Imaging lens, camera, and portable information terminal apparatus

An imaging lens consisting of:

• sequentially from an object side to an image side, a first lens group, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, an aperture stop, a third lens group having a positive refractive power, and a fourth lens group having a negative refractive power,
• wherein the first lens group includes, sequentially from the object side to the image side, a positive lens having a convex surface facing the object side, and a negative lens having a concave surface facing the image side,
• wherein the second lens group consists of one of:
• two lenses in total including a negative lens and a positive lens, the negative lens being disposed closest to the object side and having a concave surface facing the object side;
• and
• three lenses in total including two negative lenses and a positive lens, one of the two negative lenses being disposed closest to the object side and having a concave surface facing the object side,
• wherein the positive lens of the second lens group is disposed closer to the image side than the negative lens disposed closest to the object side and has a convex surface facing the object,
• wherein the third lens group consists of, sequentially from the object side to the image side, a positive lens having a convex surface facing the image side, and a negative lens, and
• wherein the fourth lens group is one of a single lens and a cemented lens, and has a surface facing the object side and a surface facing the image side, the surface facing the object side having a stronger refractive power than the surface facing the image side.