Popular luminance conversions
- Nits to foot-lamberts1 cd/m² = 0.291864 fL
- Nits to candelas per square foot1 cd/m² = 0.092903 cd/ft²
- Foot-lamberts to nits1 fL = 3.42626 cd/m²
- Foot-lamberts to candelas per square foot1 fL = 0.31831 cd/ft²
- Candelas per square foot to nits1 cd/ft² = 10.7639 cd/m²
- Candelas per square foot to foot-lamberts1 cd/ft² = 3.14159 fL
About luminance units
Luminance is the brightness of a surface as seen from a direction — luminous intensity per unit area. Displays are rated in nits (cd/m²): a typical laptop is 300–500 nits, HDR TVs reach 1,000+. Cinema projection uses foot-lamberts (≈ 3.426 cd/m²).
Luminance unit reference
| Unit | Symbol | Value in cd/m² | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Candela per square meter (nit) | cd/m² | 1 cd/m² | SI |
| Candela per square centimeter | cd/cm² | 10,000 cd/m² | SI |
| Candela per square foot | cd/ft² | 10.76391 cd/m² | US customary |
| Candela per square inch | cd/in² | 1,550.0031 cd/m² | US customary |
| Foot-lambert | fL | 3.4262591 cd/m² | US customary |
| Stilb | sb | 10,000 cd/m² | CGS |
| Lambert | L | 3,183.0989 cd/m² | CGS |
| Millilambert | mL | 3.1830989 cd/m² | CGS |
| Apostilb | asb | 0.31830989 cd/m² | Other |
| Skot | sk | 0.00031830989 cd/m² | Other |
Frequently asked questions
What is the SI unit of luminance?
This converter uses the candela per square meter (cd/m²) as its reference unit; every other unit is defined relative to it.
How many luminance units can I convert?
10 units are supported here, across SI, US customary, CGS, Other systems. Every pair can be converted in both directions.
Does this luminance converter work offline?
Yes. Once the page has loaded, every calculation runs locally in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.