1. An apparatus for imaging a fingerprint in a selected mode of operation, said selected mode of operation being capable of being a finger navigation mode or a finger recognition mode, said apparatus comprising: a finger interface having a sensing area on a surface thereof against which a portion of the tip of a human finger is placed, said sensing area containing two or more partitions; multiple light sources, each being associated with one of said two or more partitions, said multiple light sources being capable of sequentially emitting light to illuminate the portion of the tip of the human finger within said respective one of said two or more partitions; and a sensor for receiving as a partition image light reflected from the portion of the tip of the human finger in a selected one of said two or more partitions illuminated by one of said light sources and for producing image data corresponding to said partition image, said selected partition being selected based at least in part upon said selected mode of operation.