CalculatorBoom

Convert Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Candela per Square Centimeter

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) to Candela per Square Centimeter (cd/cm²) luminance conversion — enter any value below to get an instant result, or use the table for common values.

Results from this calculator are estimates provided for general informational purposes only, based on formulas, rates, and standards commonly accepted as of 2026. Figures may differ slightly from other calculators or professional sources due to rounding methods, differing assumptions, or regional regulations, and rules may change over time. Always consult a qualified professional — such as a financial advisor, healthcare provider, or other relevant specialist — before making decisions based on these results.

The numeric value you want to convert. Decimals are accepted.

Result

1 Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) = 683 Candela per Square Centimeter

1 Candela per Square Centimeter = 0.0014641288 Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm)

1 W/cm²/sr in every supported unit

Conversion chart: Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Candela per Square Centimeter

Conversion table

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) Candela per Square Centimeter (cd/cm²)
0.01 W/cm²/sr 6.83 cd/cm²
0.1 W/cm²/sr 68.3 cd/cm²
1 W/cm²/sr 683 cd/cm²
2 W/cm²/sr 1366 cd/cm²
3 W/cm²/sr 2049 cd/cm²
5 W/cm²/sr 3415 cd/cm²
10 W/cm²/sr 6830 cd/cm²
20 W/cm²/sr 13660 cd/cm²
50 W/cm²/sr 34150 cd/cm²
100 W/cm²/sr 68300 cd/cm²
1000 W/cm²/sr 683000 cd/cm²

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr)

Definition: A radiometric luminance unit expressing radiant power per unit area per unit solid angle at 555 nanometers — the wavelength of peak human eye sensitivity — used to convert directly between physical radiant power and perceived brightness.

History: Defined using the luminous efficacy constant (683 lumens per watt at 555 nm, the photopic peak of human vision) that bridges radiometry (physical energy) and photometry (perceived brightness) at the single wavelength where the eye is most sensitive.

Current use: Used in laser safety calculations, optical radiometry, and calibration work where a source's physical radiant power must be related precisely to its perceived luminance.

Candela per Square Centimeter (cd/cm²)

Definition: A metric luminance unit expressing candela per square centimeter — one ten-thousandth the area of a square meter, so numerically 10,000 times larger than cd/m² for the same physical brightness.

History: Derived directly from the SI base unit by substituting the smaller centimeter for the meter, useful when working with small, intensely bright light-emitting areas such as filament or LED die surfaces.

Current use: Occasionally used in laboratory photometry and LED chip characterization where the emitting area is only a few square centimeters and cd/m² values would be inconveniently small.

Supported Units

Unit Symbol In cd/m²
Candela per Square Meter cd/m² 1 cd/m²
Candela per Square Centimeter cd/cm² 10000 cd/m²
Candela per Square Foot cd/ft² 10.76391 cd/m²
Candela per Square Inch cd/in² 1550.0031 cd/m²
Kilocandela per Square Meter kcd/m² 1000 cd/m²
Stilb sb 10000 cd/m²
Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian lm/m²/sr 1 cd/m²
Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian lm/cm²/sr 10000 cd/m²
Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian lm/ft²/sr 10.76391 cd/m²
Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) W/cm²/sr 6830000 cd/m²
Nit nt 1 cd/m²
Millinit mnt 0.001 cd/m²
Lambert L 3183.0989 cd/m²
Millilambert mL 3.1830989 cd/m²
Foot-Lambert fL 3.4262591 cd/m²
Apostilb asb 0.31830989 cd/m²
Blondel bd 0.31830989 cd/m²
Bril bril 3.1831E-08 cd/m²
Skot sk 0.0003183099 cd/m²

About These Parameters

Value
The luminance value you want to convert, expressed in the "From" unit. Accepts decimals, so you can enter anything from a faint scotopic reading in skots to a display's rated brightness in nits.
From Unit
The unit your input value is currently measured in — a monitor spec sheet's nits, a cinema calibration report's foot-lamberts, or a scientific instrument's candela per square meter.
To Unit
The unit you want the result converted into. Use the swap button to flip From and To instantly and compare figures across display, cinema, and scientific contexts.

How Luminance Conversion Works

The Formula

Every unit here is defined by a fixed multiplier relative to candela per square meter. To convert a value from one unit to another:

result = value × (factor of "From" unit ÷ factor of "To" unit)

For Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) → Candela per Square Centimeter: multiply by 683. For example, 1 W/cm²/sr × 683 = 683 cd/cm².

