A privacy device for selectively controlling properties of light entering a lens of an image pickup device, comprising: a body having: a peripheral side-wall surrounding a hollow interior volume and defining an open back of the body, a light filter supported by the body and defining a front side of the body opposite the open back, wherein the light filter comprises: a transparent substrate extending across the interior volume, and a smart film disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein a transparency level of the smart film is adjustable as a function of an electrical control signal applied to the smart film: a first user interface for detecting a user input and generating an electrical input signal based on the user input; and a control module electrically connected to the first user interface and the smart film, wherein the control module is configured to generate the control signal as a function of the input signal and thereby selectively controls the transparency level of the smart film based on the user input, characterized in that the privacy device is built for attachment to an exterior housing of an image pickup device and a mount is adapted to attach the body to the exterior housing of the image pickup device, and the user interface and control module define a first control path that is isolated from the image pickup device. a peripheral side-wall surrounding a hollow interior volume and defining an open back of the body, a light filter supported by the body and defining a front side of the body opposite the open back, wherein the light filter comprises: a transparent substrate extending across the interior volume, and a smart film disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein a transparency level of the smart film is adjustable as a function of an electrical control signal applied to the smart film: a first user interface for detecting a user input and generating an electrical input signal based on the user input; and a control module electrically connected to the first user interface and the smart film, wherein the control module is configured to generate the control signal as a function of the input signal and thereby selectively controls the transparency level of the smart film based on the user input, characterized in that the privacy device is built for attachment to an exterior housing of an image pickup device and a mount is adapted to attach the body to the exterior housing of the image pickup device, and the user interface and control module define a first control path that is isolated from the image pickup device. a transparent substrate extending across the interior volume, and a smart film disposed on a surface of the substrate, wherein a transparency level of the smart film is adjustable as a function of an electrical control signal applied to the smart film: a first user interface for detecting a user input and generating an electrical input signal based on the user input; and a control module electrically connected to the first user interface and the smart film, wherein the control module is configured to generate the control signal as a function of the input signal and thereby selectively controls the transparency level of the smart film based on the user input, characterized in that the privacy device is built for attachment to an exterior housing of an image pickup device and a mount is adapted to attach the body to the exterior housing of the image pickup device, and the user interface and control module define a first control path that is isolated from the image pickup device. a first user interface for detecting a user input and generating an electrical input signal based on the user input; and a control module electrically connected to the first user interface and the smart film, wherein the control module is configured to generate the control signal as a function of the input signal and thereby selectively controls the transparency level of the smart film based on the user input, characterized in that the privacy device is built for attachment to an exterior housing of an image pickup device and a mount is adapted to attach the body to the exterior housing of the image pickup device, and the user interface and control module define a first control path that is isolated from the image pickup device.