Summary: Panasonic DMW-CHTZ3 - very, very good
Comment: I really liked the look of this case, and the price wasn't bad either. I bought it from '17th Street Photo' thru Amazon.com - their service was fabulous. It was with UPS (on it's way to me) 1 day after purchase.
<<-I use this case for the TZ5, so if you have a different camera, you may have a different fit than me->>
Here is my breakdown in order of most importance...
PROS -->
1. A case of this quality easily costs $50 or more. It's really that high quality in person. I was surprised how well made it is.
2. The semi-hard shell along with all the cushioning really protects well in case of a short fall. If you step on this case, of course you'll probably be out of luck (but maybe not).
3. You can fit 2 cards (maybe 3 if you feel frisky) in the little side slot of this case (one on top of the other) - yes, they made a tiny little pocket just for sd cards.
4. The camera fits inside its own cushioned pocket, so you don't have to worry about scratches should you place other objects inside the case.
5. Many people have said in their reviews that you can't fit anything other than a camera & sd card in this case. That is NOT true. I currently fit the TZ5, 2 cards, an extra battery & sd card reader. There is plenty of room in there for these items without worrying about harming the camera as long as you don't put more than 1 item on either side of the camera (you should place the camera 'lens-up' for the fit to work).
**in my opinion, this is the perfect amount of space. you can have 1 card in the camera...2 backups...an extra battery and an sd card reader - or you could bring another battery instead of the sd card reader (I haven't tried this for certain, but the room seems to be there).
6. Double zippers really help to open/close this case.
7. For all you 'brand-name' lovers, this case is something to be proud of.
CONS -->
1. The attached clip-type system on the back works well, but I find that if I'm walking fast the case will swing side to side. Also, it takes two hands to get the camera out of this case when it's hanging from your belt loop. (that being said it does do the job, and I don't have to hold the case with my hand or set it down somewhere)
2. The case is a bit larger than I expected, but it's not that much bigger than the camera. Only a soft shell or leather case would be more compact...so you would trade off protection (and the ability to carry accessories) for smaller size.
CONCLUSION-->
This case is really a great buy, if you need something that will keep your new camera nice and won't break the bank, this is the best solution - I would expect to drop $50 easily for something this good.
If compact size is of most importance to you, you might want to look elsewhere. However, this case isn't that big and has enough space to bring the important stuff you need on a long day of shooting.
9/10 stars