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

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) to Kilocandela per Square Meter (kcd/m²) 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) = 6830 Kilocandela per Square Meter

1 Kilocandela per Square Meter = 0.00014641288 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 Kilocandela per Square Meter

Conversion table

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) Kilocandela per Square Meter (kcd/m²)
0.01 W/cm²/sr 68.3 kcd/m²
0.1 W/cm²/sr 683 kcd/m²
1 W/cm²/sr 6830 kcd/m²
2 W/cm²/sr 13660 kcd/m²
3 W/cm²/sr 20490 kcd/m²
5 W/cm²/sr 34150 kcd/m²
10 W/cm²/sr 68300 kcd/m²
20 W/cm²/sr 136600 kcd/m²
50 W/cm²/sr 341500 kcd/m²
100 W/cm²/sr 683000 kcd/m²
1000 W/cm²/sr 6830000 kcd/m²

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.

Kilocandela per Square Meter (kcd/m²)

Definition: A metric multiple of the base unit expressing one thousand candela per square meter, used for very bright sources such as direct sunlight or high-intensity LED arrays.

History: Adopted as a convenient SI multiple once measured luminance values for sources like the sun (over a million cd/m²) or vehicle headlights made plain cd/m² figures unwieldy to read and compare.

Current use: Used to report very high luminance levels such as automotive headlamp brightness, stadium floodlighting, and direct solar luminance in scientific literature.

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) → Kilocandela per Square Meter: multiply by 6830. For example, 1 W/cm²/sr × 6830 = 6830 kcd/m².

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 6830 kcd/m². 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 Kilocandela per Square Meter 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 6830 Kilocandela per Square Meter (kcd/m²).

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

See also