Rear focus type zoom lens

Claim 2

A zoom lens comprising: from front to rear, a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power; and a stop positioned in a space between said second lens group and said third lens group, wherein, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, an air separation between said first lens group and said second lens group is widened, an air separation between said second lens group and said third lens group is narrowed, and said fourth lens group is axially moved, wherein focusing is performed by moving said fourth lens group, and wherein said stop moves toward the object side during zooming from the telephoto end to an intermediate focal length position.

Claim 3

A zoom lens according to claim 1, wherein zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end is performed by moving said first lens group toward the object side and said second lens group toward the image side, while said third lens group remains stationary.

Claim 4

A zoom lens according to claim 2, wherein said fourth lens group, during zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, moves so as to depict a locus convex toward the object side.

Claim 5

A zoom lens according to any one of claims 1 to 3, satisfying the following condition: 1.4<e.sub.3T /f.sub.W <2.0 where e 3T is the interval between principal points of said third lens group and said fourth lens group in the telephoto end when focused on an infinitely distant object, and f W is the shortest focal length of the entire lens system.

Claim 6

A zoom lens according to claim 4, satisfying the following condition: 0.9<m.sub.1 /m.sub.2 <1.9 where m 1 and m 2 are the amount of zooming movement of said first lens group and that of said second lens group respectively.

Claim 7

A zoom lens according to claim 5, satisfying the following condition: ##EQU3## where β 2T is the lateral magnification of said second lens group in the telephoto end, and Z is the zoom ratio of the entire lens system.

Claim 8

A zoom lens according to claim 6, satisfying the following condition: 0.9<|f.sub.2 /f.sub.W |<1.35 0.18<f.sub.W /f.sub.1 <0.25 where f 1 and f 2 are the focal lengths of said first lens group and said second lens group respectively.

Claim 9

A zoom lens comprising: from front to rear; a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, an air separation between said first lens group and said second lens group is widened, an air separation between said second lens group and said third lens group is narrowed, and said fourth lens group is axially moved, and wherein focusing is performed by moving said fourth lens group, zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end being performed by moving said first lens group toward the object side and said second lens group toward the image side while said third lens group remains stationary, said zoom lens satisfying the following condition: 1.4<e.sub.3T /f.sub.w <2.0 where e 3T is the interval between principal points of said third lens group and said fourth lens group in the telephoto end when focused on an infinitely distant object, and f W is the shortest focal length of the entire lens system.

Claim 10

A zoom lens comprising: from front to rear; a first lens group having a positive refractive power; a second lens group having a negative refractive power; a third lens group having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein, when zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, an air separation between said first lens group and said second lens group is widened, an air separation between said second lens group and said third lens group is narrowed, and said fourth lens group is axially moved, and wherein focusing is performed by moving said fourth lens group, zooming from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end being performed by moving said first lens group toward the object side and said second lens group toward the image side while said third lens group remains stationary, said zoom lens satisfying the following condition: 1.4<e.sub.3T /f.sub.w <2.0 where e 3T is the interval between principal points of said third lens group and said fourth lens group in the telephoto end when focused on an infinitely distant object, and f W is the shortest focal length of the entire lens system.

Claim 11

A zoom lens according to claim 8, wherein: 0.9<m.sub.1 /m.sub.2 21 1.9 where m 1 and m 2 are the amount of zooming movement of said first lens group and that of said second lens group respectively.

Claim 12

A zoom lens according to claim 9, wherein: ##EQU4## where β 2T is the lateral magnification of said second lens group in the telephoto end, and Z is the zoom ratio of the entire lens system.

Claim 13

A zoom lens according to claim 8 wherein: 0.9<|f.sub.2 /f.sub.W |<1.35 ti 0.18<f W /f 1 <0.25 where f 1 and f 2 are the focal lengths of said first lens group and said second lens group respectively.