Stilb to Nits Converter

Enter a luminance value in stilb and get the equivalent in nits instantly. 1 sb = 10,000 nits.

Use the Stilb to Nits Converter

Stilb to Nits Converter

Enter a stilb value above to see the nit equivalent.
nits: value × 10,000
cd/m²: value × 10,000 (identical to nits)
foot-lambert: nits × 0.29186

Common Luminance Reference Values

Source / Display Stilb (sb) Nits (nt)

Click any row to load that value into the converter.

Summary

The stilb (sb) is a CGS unit of luminance equal to 1 candela per square centimeter (cd/cm²). The nit (nt) is the informal name for candela per square meter (cd/m²), the SI unit used to specify display brightness. Because 1 m² contains 10,000 cm², one stilb equals exactly 10,000 nits. This converter takes any stilb value, multiplies by 10,000 to produce nits, and also shows the equivalent in cd/m² and foot-lambert for easy cross-referencing with other photometric sources.

How it works

  1. Enter any luminance value in stilb (sb) in the input field.
  2. The converter multiplies by 10,000 to compute the nit result (1 sb = 10,000 cd/m²).
  3. cd/m² is shown alongside — nit and cd/m² are the same unit (1:1 ratio).
  4. Foot-lambert is calculated by multiplying the nit value by 0.29186 (1 nt ≈ 0.29186 fL).
  5. All results update instantly as you type; copy any value with one click.

Use cases

  • Convert CGS stilb values from older photometric tables into modern nit specs for display comparisons.
  • Translate stilb-based luminance data from legacy scientific papers into nits for current HDR documentation.
  • Cross-check laboratory measurements reported in stilb against nit-rated display panels.
  • Verify luminance unit conversions when writing technical reports that mix CGS and SI systems.
  • Convert historical photometric data in stilb to nits for archival digitization projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

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