Luminance Converter
Convert luminance (the luminous intensity per unit area of a surface) between candela per square metre (nit), stilb, lambert and related units.
Written by Rahman · Last reviewed
Quick answer
Luminance is light emitted or reflected from a surface toward the viewer, in candelas per square metre, also called the nit. One candela per square centimetre, the stilb, is 10,000 nits, and one foot-lambert is 3.4263. Phone screens typically peak somewhere between 400 and 2,000 nits.
| Candela per square metre (cd/m²) | 1 |
| Nit (nt) | 1 |
| Candela per square centimetre (cd/cm²) | 0.0001 |
| Candela per square foot (cd/ft²) | 0.09290304 |
| Lambert (L) | 0.0003141592654 |
| Foot-lambert (fL) | 0.291863508 |
| Stilb (sb) | 0.0001 |
About the Luminance Converter
Luminance measures the brightness of a surface: the luminous intensity emitted or reflected per unit area. The SI unit is the candela per square metre, also called the nit.
It is used to specify the brightness of displays, screens and lit surfaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is luminance?
⌄
Luminance is how bright a surface appears, measured as luminous intensity per unit area.
What is a nit?
⌄
A nit is one candela per square metre. Screen brightness is commonly quoted in nits.
How is luminance different from illumination?
⌄
Luminance is the light coming from a surface; illumination is the light falling onto a surface.