Converting Luminance
Convert between candela, nit, lambert, and other luminance units.
Table of Contents
Luminance Converter
Luminance Conversion Chart
Candela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Foot
Conversion Factor: 1 candela per square meter = 0.09290304 candela per square foot
(Alternatively, 1 candela per square foot ≈ 10.7639 candela per square meter)
| Candela per Square Meter | Candela per Square Foot |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.09290304 candela/ft² |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.18580608 candela/ft² |
| 5 candela/m² | 0.4645152 candela/ft² |
| 10 candela/m² | 0.9290304 candela/ft² |
| 20 candela/m² | 1.8580608 candela/ft² |
| 50 candela/m² | 4.645152 candela/ft² |
| 100 candela/m² | 9.290304 candela/ft² |
Candela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Inch
Conversion Factor: 1 candela per square meter = 0.00064516 candela per square inch
(Alternatively, 1 candela per square inch ≈ 1550 candela per square meter)
| Candela per Square Meter | Candela per Square Inch |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.00064516 candela/in² |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.00129032 candela/in² |
| 5 candela/m² | 0.0032258 candela/in² |
| 10 candela/m² | 0.0064516 candela/in² |
| 20 candela/m² | 0.0129032 candela/in² |
| 50 candela/m² | 0.032258 candela/in² |
| 100 candela/m² | 0.064516 candela/in² |
Candela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Centimeter
Conversion Factor: 1 candela per square meter = 0.0001 candela per square centimeter
(Alternatively, 1 candela per square centimeter = 10,000 candela per square meter)
| Candela per Square Meter | Candela per Square Centimeter |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.0001 candela/cm² |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.0002 candela/cm² |
| 5 candela/m² | 0.0005 candela/cm² |
| 10 candela/m² | 0.0010 candela/cm² |
| 20 candela/m² | 0.0020 candela/cm² |
| 50 candela/m² | 0.0050 candela/cm² |
| 100 candela/m² | 0.0100 candela/cm² |
Candela per Square Meter to Kilocandela per Square Meter
Conversion Factor: 1 candela per square meter = 0.001 kilocandela per square meter
(Alternatively, 1 kilocandela per square meter = 1000 candela per square meter)
| Candela per Square Meter | Kilocandela per Square Meter |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.001 kilocandela/m² |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.002 kilocandela/m² |
| 5 candela/m² | 0.005 kilocandela/m² |
| 10 candela/m² | 0.010 kilocandela/m² |
| 20 candela/m² | 0.020 kilocandela/m² |
| 50 candela/m² | 0.050 kilocandela/m² |
| 100 candela/m² | 0.100 kilocandela/m² |
Candela per Square Meter to Stilb
Conversion Factor: 1 candela per square meter = 0.0001 stilb
(Alternatively, 1 stilb = 10,000 candela per square meter)
| Candela per Square Meter | Stilb |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.0001 stilb |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.0002 stilb |
| 5 candela/m² | 0.0005 stilb |
| 10 candela/m² | 0.0010 stilb |
| 20 candela/m² | 0.0020 stilb |
| 50 candela/m² | 0.0050 stilb |
| 100 candela/m² | 0.0100 stilb |
Candela per Square Meter to Lambert
Conversion Factor: 1 lambert = 318.31 candela per square meter, so 1 candela per square meter ≈ 0.00314 lambert
| Candela per Square Meter | Lambert |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.00314 lambert |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.00628 lambert |
| 5 candela/m² | 0.01571 lambert |
| 10 candela/m² | 0.03142 lambert |
| 20 candela/m² | 0.06283 lambert |
| 50 candela/m² | 0.15708 lambert |
| 100 candela/m² | 0.31416 lambert |
Candela per Square Meter to Foot-lambert
Conversion Factor: 1 candela per square meter = 0.31831 foot-lamberts
(Alternatively, 1 foot-lambert ≈ 3.14 candela per square meter)
| Candela per Square Meter | Foot-lambert |
|---|---|
| 1 candela/m² | 0.31831 foot-lambert |
| 2 candela/m² | 0.63662 foot-lambert |
| 5 candela/m² | 1.59155 foot-lambert |
| 10 candela/m² | 3.18310 foot-lambert |
| 20 candela/m² | 6.36620 foot-lambert |
| 50 candela/m² | 15.91550 foot-lambert |
| 100 candela/m² | 31.83100 foot-lambert |
Additional Information
Categories and Notable Luminance Units
SI and Common Units
- Candela per Square Meter (cd/m²) / Nit: The primary SI unit for luminance, widely used in display and lighting specifications.
- Kilocandela per Square Meter (kcd/m²): Used for extremely bright sources; 1 kcd/m² = 1000 cd/m².
Area-Based Variants
- Candela per Square Centimeter, Foot, and Inch: These units adapt the basic luminance measure to different area scales, useful for optical studies or small, concentrated light sources.
Legacy and Specialized Units
- Stilb: An older unit of luminance where 1 stilb = 10,000 cd/m². This unit is often encountered in historical literature on photometry.
- Lumen-Based Units: Units such as lumen per square meter per steradian offer an alternative way to express luminance, essentially equivalent to cd/m².
- Millinit: A submultiple of the nit, where 1 millinit = 0.001 cd/m².
Other Luminance Units
- Lambert and Related Units:
- Lambert: Approximately 318.31 cd/m².
- Foot Lambert: Adjusted for the imperial system; 1 foot lambert ≈ 0.31831 cd/m².
- Skot: A unit for very low luminance levels, with a conversion factor of roughly 0.000031831, indicating extremely dim brightness.
- Apostilb and Blondel: Other specialized units used in imaging and display technology.
Practical Applications and Usefulness
Our luminance conversion tool serves a wide range of practical applications:
- Display and Lighting Engineering: Specifications for screens, monitors, and lighting fixtures are commonly given in nits (cd/m²). Converting between nits, lamberts, and other units ensures design compatibility and accuracy.
- Optical and Photometric Analysis: Researchers and engineers often switch between different luminance units when comparing measurement systems or analyzing historical data in optical studies.
- Interdisciplinary Utility: Conversions between SI, imperial, and legacy units (such as stilb and lambert), supports a diverse range of applications—from consumer electronics to specialized research in vision science.
- Consistency and Clarity: Using candela per square meter as the base unit provides a clear, consistent framework for even the most complex luminance conversions.