What does 50% tint measure on LLumar’s sheet?
ATC 50 passes 60% of visible light and IRX 50 passes 54%, so both are lighter than the name and the ceramic one is the darker of the two. Their heat figures are even further apart: IRX 50 rejects 50% of total solar energy, ATC 50 28%.
Every number here comes from LLumar’s spec sheet (LL0116NAEN, 03/26), measured with the film on a clear 6 mm test pane.
| Measurement | ATC 50, dyed | IRX 50, nano-ceramic |
|---|---|---|
| Visible light through (VLT) | 60% | 54% |
| Glare reduction | 32% | 39% |
| Visible light reflected | 7% | 7% |
| Total solar energy rejected (TSER) | 28% | 50% |
| IR energy kept out (IRER) | 22% | 60% |
| Selective IR figure (SIRR) | 28% | 87% |
| UV rejection (300–380 nm) | Above 99% | Above 99% |
Three things on that table belong only to the 50s:
- The widest name gap. ATC 50 measures ten points lighter than its name, more than any other shade the shop sells.
- The only shade where the two lines drift apart. At 5, 15 and 35 the ATC and IRX versions sit one or two points apart in light; at 50 they are six apart, with IRX the darker.
- The lowest heat figure on the sheet. ATC 50’s 28% total solar rejection is the smallest of any film on that data sheet, and IRX 50 nearly doubles it.
What is 50% tint for, if not privacy?
Heat, UV and a light finished look. At 54 to 60% of the light, the cabin stays visible from outside, and the view out after dark changes far less than with the darker shades.
On LLumar’s figures the 50s stop more than 99% of UV, the same as the 5s, so a light shade gives rear passengers no less UV protection. What it doesn’t do much of in dyed form is stop heat. That’s why the choice inside the 50% shade matters more than at any other: IRX 50 keeps out 60% of the infrared energy and ATC 50 keeps out 22%, the same as every other ATC shade. If you’re spending money on a light tint for comfort, the is ceramic window tint worth it answer lays out the trade.
Glare is the other modest number. ATC 50 trims it by 32% and IRX 50 by 39%, which takes some edge off low winter sun through the rear side glass without the gloom of a darker film.
Should you choose 50% IRX or clear AIR?
Choose IRX 50 if you want a visibly tinted car and the higher total heat rejection; choose AIR if you want the glass to look untouched. On infrared alone they’re level.
| IRX 50 | AIR 80 | |
|---|---|---|
| Visible light through | 54% | 77% |
| Total solar energy rejected | 50% | 43% |
| Infrared energy rejected | 60% | 60% |
| Glare reduction | 39% | 13% |
IRX 50 edges ahead on total solar energy because it also holds back more visible light, and visible light counts toward that total. AIR keeps the factory look, and LLumar pitches it at factory privacy glass, saying on its AIR page that such glass “lacks good heat control.” For the clear option in full, see clear heat-rejecting film; for the lightest AIR shade by number, the 70% tint page.
Can a light 50% film go on BC front doors?
No. A light shade doesn’t change the rule: BC permits no aftermarket film on the two front side windows, at 50% or any other darkness. Behind the driver, 50% is legal on every window, and on the back glass with mirrors on both sides.
MVAR s. 7.05(8) lists where film can go instead of setting a minimum, and the front side glass is absent from that list. Ontario shows how even a percentage rule treats 50%: its MTO inspection standard rejects any 2017-or-newer vehicle with less than 70% light transmittance on the windows beside the driver, so a 50 film would fail there too. Here, item 13d of the 2025 Vehicle Inspection Manual rejects front side film of any kind.
Front-door film is a job the shop takes on only at a customer’s request, once the downside has been explained. Mission RCMP cites $109 as the typical tint ticket. Police may add a Notice & Order too; leave the film on and the car uninspected past 30 days and it costs $598.
When does 50% tint make sense?
It fits a driver who wants the rear cabin cooler and UV-protected without hiding it or losing night vision behind. It also suits glass that’s already tinted from the factory, where a dark film would stack into something very dark.
Some cases where 50% makes sense:
- Rear glass you reverse through on unlit roads, since 50% leaves the most light of any ATC or IRX shade.
- A family car with children in the back, where UV and heat are the point, not hiding the back seat.
- An SUV with factory privacy glass, where film multiplies with the glass: IRX 50 over glass that passes 30% leaves roughly 16%, against under 2% for a 5% film.
If you’re torn between this and one step darker, 35% vs 50% tint compares them directly.
What does 50% tint cost at the shop?
ATC 50 behind the driver is listed from $220 on a three-window sports coupe, from $240 on a five-window sedan or pickup, and from $260 on a seven-window full-size SUV or wagon. IRX 50 is quoted per package, and several packages booked in one visit usually come in under their list prices added together.
Most cars are finished the same day, with a whole sedan or SUV taking two to four hours. Leave the tinted windows closed for three to five days, clean them with soft microfibre and an ammonia-free product, and expect any faint first-week haze to clear on its own. A lifetime warranty covers the film and the work. The 50% tint quote form gets you a figure for your car; phone or text works too, at 604 534 6433.