A wide-angle zoom optic system includes: in an order from an object, a first lens group having a negative refractive power; a second lens group having a positive refractive power; and a third lens group having a positive refractive power, wherein the first lens group includes two lens elements. In the zoom optic system, the ratio of the distance between the last lens element with respect to the object and an image field at a wide-angle position to a focal length at the wide-angle position is adjusted, so that a compact zoom optic system having a high magnification and a wide viewing angle can be implemented.