A zoom lens system includes `n` (n.gtoreq.3) lens groups. A first lens group that is the most object-side lens group of said zoom lens system has a positive refractive power, and a final lens group that is the most image-side lens group of the zoom lens system has a negative refractive power. The distance from the most object-side surface of the positive first lens group to the most image-side surface of the negative final lens group becomes shortest at an intermediate focal length between the short focal length extremity and the long focal length extremity.