The device (1) for lighting an illumination field (2) includes a light source (5), adapted to illuminate the illumination field (2), a device for regulating the illuminance from the light source (7). The device for regulating the illuminance from the light source (7) is adapted to receive an actual luminance signal representing the actual luminance of the lighting field (2) and control the illuminance from the light source (5) as a function of the actual luminance signal and a luminance set point signal. The lighting device (1) comprises a device for determining the actual luminance (11) adapted to determine the actual luminance of the lighting field (2) and to create and transmit the actual luminance signal to the device for regulating the illumination from the light source (7).Application to devices for illuminating operating fields.