Does the Panasonic Lumix FZ40 require special batteries and HD cards?

[Birdsrus]

Hi, I'm new to this forum, but hope that I can get some advice from kind experts here. I've been a very happy owner of a Panasonic Lumix FZ35 for a couple years, but it's started acting up and I'm about to leave on a major last-minute trip, so with little time to do research I phone ordered the new DMC-FZ40 from 42nd St. Camera today, and should get it next week. I haven't been able to find too much information on the camera online, since it just came out, and I also haven't had a chance to actually see or hold the camera yet. Anyway, the salesman was telling me that the FZ40 won't work, or work well, with regular SDHC cards (which I have been using and are readily available on sale here--I'll need a lot of memory for my trip) and said the FZ40 will require very expensive Ultra SDHC cards ("Digital 16GB 300X Professional High Speed Error Free (SD) Memory Card", and sold me a couple of those at $150 for 16GB for a brand I am not familiar with (I usually use Sandisc or Lexar--are those considered reliable brands here? I've had good luck with them). He also sold me some $100 extra batteries and a supposedly extra-tough/scratch free/resistant filter set. Anyway, since this is a totally new camera to me and I am not familiar with it's SD card and battery requirements yet, as I won't have it in hand for some days still, I was wondering if these were legitimate requirements for the FZ40, or if I was being overcharged as an unprepared sucker? I know the FZ40 batteries have been in short supply, and mine are supposed to be shipped in a week or two, which also makes me very nervous about getting them before I leave in 3 weeks. Any comments or advice, especially on whether I will need to buy something above my usual SDHC cards for the new FZ40, would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for any help.