Abstract: A SWIR hyperspectral imaging filter has serial stages along an optical signal path with angularly distributed birefringent retarders and polarizers. The retarders can include active retarders such as tunable liquid crystal birefringent elements, passive retarders such as fixed retarders, and/or combinations thereof. Distinctly different periodic transmission spectra are provided by different filter stages, each having multiple retarders, in particular with some stages having broad bandpass peaks at wide spectral spacing and other stages have very narrow closely spaced peaks. The respective spectra include at least one tunably selectable band at which the transmission spectra of the filter stages coincide, whereby the salutary narrow bandpass and wide spectral spacing ranges of different stages apply together, resulting in a high finesse wavelength filter suitable for spectral imaging.