An apparatus comprising: an optical filter array with spectral selectivity comprising optical filter elements each including: a parallelogram-shaped filter element substrate with parallel light entrance and light exit surfaces and parallel slanted sidewalls slanted at an angle, and an interference filter disposed on one or both of the light entrance surface and the light exit surface, wherein the interference filter comprises a filter layer stack including alternating layers of two or more materials with different refractive index values, and the filter layer stack is supported by said filter element substrate and is disposed on the entrance surface and/or on the exit surface of the filter element, the optical filter elements being bonded together at the slanted sidewalls to form the optical filter array, wherein the optical filter elements are of different optical interference filter element types, the apparatus further comprising: an entrance aperture located on the light entrance surfaces of the optical filter elements and having openings aligned with the light entrance surfaces of the optical filter elements; and an exit aperture located on the light exit surfaces of the optical filter elements and having openings aligned with the light exit surfaces of the optical filter elements; wherein the exit aperture openings are laterally shifted relative to the entrance aperture openings to accommodate the slanted sidewalls of the optical filter elements. a parallelogram-shaped filter element substrate with parallel light entrance and light exit surfaces and parallel slanted sidewalls slanted at an angle, and an interference filter disposed on one or both of the light entrance surface and the light exit surface, wherein the interference filter comprises a filter layer stack including alternating layers of two or more materials with different refractive index values, and the filter layer stack is supported by said filter element substrate and is disposed on the entrance surface and/or on the exit surface of the filter element, the optical filter elements being bonded together at the slanted sidewalls to form the optical filter array, wherein the optical filter elements are of different optical interference filter element types, the apparatus further comprising: an entrance aperture located on the light entrance surfaces of the optical filter elements and having openings aligned with the light entrance surfaces of the optical filter elements; and an exit aperture located on the light exit surfaces of the optical filter elements and having openings aligned with the light exit surfaces of the optical filter elements; wherein the exit aperture openings are laterally shifted relative to the entrance aperture openings to accommodate the slanted sidewalls of the optical filter elements. an entrance aperture located on the light entrance surfaces of the optical filter elements and having openings aligned with the light entrance surfaces of the optical filter elements; and an exit aperture located on the light exit surfaces of the optical filter elements and having openings aligned with the light exit surfaces of the optical filter elements; wherein the exit aperture openings are laterally shifted relative to the entrance aperture openings to accommodate the slanted sidewalls of the optical filter elements. <EOS>