How many stilb is 1 cd/m²?

0.0001 stilb. Since 1 stilb = 10,000 cd/m² (one candela per square centimeter), dividing by 10,000 gives the stilb value. For example, 500 cd/m² = 0.05 sb.

The stilb (sb) is a CGS unit of luminance equal to 1 candela per square centimeter (cd/cm²). It is not part of the SI system and is rarely used in modern practice, but it still appears in older scientific literature.

Is stilb the same as nit?

No. A nit equals 1 cd/m², while 1 stilb equals 10,000 cd/m² (or 10,000 nits). Stilb is four orders of magnitude larger than nit.

How do I convert stilb back to cd/m²?

Multiply the stilb value by 10,000. For example, 0.05 sb × 10,000 = 500 cd/m². Equivalently, 1 sb = 10⁴ cd/m².

What luminance values are typical for common sources?

A standard office monitor is about 250–300 cd/m² (0.025–0.03 sb). A candle flame at 1 m is roughly 1 cd/m² (0.0001 sb). Direct sunlight can reach 1.6 × 10⁹ cd/m² (160,000 sb).

cd/m2 to Stilb Converter

Enter a cd/m² value and get the equivalent in stilb instantly. 1 cd/m² = 0.0001 sb.

cd/m² to Stilb Converter

Luminance in cd/m²

Enter a cd/m² value above to see the stilb equivalent.

stilb: value × 0.0001 (= value ÷ 10,000)

nit: value × 1 (identical unit)

foot-lambert: value × 0.29186

Common Luminance Reference Values

Source / Display	cd/m²	sb

Click any row to load that value into the converter.

Summary

The stilb (sb) is a CGS unit of luminance defined as 1 candela per square centimeter, making 1 sb exactly equal to 10,000 cd/m². So 1 cd/m² converts to 0.0001 sb. While the modern SI unit is cd/m², stilb still appears in older photometric literature and some scientific references. This tool converts any cd/m² value to stilb and also shows the nit and foot-lambert equivalents for cross-referencing display or lighting specs.

How it works

Enter any luminance value in candela per square meter (cd/m²) in the input field.
The converter multiplies by 0.0001 (= 1 ÷ 10,000) to compute the stilb value.
Nit is shown alongside — nit equals cd/m² exactly (1:1 ratio).
Foot-lambert is calculated by multiplying by 0.29186 (1 cd/m² ≈ 0.29186 fL).
All results update instantly as you type; copy any result with one click.

Use cases

Convert cd/m² luminance data from a photometer report into stilb for legacy CGS documentation.
Translate stilb values found in older physics or photometry textbooks into modern cd/m².
Cross-check display brightness specs in nits against stilb-based archive records.
Verify unit conversions in scientific papers that mix SI and CGS photometric units.
Understand the magnitude difference between cd/m² and stilb when analyzing high-luminance sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-14 · Reviewed by Nham Vu