1. A method for imaging a sample with an optical system having an input, the method comprising: receiving, along an optical axis of the input, light associated with said sample and having a first spectral distribution; spatially redirecting the received light into spatially-different optical channels, each spatially-different optical channel having a corresponding effective optical power; and detecting light that has transmitted through each of the spatially-different optical channels with a photodetector to fill an aperture of the photodetector with a plurality of substantially non-overlapping images of said sample, where each image of the plurality of substantially non-overlapping images corresponds to one of the spatially-different optical channels, wherein each spatially-different optical channel is configured to transmit light having the first spectral distribution, and wherein different spatially-different optical channels have different effective optical powers.