Nits vs. Candela per Square Meter

A nit and a candela per square meter are exactly the same physical quantity — "nit" is simply the shorter, everyday name adopted by the display and consumer electronics industry. When a phone, TV, or monitor spec sheet quotes "1,000 nits," that number is identical to 1,000 cd/m² in a scientific paper. The two names exist for context, not physics: engineers and physicists tend to write cd/m², while marketing copy, review sites, and display datasheets almost universally write nits.

CGS vs. SI Luminance Units

Several units on this page — the stilb, lambert, apostilb, blondel, bril, and skot — predate the modern SI system and come from the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system of photometric units used in early 20th-century physics. They were built around the idea of a perfectly diffusing ("Lambertian") surface rather than the candela directly, which is why their conversion factors to cd/m² involve π-related constants (a lambert, for instance, equals 1/π candela per square centimeter). Most of these CGS units have been superseded by candela-per-square-meter and its nit alias in modern engineering, but they still surface in legacy scientific literature, older photometric instruments, and specialized fields like vision research that never fully migrated to SI.

Example

A luminance of 1 W/cm²/sr equals 683 cd/cm². For scale, a typical smartphone screen runs around 500-1,000 nits, a calibrated cinema screen is set to roughly 14-16 foot-lamberts, an overcast sky reads around 2,000-4,000 cd/m², and the full moon's surface luminance is only about 2,500 cd/m² despite looking far brighter against a dark night sky.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Candela per Square Centimeter are in 1 Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm)?

1 Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) equals exactly 683 Candela per Square Centimeter (cd/cm²).

What's the difference between luminance and brightness?

Luminance is the objective, physically measured quantity — candela per square meter, or nits — while "brightness" is often used loosely to describe the subjective perception of how light a surface looks, which also depends on surrounding contrast and the viewer's eye adaptation. Luminance is what a light meter measures; brightness is what a person reports seeing.

Is a nit the same as a candela per square meter?

Yes — a nit and a candela per square meter (cd/m²) are exactly the same unit under two different names. "Nit" is the informal name used throughout the display and consumer electronics industry, while cd/m² is the formal SI name used in scientific and engineering contexts.

Why do cinema screens use foot-lamberts instead of nits?

The film and projection industry standardized on foot-lamberts decades before nits became common in consumer electronics, and SMPTE calibration standards for theatrical and home-theater screens (typically 14-16 foot-lamberts) are still written in that unit today. Converting to nits (1 fL ≈ 3.43 cd/m²) shows that cinema screens are actually much dimmer than a modern smartphone or TV display, which is intentional for a dark viewing room.

Why are there so many old CGS luminance units like the stilb and apostilb?

Before the SI system standardized photometry around the candela and candela-per-square-meter in the mid-20th century, different countries and scientific traditions developed their own luminance units within the centimeter-gram-second (CGS) system — the stilb and lambert in general use, the apostilb and its French-system twin the blondel for illuminated surfaces, and the extremely small bril and skot for vision research into low-light perception. Most have fallen out of everyday use but still appear in older instruments, legacy literature, and specialized scientific fields.

How accurate are these conversions?

Every conversion factor used here is the exact, internationally recognized relationship between the underlying luminance units — results are limited only by floating-point display precision, not by rounded conversion constants.

Convert Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Other Luminance Units

