Zoom lens system

1. A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and a positive fifth lens group, in that order from the object side,

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

wherein the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

0.30< f 1/ ft< 0.43  (1), and

7.0< M 2 t/M 2 w< 17.0  (2), wherein

f1 designates the focal length of said first lens group,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity,

M2w designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity, and

M2t designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the long focal length extremity, and

wherein the following conditions (7) and (8) are satisfied:

-12.0< f 2/(( D 23 w - D 23 t )/( ft/fw ))<−7.7  (7), and

12.2< f 3/(( D 23 w - D 23 t )/( ft/fw ))<16.0  (8), wherein

f2 designates the focal length of said second lens group,

f3 designates the focal length of said third lens group,

D23w designates the air-distance between said second lens group and said third lens group at the short focal length extremity,

D23t designates the air-distance between said second lens group and said third lens group at the long focal length extremity,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity, and

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

2. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein said second lens group comprises a negative lens element having a concave surface on the image side, a negative lens element, and a positive lens element, in that order from the object side, and

wherein the following condition (3′) is satisfied:

20<ν23′<35  (3′), wherein

ν23′ designates an Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the positive lens element provided within said second lens group.

3. The zoom lens system according to claim 1 , wherein said first lens group comprises a negative lens element, a positive lens element, and a positive lens element, in that order from the object side.

4. The zoom lens system according to claim 3 , wherein the following condition (4) is satisfied:

(ν12+ν13)/2>75  (4), wherein

ν12 designates the Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the positive lens element that is provided on the object side within said first lens group, and

ν13 designates the Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the positive lens element that is provided on the image side within said first lens group.

5. The zoom lens system according to claim 3 , wherein the following condition (5) is satisfied:

30<ν11<45  (5), wherein

ν11 designates the Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the negative lens element provided within said first lens group.

6. The zoom lens system according to claim 3 , wherein the negative lens element and the positive lens element on the object side, which are provided within said first lens group, are bonded to each other to form a cemented lens.

7. A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and a positive fifth lens group, in that order from the object side,

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

wherein the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

0.30< f 1/ ft< 0.43  (1), and

7.0< M 2 t/M 2 w< 17.0  (2), wherein

f1 designates the focal length of said first lens group,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity,

M2w designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity, and

M2t designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the long focal length extremity, and

wherein said second lens group comprises a negative lens element having a concave surface on the image side, a positive lens element, a negative lens element, and a positive lens element, in that order from the object side, and

wherein the following condition (3) is satisfied:

20<(ν22+ν24)/2<35  (3), wherein

ν22 designates the Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the positive lens element that is provided on the object side within said second lens group, and

ν24 designates the Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the positive lens element that is provided on the image side within said second lens group.

8. A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and a positive fifth lens group, in that order from the object side,

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

wherein the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

0.30< f 1/ ft< 0.43  (1), and

7.0< M 2 t/M 2 w< 17.0  (2), wherein

f1 designates the focal length of said first lens group,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity,

M2w designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity, and

M2t designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the long focal length extremity, and

wherein said second lens group comprises a negative lens element having a concave surface on the image side, a negative lens element, a negative lens element, and a positive lens element, in that order from the object side, and

wherein the following condition (3″) is satisfied:

20<ν24″<35  (3″), wherein

ν24″ designates the Abbe number with respect to the d-line of the positive lens element provided within said second lens group.

9. A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and a positive fifth lens group, in that order from the object side,

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

wherein the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

0.30< f 1/ ft< 0.43  (1), and

7.0< M 2 t/M 2 w< 17.0  (2), wherein

f1 designates the focal length of said first lens group,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity,

M2w designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity, and

M2t designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the long focal length extremity, and

wherein the following condition (6) is satisfied:

1.3< M 4 m/M 4 w< 1.8  (6), wherein

M4m designates the lateral magnification of said fourth lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at an intermediate focal length fm, wherein fm=(fw*ft) 1/2 , wherein fw designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the short focal length extremity, and ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity, and

M4w designates the lateral magnification of said fourth lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity.

10. A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and a positive fifth lens group, in that order from the object side,

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

wherein the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

0.30< f 1/ ft< 0.43  (1), and

7.0< M 2 t/M 2 w< 17.0  (2), wherein

f1 designates the focal length of said first lens group,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity,

M2w designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity, and

M2t designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the long focal length extremity, and

wherein said third lens group comprises a positive lens element, a cemented lens formed by a positive lens element and a negative lens element; and a positive lens element, in that order from the object side, and

wherein the following condition (9) is satisfied:

1.52<( n 31+ n 32+ n 34)/3<1.60  (9), wherein

n31 designates the refractive index at the d-line of the positive lens element provided closest to the object side within said third lens group,

n32 designates the refractive index at the d-line of the positive lens element provided second closest to the object side within said third lens group, and

n34 designates the refractive index at the d-line of the positive lens element provided closest to the image side within said third lens group.

11. A zoom lens system comprising a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, a negative fourth lens group, and a positive fifth lens group, in that order from the object side,

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

wherein the following conditions (1) and (2) are satisfied:

0.30< f 1/ ft< 0.43  (1), and

7.0< M 2 t/M 2 w< 17.0  (2), wherein

f1 designates the focal length of said first lens group,

ft designates the focal length of the entire zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity,

M2w designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity at the short focal length extremity, and

M2t designates the lateral magnification of said second lens group when focusing on an object at infinity the long focal length extremity, and

wherein said fourth lens group and said fifth lens group both serve as a focusing lens group that is moved in the optical axis direction during a focusing operation in at least one part of the zooming range of said zoom lens system.

12. The zoom lens system according to claim 11 , wherein said fourth lens group comprises a negative single lens element.

13. The zoom lens system according to claim 11 , wherein said fourth lens group comprises a negative lens element and a positive lens element, in that order from the object side.

14. The zoom lens system according to claim 11 , wherein said fifth lens group comprises a positive single lens element.