In a zoom lens having a plurality of lens groups which are disposed in that order from an object, a first lens group that is disposed to closest to the object among the plurality of lens groups has positive refractive power and comprises a light path bending element which bends the path of light and a plurality of lens components which are disposed closer to the object than the light path bending element; and, where the distance on the optical axis from the surface closest to the object in the first lens group to the surface closest to the object in the light path bending element is L1 and the distance on the optical axis of the light path bending element is Lp, the conditional expression L1/Lp