Imaging lens and imaging apparatus equipped with the imaging lens

1. An imaging lens substantially consisting of six lenses, including;

a first lens having a positive refractive power and a convex surface that faces an object side;

a second lens having a negative refractive power, which is a meniscus lens having a convex surface toward the object side;

a third lens having a positive refractive power;

a fourth lens having a positive refractive power;

a fifth lens having a negative refractive power and a concave surface that faces the object side; and

a sixth lens having a negative refractive power, which is of an aspherical shape having a surface which is concave toward an image side in the vicinity of an optical axis and convex toward the image side at the peripheral portion thereof; in this order from the object side; and satisfying the following conditional formula:

−4.0< f/f 6<−0.8  (1)

wherein f is the focal length of the entire system, and f6 is the focal length of the sixth lens.

2. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

the first lens is a meniscus lens having a convex surface that faces the object side.

3. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

the fourth lens is a meniscus lens having a concave surface that faces the object side.

4. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

ν d 5<35  (2)

wherein νd5 is the Abbe's number of the fifth lens with respect to the d line.

5. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

the fifth lens is of an aspherical shape having an inflection point thereon.

6. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.8< f/f 123<1.3  (3)

wherein f is the focal length of the entire system, and f123 is the combined focal length of the first through third lenses.

7. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

1< f 3/ f 1<5  (4)

wherein f1 is the focal length of the first lens, and f3 is the focal length of the third lens.

8. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.15< f 6/ f 2<1.30  (5)

wherein f2 is the focal length of the second lens, and f6 is the focal length of the sixth lens.

9. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

−3.0< f/f 6<−1.0  (1-1).

10. An imaging lens as defined in claim 9 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

−2.0< f/f 6<−1.1  (1-2).

11. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

ν d 5<31  (2-2)

wherein νd5 is the Abbe's number of the fifth lens with respect to the d line.

12. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.85< f/f 123<1.1  (3-1)

wherein f123 is the combined focal length of the first through third lenses.

13. An imaging lens as defined in claim 12 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.9< f/f 123<1.0  (3-2).

14. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

1.5< f 3/ f 1<4  (4-1)

wherein f1 is the focal length of the first lens and f3 is the focal length of the third lens.

15. An imaging lens as defined in claim 14 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

2< f 3/ f 1<3  (4-2).

16. An imaging lens as defined in claim 1 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.2< f 6 /f 2<0.7  (5-1)

wherein f2 is the focal length of the second lens, and f6 is the focal length of the sixth lens.

17. An imaging lens as defined in claim 16 that further satisfies the following conditional formula:

0.25< f 6 /f 2<0.5  (5-2).

18. An imaging apparatus equipped with an imaging lens as defined in claim 1 .