Accurate digital colour reproduction in the field of early colour films is a delicate and tricky task for the film restorer. In many cases, the technical specifications of early films are poorly documented. The lack of information relating to the spectral densities of the dyes, and film characteristics leads to empirical and unsuccessful methods. These facts were recently highlighted by an experimentation led by the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF). The aim of this research was to evaluate differences in colour rendering between a film and its digital version. The overall results were still far from satisfactory.We might find inspiration in this regard in the current techniques used for the restoration of paintings. Spectrophotometry, spectroscopy and microfluorescence could be helpful for analyzing the chemical properties of the dyes found in the different layers of film emulsions. It would then be possible to create conversion tables to obtain the best possible colour output.