second lens are aspheric, and the second lens has negative power in the vicinity of the optical axis of the imaging lens, and the object-side surface of the second lens is convex in the vicinity of the optical axis, and the image-side surface of the second lens is concave in the vicinity of the optical axis, and

wherein an object-side surface and an image-side surface of the third lens are aspheric, and the third lens has positive power in the vicinity of the optical axis of the imaging lens, and the object-side surface of the third lens is convex in the vicinity of the optical axis, and the image-side surface of the third lens is concave in the vicinity of the optical axis, and

wherein an object-side surface and an image-side surface of the fourth lens are aspheric, and the fourth lens has positive power in the vicinity of the optical axis of the imaging lens, and the object-side surface of the fourth lens is concave in the vicinity of the optical axis, and the image-side surface of the fourth lens is convex in the vicinity of the optical axis.

2. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein when the focal length of the first lens is f 1 and the focal length of the entire system of the imaging lens is f, the following formula (1) is satisfied:

−11.0 <f 1 /f<− 8.0  (1).

3. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein when a distance between the first lens and the second lens on the optical axis is d 2 , and a length from the vertex of the object-side surface of the first lens to an image plane is L, the following formula (2) is satisfied:

0.16 <d 2 /L< 0.30  (2).

4. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein when a distance between the second lens and the third lens on the optical axis is d 4 and a length from the vertex of the object-side surface of the first lens to an image plane is L, the following formula (3) is satisfied:

0.02 <d 4 /L< 0.05  (3).

5. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein when the focal length of the second lens is f 2 and the focal length of the third lens is f 3 , the following formula (4) is satisfied:

−1.2 <f 2 /f 3<−0.5  (4).

6. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein when the combined focal length of the third lens and the fourth lens is f 34 and a length from the vertex of the object-side surface of the first lens to an image plane is L, the following formula (5) is satisfied:

2.0 <L/f 34<6.0  (5).

7. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein when the paraxial curvature radius of the image-side surface of the second lens is r 4 and the paraxial curvature radius of the object-side surface of the third lens is r 5 , the following formula (6) is satisfied:

1.0 <r 5 /r 4<2.0  (6).

8. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the Abbe number of the material of the first lens for d-line is greater than or equal to 40, and wherein the Abbe number of the material of the second lens for d-line is greater than or equal to 50, and wherein the Abbe number of the material of the third lens for d-line is less than or equal to 40, and wherein the Abbe number of the material of the fourth lens for d-line is greater than or equal to 50.

9. An imaging lens, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the full angle of view of the imaging lens is greater than 200°.

10. An imaging apparatus comprising an imaging lens as defined in claim 1 .