A zoom lens comprising: a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, an aperture stop, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in order from an object side, wherein the first lens group has a negative lens and a positive lens having a convex surface at an object side, which are disposed in order from the object side; when changing a magnification of the zoom lens from a wide angle end to a telephoto end an interval between the first lens group and the second lens group is increased and an interval between the second lens group and the third lens group is decreased and the first lens group and the third lens group are moved toward the object and the second lens group comprises a negative lens, a negative lens and a positive lens, which are disposed in order from the object side, and the third lens group comprises a positive lens, a positive lens and a negative lens, which are disposed in order from the object side; and the following conditions are satisfied: 1.52 < ndP < 1.62 6.0.0 < νdP < 85.0 where ndP is the refractive index of a material of the positive lens of the first lens group for a d line and vdP is the dispersion thereof; characterised in that the following condition is satisfied: 0.007 < ΔPg, FP < 0.050 where ΔPg, FP is defined by the following formula: ΔPg, FP = Pg, FP - - 0.001802 x νdP + 0.6483; and the following condition is satisfied: ΔPg, FP - ΔPg, FN < 0.025 where ΔPg, FN is defined by the following formula: ΔPg, FN = Pg, FN - - 0.001802 x νdN + 0.6483 where vdN is a dispersion of a lens material of the negative lens of the first lens group; and where the partial dispersion ratio Pg, F is defined by the following formula: θgF = ng - nF / nF - nC where ng is a refractive index of a lens material for g line, nF is a refractive index of the lens material for F line, and nC is a refractive index of the lens material for C line; and Pg, FP is a partial dispersion ratio for a lens material of the positive lens of the first lens group and Pg, FN is a partial dispersion ratio for a lens material of the negative lens of the first lens group; and wherein the following condition is satisfied: 4.0 < fap / fw < 8.0 where fap is a focal length of the positive lens of the first lens group and fw is a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end. a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a negative refractive power, an aperture stop, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a positive refractive power, which are disposed in order from an object side, wherein the first lens group has a negative lens and a positive lens having a convex surface at an object side, which are disposed in order from the object side; when changing a magnification of the zoom lens from a wide angle end to a telephoto end an interval between the first lens group and the second lens group is increased and an interval between the second lens group and the third lens group is decreased and the first lens group and the third lens group are moved toward the object and the second lens group comprises a negative lens, a negative lens and a positive lens, which are disposed in order from the object side, and the third lens group comprises a positive lens, a positive lens and a negative lens, which are disposed in order from the object side; and the following conditions are satisfied: 1.52 < ndP < 1.62 6.0.0 < νdP < 85.0 where ndP is the refractive index of a material of the positive lens of the first lens group for a d line and vdP is the dispersion thereof; characterised in that the following condition is satisfied: 0.007 < ΔPg, FP < 0.050 where ΔPg, FP is defined by the following formula: ΔPg, FP = Pg, FP - - 0.001802 x νdP + 0.6483; and the following condition is satisfied: ΔPg, FP - ΔPg, FN < 0.025 where ΔPg, FN is defined by the following formula: ΔPg, FN = Pg, FN - - 0.001802 x νdN + 0.6483 where vdN is a dispersion of a lens material of the negative lens of the first lens group; and where the partial dispersion ratio Pg, F is defined by the following formula: θgF = ng - nF / nF - nC where ng is a refractive index of a lens material for g line, nF is a refractive index of the lens material for F line, and nC is a refractive index of the lens material for C line; and Pg, FP is a partial dispersion ratio for a lens material of the positive lens of the first lens group and Pg, FN is a partial dispersion ratio for a lens material of the negative lens of the first lens group; and wherein the following condition is satisfied: 4.0 < fap / fw < 8.0 where fap is a focal length of the positive lens of the first lens group and fw is a focal length of the zoom lens at the wide angle end.