CameraSony a390. Out of the box. Should I start taking pictures immediately using its battery pack, or it should be charged first, and how long?
Take your charger with you, buy a second battery and charge that too, or shoot until you run out of power and call it a night. DSLRs can't be charged through USB.
They tend to come with a partial charge, but personally I try to charge them overnight first. I think that is being overly cautious, but it is the way I can feel sure I won't cause any issues.
It isn't an issue with modern technology. Don't overcharge, like leaving it overnight. Run the charge down to the last bar on the display and recharge until the light on the charger say's it's finished. Most chargers are on a timer anyway and you can't overcharge as the charger cuts out after a certain time. New battery? Pop it in and use it straight away. Current thinking says top up charging, where you charge it any time even if it's not flat, is perfectly fine for a modern battery. Older advice from years ago is outdated.
