The present disclosure provides a zoom lens having a small F value throughout the entire zoom range, which favorably corrects various aberrations, and exhibits small fluctuations in aberrations during focusing operations. The present disclosure also provides an imaging apparatus equipped with such a zoom lens. The zoom lens includes, in order from the object side: a positive first lens group (G1); a negative second lens group (G2); a positive third lens group (G3); a negative fourth lens group (G4); and a positive fifth lens group (G5). The distance between the first and second lens groups constantly increases, the distance between the second and third lens groups constantly decreases, the distance between the third and fourth lens groups constantly changes, and the distance between the fourth and fifth lens groups constantly increases when changing magnification from the wide angle to the telephoto end. The first lens group includes, in order from the object side, a negative lens, a positive lens, and a positive lens. The fourth lens group includes, in order from the object side, a negative lens, a negative lens, and a positive lens, and moves toward the image side when focusing from a far distance to a close distance.