My wife is going to buy me a camera !!

Now there's a wife with sense.....buy you something with your money.....think I've got one of those ! ! !

Of the two you mention the Lumix gets the better review if you look at the links below. (hope they work!!!) Certainly got a hell of a focal length range. My only concern with a focal length as long as this goes to would be holding it steady at the longer lengths, but a monopod or tripod would help alleviate that. I started in digital with a Fuji S3000 and that is now proudly owned by my nephew. Still going strong (just been up the Amazon in Ecuador!!) and i had no complaints with it at all, just a lot more limited than the Fuji you have in mind. Once on these sites you should be able to find the fuji as well. If not just put Fuji HS10 reviews in Google and take you pick

http://www.trustedreviews.com/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ45_Digital-Camera_review

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/compact-cameras/panasonic-lumix-fz45-712629/review     Also gives alternatives

a couple of quotes from one of the reviews

 MACRO: Close up/Macro performance is also impressive for the money

As mentioned, the DMC-FZ45 is quite a light camera, so even braced against a wall, keeping that lens steady while shooting handheld would challenge an SAS sniper

Looking at the sample images on the second link I am quite impressed with what it can do

Hope the links help albeit maybe a bit technical. Always a good bet is to pop into your local camera shop, (Jacobs, Jessops or whatever is near you) and spend a bit of time with them going through each one. They should be willing to let you handle each one cos only that way will find how they feel in your hands. If you are lucky they might be able to drop some test shots onto the shops PC. You can't do that with Argos or the like.

I know for certain there are many users of 'bridge' cameras on POE and they come up with some stunning images. If you look regularly at the photo uploads you will know what i mean. Don't forget each photo on POE indicates the camera used so that is also a good guide

Anyway John happy hunting, good luck and look forward to seeing some pics with your new 'toy' when you make your mind up...

******

Another similar Panasonic one is here with the FZ47/48.

 http://www.dpreview.com/products/panasonic/compacts/panasonic_dmcfz47/review

And the Fuji HS10 here..... 

 http://www.dpreview.com/news/1002/10020206fujifinepixhs10series.asp

Hi John   It's not really ethical but a lot of people do just that, try the feel of the camera in a shop then 'go away to think' and buy on line. My mate is the manager of a photo shop and he says it is something they get all the time. Just hope that people go back to the for smaller bits, memory cards, bags etc.

Don't hesitate to ask again ang good hunting

Or, depending on the size of the gift card, buy the basic camera at Jessops, then the attachments at Amazon. 

I'm all for supporting the local buisinesses, but living where I do (in the middle of the desert, cut off from the world) I rely heavily on Amazon.  

I also thought the same as Dave when I'd read John's post above; a fact of life these days and a few long standing independent stores have closed down this year, though escalating costs, as well as online retailers, adding up to their closure.

I have a Jessops in my town but have always supported my independent camera retailer here since the mid-1990s. Their Nikon/Canon cameras and lenses aren't that far off in price of major online photo retailers, and in one recent case of a very expensive Nikon lens I bought, they were a tad cheaper as it happens.

Not to mention their second-hand lines where their customers have traded in cameras/lenses and that's what I first look at for the bargains to be had that lurk amongst the offerings. My Canon 1Ds MKII was a £5,000/$8,000 camera when new, but it had turned up on their shelves; hardly used ( 8000 shutter actuations) boxed and most things inside still unwrapped, for a fraction of it's original cost. Of course, it needed a few lenses to kick off with too.

I do go online for the batteries and memory cards; with 3 of my cameras taking a battery well over £100 from the the camera maker, there's a noticeable savings to be made on those from a 3rd party battery supplier.