The invention provides a
zoom optical
system and a shooting device. The
zoom optical
system realizes small size, low cost, relatively low F value, good
chrominance correction and high optical performance. The
zoom optical
system successively comprises, from the object side, a positive first lens group (G1) which is fixed during the zooming, a second lens group (G2) which is moved along an
optical axis so as to perform the zooming, a diaphragm which is fixed during the zooming, a positive third lens group (G3) which is fixed during the zooming, and a positive fourth lens group (G4) which corrects the
image plane position and focuses along with the zooming operation. The second lens group (G2) successively comprises, from the object side, a negative lens, a positive
meniscus lens with a
concave surface being oriented to the object side, a biconcave lens and a positive lens. The zoom optical system is configured in such a manner to satisfy the prescribed conditions related to the
focal length of the second lens group (G2), the
Abbe number of the positive
meniscus lens of the second lens group (G2) and the amount of movement of the second lens group (G2) during the zooming from the wide end to the tele end.