Possible Luminance Conversions

Blondel to Nits Kilocandela per Square Meter to Nits Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Kilocandela per Square Meter Apostilb to Candela per Square Inch Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Blondels Millilambert to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Brils Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Millilamberts Stilb to Kilocandela per Square Meter Candela per Square Inch to Candela per Square Foot Millinit to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Stilb to Foot-Lamberts Millinit to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Candela per Square Meter Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Candela per Square Meter Candela per Square Centimeter to Nits Foot-Lambert to Nits Skot to Foot-Lamberts Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Millinits Candela per Square Inch to Nits Apostilb to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Stilb to Candela per Square Centimeter Candela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Centimeter Candela per Square Foot to Blondels Lambert to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Stilb to Skots Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Nits Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Apostilbs Skot to Lamberts Lambert to Apostilbs Skot to Nits Candela per Square Meter to Brils Candela per Square Meter to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Foot-Lamberts Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Skots Apostilb to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Millilambert to Millinits Candela per Square Meter to Stilbs Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Nits Millilambert to Candela per Square Centimeter Candela per Square Foot to Foot-Lamberts Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Nit to Blondels Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Candela per Square Foot Lambert to Millilamberts Nit to Apostilbs Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Blondel to Foot-Lamberts Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Skots Candela per Square Inch to Millilamberts Foot-Lambert to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Stilb to Millinits Candela per Square Meter to Millinits Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Apostilbs Lambert to Millinits Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Bril to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Nit to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Candela per Square Meter Kilocandela per Square Meter to Apostilbs Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Stilbs Millilambert to Nits Candela per Square Foot to Nits Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Millilambert to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Nit to Candela per Square Centimeter Foot-Lambert to Candela per Square Centimeter Bril to Skots Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Candela per Square Inch to Skots Stilb to Lamberts Millinit to Blondels Millilambert to Apostilbs Millilambert to Candela per Square Meter Skot to Apostilbs Skot to Candela per Square Meter Candela per Square Inch to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Candela per Square Foot to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Foot-Lamberts Millinit to Brils Lambert to Skots Apostilb to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Candela per Square Centimeter to Candela per Square Meter Bril to Millinits Candela per Square Centimeter to Millinits Candela per Square Meter to Nits Kilocandela per Square Meter to Lamberts Apostilb to Candela per Square Foot Stilb to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Bril to Millilamberts Candela per Square Centimeter to Candela per Square Inch Lambert to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Foot-Lambert to Candela per Square Foot Millinit to Stilbs Nit to Brils Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Candela per Square Meter to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Bril to Candela per Square Meter Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Candela per Square Centimeter Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Candela per Square Inch Lambert to Foot-Lamberts Stilb to Candela per Square Foot Apostilb to Foot-Lamberts Candela per Square Inch to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Millinit to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Millilambert to Foot-Lamberts Candela per Square Foot to Candela per Square Inch Millinit to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Nit to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Kilocandela per Square Meter Foot-Lambert to Stilbs Skot to Millinits Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Nits Candela per Square Centimeter to Apostilbs Nit to Millilamberts Candela per Square Centimeter to Blondels Lambert to Stilbs Lambert to Candela per Square Centimeter Blondel to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Bril to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Millinit to Candela per Square Inch Millilambert to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Kilocandela per Square Meter to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Kilocandela per Square Meter to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Candela per Square Inch to Candela per Square Meter Foot-Lambert to Blondels Bril to Foot-Lamberts Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Lamberts Millinit to Candela per Square Meter Candela per Square Foot to Millinits Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Candela per Square Centimeter Blondel to Candela per Square Meter Foot-Lambert to Candela per Square Meter Bril to Blondels Candela per Square Inch to Kilocandela per Square Meter Millinit to Millilamberts Candela per Square Foot to Candela per Square Meter Kilocandela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Meter Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Millinits Foot-Lambert to Millinits Blondel to Millinits Candela per Square Inch to Foot-Lamberts Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Candela per Square Foot Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Blondels Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Lambert to Candela per Square Inch Millinit to Nits Skot to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Candela per Square Foot to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Lambert to Blondels Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Apostilbs Candela per Square Inch to Lamberts Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Candela per Square Centimeter Skot to Millilamberts Blondel to Candela per Square Centimeter Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Candela per Square Foot Nit to Candela per Square Inch Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Candela per Square Centimeter Foot-Lambert to Kilocandela per Square Meter Stilb to Candela per Square Inch Apostilb to Stilbs Millilambert to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Candela per Square Centimeter to Lamberts Foot-Lambert to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Foot-Lambert to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Apostilb to Blondels Bril to Candela per Square Centimeter Foot-Lambert to Millilamberts Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Stilbs