Zoom optical system, optical apparatus and method for manufacturing the zoom optical system

A zoom optical system, comprising an arrangement of six or seven lens groups, the arrangement including, in order from an object:

• a first lens group having a positive refractive power;
• a second lens group having a negative refractive power;
• a first intermediate group having a positive refractive power and constituted by two lens groups;
• a second intermediate group constituted by one focusing lens group that moves upon focusing or by two lens groups at least one of which is a focusing lens group that moves upon focusing;
• and a last lens group having a positive or negative refractive power, wherein
• upon zooming, distances between adjacent lens groups change,
• the first lens group includes, in order from the object:
• a 1-1st lens having a negative refractive power;
• and a 1-2nd lens having a positive refractive power, and
• the following conditional expression is satisfied:
• 0.
• 0
• ⁢
• 1
• ⁢
• 0
• <
• dP
• ⁢
• 1
• /
• f
• ⁢
• 1
• <
• 0.075
• where dP1:
• a sum of a center thickness of the 1-1st lens and a center thickness of the 1-2nd lens, and
• f1:
• a focal length of the first lens group.