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

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) to Millilambert (mL) 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) = 2145707.8 Millilamberts

1 Millilambert = 4.66047E-07 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 Millilamberts

Conversion table

Watt per Square Centimeter per Steradian (at 555 nm) (W/cm²/sr) Millilambert (mL)
0.01 W/cm²/sr 21457.078 mL
0.1 W/cm²/sr 214570.78 mL
1 W/cm²/sr 2145707.8 mL
2 W/cm²/sr 4291415.6 mL
3 W/cm²/sr 6437123.3 mL
5 W/cm²/sr 10728539 mL
10 W/cm²/sr 21457078 mL
20 W/cm²/sr 42914156 mL
50 W/cm²/sr 1.0728539E+08 mL
100 W/cm²/sr 2.1457078E+08 mL
1000 W/cm²/sr 2.14571E+09 mL

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.

Millilambert (mL)

Definition: One-thousandth of a lambert, offering a more practically sized CGS luminance unit for typical indoor and screen-brightness magnitudes than the full lambert.

History: Introduced as the lambert proved too large a unit for everyday luminance readings — most real-world surfaces and early cathode-ray displays measured in the millilambert range rather than whole lamberts.

Current use: Historically used in early display and photometric engineering, including some vintage radar and oscilloscope screen brightness specifications, before nits and foot-lamberts became standard.

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) → Millilambert: multiply by 2145707.8. For example, 1 W/cm²/sr × 2145707.8 = 2145707.8 mL.

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 2145707.8 mL. 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 Millilamberts 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 2145707.8 Millilamberts (mL).

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

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

See also