| CPC G02B 15/144105 (2019.08) [G02B 15/145105 (2019.08); G02B 15/145121 (2019.08); G02B 15/1461 (2019.08)] | 21 Claims |

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1. A variable magnification optical system comprising, in order from an object side, 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 rear lens group comprising at least one lens group;
upon varying a magnification, distances between adjacent lens groups being varied;
said rear lens group having negative refractive power in a wide angle end state;
the number of positive lenses in said first lens group being one;
said third lens group or said rear lens group comprising a focusing lens group which is moved upon carrying out focusing; and
the following conditional expressions being satisfied:
2.00<f1/fw<8.000
0.400<BFw/fw<1.300
1.100<βFw<2.500
where f1 denotes a focal length of said first lens group, fw denotes a focal length of said variable magnification optical system in the wide angle end state, BFw denotes a back focus of said variable magnification optical system in the wide angle end state, and βFw denotes a transverse magnification of said focusing lens group in the wide angle end state.
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