Variable magnification optical system and imaging apparatus

1. A variable magnification optical system substantially consisting of four lens groups of a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power in this order from an object side,

wherein the first lens group and the third lens group are fixed with respect to the direction of an optical axis when magnification is changed from a wide-angle end to a telephoto end, and the magnification is changed from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end by moving the second lens group along the optical axis toward an image side, and correction of an image plane and focusing, which have been necessitated by magnification change, are performed by moving the fourth lens group along the optical axis, and

wherein the first lens group substantially consists of three lenses of a lens having positive refractive power, a lens having positive refractive power and a lens having negative refractive power in this order from the object side, and

wherein the second lens group substantially consists of four lenses of a 21st lens having negative refractive power, a 22nd lens having positive refractive power, a 23rd lens having negative refractive power and a 24th lens having negative refractive power in this order from the object side.

2. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 ,

wherein an image-side surface of the 22nd lens is convex, and

wherein an object-side surface of the 23rd lens is concave.

3. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the 22nd lens and the 23rd lens are cemented together.

4. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 3 , wherein the following conditional formula (1) is satisfied:

−2.0< Rc/fw<− 0.6  (1), where

Rc: a curvature radius of a cemented surface of the 22nd lens and the 23rd lens, and

fw: a focal length of an entire system at the wide-angle end.

5. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 4 , wherein the following conditional formula (1′) is satisfied:

−1.7< Rc/fw<− 0.8  (1′).

6. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the following conditional formulas (2) and (3) are satisfied:

70.0<ν1 p   (2),

and

34.0<ν2 n< 40.0  (3), where

ν1 p: an average of Abbe numbers of the positive lenses included in the first lens group for d-line, and

ν2 n: an average of Abbe numbers of the negative lenses included in the second lens group for d-line.

7. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 6 , wherein the following conditional formula (2′) is satisfied:

75.0<ν1 p   (2′).

8. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 6 , wherein the following conditional formula (3′) is satisfied:

35.0<ν2 n< 39.0  (3′).

9. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the 24th lens is a meniscus lens with a concave surface facing the object side.

10. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 ,

wherein the 22nd lens is a biconvex lens, and

wherein the 23rd lens is a biconcave lens.

11. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the following conditional formula (4) is satisfied:

0.50<( R 21 f+R 21 r )/( R 21 f−R 21 r )<1.30  (4), where

R21 f: a curvature radius of an object-side surface of the 21st lens, and

R21 r: a curvature radius of an image-side surface of the 21st lens.

12. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 11 , wherein the following conditional formula (4′) is satisfied:

0.70<( R 21 f+R 21 r )/( R 21 f−R 21 r )<1.20  (4′).

13. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 11 , wherein the following conditional formula (4″) is satisfied:

0.75<( R 21 f+R 21 r )/( R 21 f−R 21 r )<1.10  (4″).

14. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 ,

wherein the fourth lens group substantially consists of three lenses of a 41st lens having positive refractive power, a 42nd lens having negative refractive power and a 43rd lens having positive refractive in this order from the object side, and

wherein the 41st lens has at least one aspherical surface.

15. The variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 , wherein the third lens group includes a lens having positive refractive power and a cemented lens of a lens having positive refractive power and a lens having negative refractive power.

16. An imaging apparatus comprising:

the variable magnification optical system, as defined in claim 1 , and

an imaging device that images an image of a subject formed by the variable magnification optical system.