This is like announcing a new birth to the world, with all the pride and excitement of a new father.

The new member of my camera family is the Fuji XF60mm macro lens, intended to widen the scope of my photography, and bring with it new possibilities.

It was quite an investment at £465, but a £100 cashback deal offered by Fuji UK – which runs until 16 January – helped lessen the blow.

This new acquisition is a secondary lens for my Fuji X-E1, the camera I use for most of my work. It should prove a useful addition, as the principal lens really struggles to do any meaningful close-up shots.

Ironically, it put up a fight when taking the photographs of the XF60mm shown here. I used to revert to my little compact Lumix TZ-20 for close-ups, including a collection of winter shots when London was blanketed in show last year.

The little Lumix is likely to sit on the shelf now, although it’s still a handy little camera you can slip into your pocket. And now with an extra member of the family, I’ve invested in a new kit bag, but the load is still quite light.

The next job is to attach the new lens and take it out for a spin. Favourable reviews promise very good performance on detailed nature shots, while I’d like to use it to create macro abstracts using texture. It’s also an effective portrait lens – an area I must venture into this coming year.

If any of you have any experience of the Fuji XF60mm, please let me know. And any other general tips for getting the most out of a macro lens would be greatly appreciated.

I’ll share my first results with you as soon as they are created.