A zoom lens includes a first negative lens group, a second negative lens group, a third positive lens group, an aperture diaphragm, and a fourth positive lens group arranged in this order from an object side. When power varies from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, the first and second lens groups are moved to an image surface along an optical axis and then moved to the object side. The third and fourth lens groups are moved to only the object side along the optical axis. The first lens group includes at least one aspheric lens, and the aspheric lens has an aspheric shape in which a positive refractive power is increased toward the periphery of the lens when a paraxial refractive power is positive and a negative refractive power is decreased toward the periphery of the lens when the paraxial refractive power is negative.