A zoom lens substantially consists of a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group which moves from the object side to the image side while changing magnification from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, a negative third lens group, and a positive fourth lens group having an aperture stop St, wherein the first lens group includes a negative meniscus lens on the most-object side; the second lens group is composed of a negative second-a lens group having at least one aspheric surface and a positive second-b lens group, and the distance therebetween changes while changing magnification; a third lens group moves such that the distance between the third lens group and a fourth lens group at the telephoto end becomes narrower than at the wide angle end; and conditional expression (1) below is satisfied: 1.89