Inner focusing lens

1. An inner focusing lens comprising sequentially from an object side thereof:

a first lens group having a positive refractive power;

a second lens group having a negative refractive power; and

a third lens group having a negative refractive power, wherein

the first lens group includes farthest on an object side thereof, at least one negative meniscus lens,

focusing is performed from a focus state at infinity to a focus state for a minimum object distance by moving the second lens group along an optical axis, from the object side to an image side such that an interval between the first lens group and the second lens group increases and an interval between the second lens group and the third lens group decreases, while the first lens group and the third lens group remain fixed, and

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (1) −7.46≦f2/f≦−2.11, where f2 is a focal length of the second lens group at the focus state at infinity and f is an overall optical-system focal length at the focus state at infinity.

2. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (2) 0.28≦f1/f≦1.30, where f1 is a focal length of the first lens group at the focus state at infinity.

3. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (3) 0.505≦βinf/β mod≦2.02, where βinf is paraxial magnification of the second lens group at the focus state at infinity and β mod is the paraxial magnification of the second lens group at the focus state for the minimum object distance.

4. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the third lens group includes sequentially from an object side thereof, a front lens subgroup having a positive refractive power and a rear lens subgroup having a negative refractive power, and

an axial air gap that is widest in the third lens group is formed between the front lens subgroup and the rear lens subgroup.

5. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the third lens group includes farthest on an image side thereof, a simple lens element having a negative refractive power, and

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (4) 0≦(R1+R2)/(R1−R2), where R1 is radius of curvature of a surface of the simple lens element, at an air interface on an object side of the simple lens element and R2 is radius of curvature of a surface of the simple lens element, at the air interface on an image side of the simple lens element.

6. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 and further comprising

an aperture stop that sets a predetermined diameter, wherein

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (5) 0.24≦L1s/L≦0.95, where L1s is an axial distance from a surface farthest on the object side of the first lens group to the aperture stop and L is the overall optical-system focal length, which is an axial distance from an apex of a lens surface farthest on the object side in the optical system to an imaging plane.

7. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the second lens group is configured by a simple lens element having a negative refractive power.

8. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (6) f3/f≦−29.1, where f3 is a focal length of the third lens group at the focus state at infinity.

9. The inner focusing lens according to claim 1 , wherein

the third lens group includes a simple lens element having a negative refractive power,

the simple lens element is formed of a single glass material, and

the inner focusing lens satisfies a conditional expression (7) 30≦νdn, where νdn is an Abbe number with respect to d-line of the simple lens element.