An apparatus for increasing the resolution of at least one portion of a cryogenically cooled and vacuum-sealed infrared imaging detector including a two-dimensional detector array having a fill factor value, the portion of the array successively exposed to an image scene to acquire multiple infrared imaging samples of the scene, a masking filter having a single pattern, disposed between the array and the image scene and operative to reduce the fill factor value of the portion of the array by a fill factor reduction amount (FFRA), an optical element disposed between the masking filter and the image scene, a directional angle shifter for shifting an angle at which the imaging samples are directed onto the portion of the array thereby successively shifting the image scene relative to the portion of the array between each of the imaging samples by a shifting increment corresponding to the FFRA and a processor.