The invention provides a zoom lens including, in order from an object side, a first lens group fixed upon zooming and having a negative refractive power, a second lens group formed by an optical-path bending prism fixed upon zooming and, a third lens group allowed to move upon zooming and having a positive refractive power, a fourth lens group allowed to move upon zooming and wholly having a negative refractive power, and a fifth lens group fixed upon zooming and having a positive refractive power. By arranging a zooming group having the positive third and negative fourth lens groups without arranging a positive fixed lens group in back of the prism, the overall length can be easily reduced as compared to the structure for arranging a fixed lens group between a prism and a zooming group, which maintains the excellent optical property and obtains the whole shortage.