Importing from video shot on a DSLR

I'm using FCP 7 on a Macbook Pro, OSX 10.7.5, 2.4GHz processor, 8gb RAM. I will be shooting in SD 16:9, and a second camera, a Panasonic Lumix G7, will also provide me footage for the same project. Last time I used footage from this camera, I had a hard time rendering, but also didn't try to import from the camera's card, just files sent to me. How do I import the HD files so they will render properly on my timeline? I have had no problem mixing media with higher end professional cameras, importing straight from the card through log and transfer.