| CPC G02B 15/145105 (2019.08) [G02B 13/02 (2013.01); G02B 27/646 (2013.01); G02B 13/0045 (2013.01)] | 25 Claims | 

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               1. A variable magnification optical system comprising a plurality of lens groups including a first positive lens group disposed at a most object side and having positive refractive power, a first negative lens group disposed at an image side of the first positive lens group and having negative refractive power, and a second negative lens group disposed at a more image side than the first negative lens group and having negative refractive power; 
            the variable magnification optical system further comprising a second positive lens group disposed between the first negative lens group and the second negative lens group and having positive refractive power; 
                an aperture stop being disposed between the first negative lens group and the second negative lens group; 
                upon varying a magnification, distances between adjacent lens groups being varied; 
                the first negative lens group including, in order from the object side, a first negative lens, a second negative lens and a positive lens; 
                the second negative lens group being moved along the optical axis upon carrying out focusing; and 
                the following conditional expressions being satisfied: 
                0.200<(−f2n)/√(fw*ft)<1.000 
                  0.500<f2p/(−f1n)<1.500 
                  −1.000<β1nt/β2nt<−0.530 
                where f2n denotes a focal length of the second negative lens group, fw denotes a focal length of the variable magnification optical system as a whole in the wide angle end state, ft denotes a focal length of the variable magnification optical system as a whole in the telephoto end state, f2p denotes a focal length of the second positive lens group, f1n denotes a focal length of the first negative lens group, β1nt denotes a transverse magnification of the first negative lens group in the telephoto end state, and β2nt denotes a transverse magnification of the second negative lens group in the telephoto end state. 
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