The disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus for compact dispersive imaging spectrometer. More specifically, one embodiment of the disclosure relates to a portable system for obtaining a spatially accurate wavelength-resolved image of a sample having a first and a second spatial dimension. The portable system can include a photon emission source for sequentially illuminating a plurality of portions of said sample with a plurality of photons to produce photons scattered by the sample. The photon emission source can illuminate the sample along the first spatial dimension for each of plural predetermined positions of the second spatial dimension. The system may also include an optical lens for collecting the scattered photons to produce therefrom filtered photons, a dispersive spectrometer for determining a wavelength of ones of the filtered photons, a photon detector for receiving the filtered photons and obtaining therefrom plural spectra of said sample, and a processor for producing a two dimensional image of said sample from the plural spectra.