🔆 Luminance (Brightness) Converter
Convert luminance (display brightness) units, nit (candela per square metre), kilonit, millinit, stilb and foot-lambert. Phone and TV brightness is measured in nits.
1 nit = 1 cd/m²
1 nits = 1 candelas per square metre
1 × 1 = 1
1 nit equals 1 cd/m², so multiplying by 1 converts the value. The result describes the exact same quantity, only the measuring stick changes.
Popular luminance (brightness) conversions
All luminance (brightness) units
| Unit | Symbol | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Nit (cd/m²) | nit | One candela per square metre, the standard unit of display brightness. A phone in sunlight hits 1,000+ nits; a typical laptop is 250-400; an HDR TV can reach 1,500 or more. |
| Candela / square metre | cd/m² | The SI name for the nit, exactly the same unit (1 cd/m² = 1 nit). Spec sheets use either name interchangeably for screen brightness. |
| Kilonit | knit | One thousand nits (10³ cd/m²). A tidy unit for very bright HDR displays and outdoor signage, a 1,600-nit TV is 1.6 knits. |
| Millinit | mnit | One-thousandth of a nit (10⁻³ cd/m²). Used for very dim luminances near the low end of what the eye can see. |
| Stilb | sb | The CGS unit, one candela per square centimetre, equal to 10,000 nits. Rarely used today but seen in older optics literature. |
| Foot-lambert | fL | A US photometric unit for the luminance of a perfectly diffusing surface, about 3.426 nits. Still quoted for cinema and projector-screen brightness (SMPTE recommends ~14 fL). |
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert luminance (brightness) units?
Choose your two units in the converter above and type a value, the result updates instantly, entirely in your browser. All 6 luminance (brightness) units on this page are interchangeable, so you can convert in either direction.
Which luminance (brightness) units can I convert here?
This converter supports 6 luminance (brightness) units: Nit (cd/m²) (nit), Candela / square metre (cd/m²), Kilonit (knit), Millinit (mnit) and 2 more. Pick any two to convert between them.
What is the most common luminance (brightness) conversion?
One of the most-used luminance (brightness) conversions is Nits to Foot-lamberts (nit → fL). Every luminance (brightness) pair we support is linked below, each with its own formula and table.
Is this Luminance (Brightness) Converter free and private?
Yes. It is free with no sign-up, uses the exact internationally defined conversion factors, and computes every result locally in your browser, nothing you type is uploaded, and the page keeps working offline.