Disclosed is a variable-power optical system, including, sequentially from a front side to a rear side, a negative-refractive-power first lens unit that does not move for zooming, a positive-refractive-power second lens unit, a negative-refractive-power third lens unit, a fourth lens unit, a negative-refractive-power fifth lens unit, and a positive-refractive-power sixth lens unit that does not move for zooming, in which the following conditional expression is satisfied:

1.7bf/(|f1|fw)^1/22.3

where f1 represents a focal length of the first lens unit, bf represents a back focus in air, and fw represents a focal length of an overall system at a wide angle end, whereby, while downsizing of an overall lens system is achieved, various aberrations accompanying zooming are well corrected, good optical performance is attained over an entire screen, and a wide angle of view and a long back focus are also attained.