OK...I'm going to feel real silly when I find the answer, but here goes:

I inadvertently did an all-reset a month or two ago (extreme cold, stiff wheel, stiff fingers trying to roll to cancel instead of execute). After the reset, the clip numbers began displaying in the viewfinder...and I can't find the menu item to stop the display.

Three of us sat around yesterday during production breaks poring over the operations manual. We found how to "change" the numbers in the clip real...but no menu item that allows you to remove the display in the viewfinder.

Anyone want to share the ludicrously easy (but so far undiscovered) way to do so?

I'm sorry to hear you want to turn it off! :-)

I lobbied Sony long and hard to get that feature added to the camera, and to me it is one of the best features of XDCAM. Anyway, I don't have an F3 anymore but if memory serves me right, go into the "others menu" > "Plan.Metadata" > "Clip Name Disp" and choose OFF.

MASTERING THE SONY PMW-F3 CAMCORDER (http://www.vortexmedia.com/DVD_F3.html)

Doug

Ha. Well, like most of the information that can be displayed in the VF, the stuff you need, you really need when you need it. When you don't, it's nice to lose it.

The location of the clip info in the inner ring of displays makes it annoying at times. That's all.

Thanks for the hint!

And, as usual, Doug is The Man. From memory, he gives the right answer.

Thanks, Doug!