Apostilb to Millinits Candela per Square Centimeter to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Candela per Square Meter to Lamberts Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Millilamberts Candela per Square Inch to Candela per Square Centimeter Candela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Inch Millinit to Apostilbs Skot to Candela per Square Centimeter Stilb to Nits Foot-Lambert to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Apostilb to Skots Candela per Square Centimeter to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Millinit to Kilocandela per Square Meter Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Skots Lambert to Candela per Square Meter Nit to Lamberts Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Millilamberts Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Stilbs Millilambert to Blondels Blondel to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Kilocandela per Square Meter to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Nit to Candela per Square Meter Candela per Square Centimeter to Brils Foot-Lambert to Apostilbs Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Brils Millilambert to Skots Nit to Millinits Kilocandela per Square Meter to Millinits Stilb to Brils Millilambert to Candela per Square Inch Candela per Square Foot to Brils Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Candela per Square Meter Millinit to Foot-Lamberts Candela per Square Foot to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Apostilb to Nits Skot to Candela per Square Inch Blondel to Skots Candela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Foot Blondel to Apostilbs Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Millinits Nit to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Nit to Skots Kilocandela per Square Meter to Brils Kilocandela per Square Meter to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Skots Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Skot to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Foot-Lamberts Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Kilocandela per Square Meter to Millilamberts Skot to Candela per Square Foot Blondel to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Kilocandela per Square Meter to Blondels Apostilb to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Candela per Square Foot to Millilamberts Skot to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Candela per Square Meter to Millilamberts Bril to Nits Stilb to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Foot-Lambert to Brils Candela per Square Centimeter to Candela per Square Foot Nit to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Brils Skot to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Candela per Square Inch to Millinits Kilocandela per Square Meter to Stilbs Foot-Lambert to Skots Skot to Kilocandela per Square Meter Nit to Foot-Lamberts Stilb to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Blondel to Lamberts Blondel to Candela per Square Inch Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Millilamberts Candela per Square Foot to Skots Blondel to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Candela per Square Meter to Kilocandela per Square Meter Candela per Square Centimeter to Kilocandela per Square Meter Candela per Square Foot to Stilbs Stilb to Apostilbs Foot-Lambert to Candela per Square Inch Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Foot-Lamberts Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Kilocandela per Square Meter Blondel to Brils Stilb to Blondels Kilocandela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Inch Lambert to Brils Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Lamberts Millinit to Candela per Square Centimeter Candela per Square Inch to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Candela per Square Foot to Candela per Square Centimeter Stilb to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Bril to Stilbs Skot to Blondels Candela per Square Meter to Blondels Apostilb to Brils Kilocandela per Square Meter to Skots Candela per Square Foot to Kilocandela per Square Meter Kilocandela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Foot Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Nits Candela per Square Centimeter to Millilamberts Millinit to Candela per Square Foot Stilb to Millilamberts Bril to Candela per Square Foot Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Millinits Skot to Stilbs Candela per Square Foot to Apostilbs Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Nit to Stilbs Candela per Square Centimeter to Stilbs Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Candela per Square Inch Millinit to Skots Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Blondels Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Candela per Square Inch Candela per Square Inch to Stilbs Candela per Square Inch to Blondels Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Lamberts Stilb to Candela per Square Meter Candela per Square Meter to Apostilbs Candela per Square Meter to Foot-Lamberts Nit to Candela per Square Foot Candela per Square Inch to Apostilbs Skot to Brils Lambert to Nits Candela per Square Foot to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Apostilb to Kilocandela per Square Meter Lambert to Candela per Square Foot Apostilb to Lamberts Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Candela per Square Foot Apostilb to Millilamberts Blondel to Millilamberts Candela per Square Inch to Brils Apostilb to Candela per Square Centimeter Foot-Lambert to Lamberts Kilocandela per Square Meter to Foot-Lamberts Bril to Kilocandela per Square Meter Bril to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Blondel to Candela per Square Foot Millilambert to Lamberts Millilambert to Stilbs Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Candela per Square Meter to Skots Lambert to Kilocandela per Square Meter Millilambert to Kilocandela per Square Meter Lambert to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Apostilb to Candela per Square Meter Candela per Square Centimeter to Lumens per Square Foot per Steradian Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Candela per Square Inch Candela per Square Foot to Lamberts Candela per Square Meter to Lumens per Square Centimeter per Steradian Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Stilbs Candela per Square Centimeter to Skots Candela per Square Meter to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) Bril to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Kilocandela per Square Meter to Candela per Square Centimeter Blondel to Kilocandela per Square Meter Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Blondels Nit to Kilocandela per Square Meter Lumen per Square Foot per Steradian to Brils Lumen per Square Meter per Steradian to Apostilbs Millilambert to Candela per Square Foot Millilambert to Brils Bril to Candela per Square Inch Lambert to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Candela per Square Centimeter to Lumens per Square Meter per Steradian Millinit to Lamberts Bril to Lamberts Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Lamberts Bril to Apostilbs Lumen per Square Centimeter per Steradian to Kilocandela per Square Meter Blondel to Stilbs Candela per Square Centimeter to Foot-Lamberts Candela per Square Inch to Watts per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm)

See also