A method and apparatus for compact Fabry-Perot imaging spectrometer is presented. More specifically, in one embodiment, a tunable Fabry-Perot optical filter for providing a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of a sample having two spatial dimensions is presented. The optical filter may include plural filter elements having an initial predetermined spacing between adjacent filter elements; and a micro electro-mechanical system (“MEMS”) actuator. One of the plural filter elements may be attached to the MEMS actuator so that the actuator is capable of moving the one filter element relative to another of the plural filter elements to thereby tune the Fabry-Perot optical filter.