An apparatus for imaging a scene having apparent motion, the apparatus comprising: an area imaging device having a plurality of pixel sensors; a multi-axis positioning mechanism (104; 1500), the multi-axis positioning mechanism operable to move the area imaging device along a tracking axis; a multi-band optical filter including a plurality of filter bands, each filter band having a different spectral transmission; and a control module configured to: direct the multi-axis positioning mechanism to set the tracking axis orientation to be at least substantially parallel with the apparent motion; direct the multi-axis positioning mechanism to move the area imaging device in successive cycles such that the area imaging device is moved, in each of the successive cycles, forward along the tracking axis at a tracking speed that compensates for a speed of the apparent motion; direct the area imaging device to take an exposure during each of the successive cycles, such that each exposure comprises multiple bands that were generated by exposing the area imaging device through the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter, wherein a segment of the scene is exposed through a different one of the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter in successive exposures such that the segment of the scene exposed through a first filter band of the plurality of filter bands in an exposure is at least partially exposed through a different one of the plurality of filter bands in a subsequent exposure, and the subsequent exposure has a partial spatial overlap of the scene relative to the prior exposure; and an imaging module configured to form a multi-spectral multi-band full image or video frame of the scene by stitching together the spatially overlapping exposures, captured during each of the successive cycles, using the multiple bands that were generated in each exposure by exposing the area imaging device through the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter. an area imaging device having a plurality of pixel sensors; a multi-axis positioning mechanism (104; 1500), the multi-axis positioning mechanism operable to move the area imaging device along a tracking axis; a multi-band optical filter including a plurality of filter bands, each filter band having a different spectral transmission; and a control module configured to: direct the multi-axis positioning mechanism to set the tracking axis orientation to be at least substantially parallel with the apparent motion; direct the multi-axis positioning mechanism to move the area imaging device in successive cycles such that the area imaging device is moved, in each of the successive cycles, forward along the tracking axis at a tracking speed that compensates for a speed of the apparent motion; direct the area imaging device to take an exposure during each of the successive cycles, such that each exposure comprises multiple bands that were generated by exposing the area imaging device through the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter, wherein a segment of the scene is exposed through a different one of the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter in successive exposures such that the segment of the scene direct the multi-axis positioning mechanism to set the tracking axis orientation to be at least substantially parallel with the apparent motion; direct the multi-axis positioning mechanism to move the area imaging device in successive cycles such that the area imaging device is moved, in each of the successive cycles, forward along the tracking axis at a tracking speed that compensates for a speed of the apparent motion; direct the area imaging device to take an exposure during each of the successive cycles, such that each exposure comprises multiple bands that were generated by exposing the area imaging device through the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter, wherein a segment of the scene is exposed through a different one of the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter in successive exposures such that the segment of the scene exposed through a first filter band of the plurality of filter bands in an exposure is at least partially exposed through a different one of the plurality of filter bands in a subsequent exposure, and the subsequent exposure has a partial spatial overlap of the scene relative to the prior exposure; and an imaging module configured to form a multi-spectral multi-band full image or video frame of the scene by stitching together the spatially overlapping exposures, captured during each of the successive cycles, using the multiple bands that were generated in each exposure by exposing the area imaging device through the plurality of filter bands of the multi-band optical filter.