X‐ray streak cameras, which can be coupled to a large variety of spectroscopic or imaging devices, provide an important research tool for studying laser fusion plasmas. Generally, several of these instruments are deployed simultaneously on a given experiment to furnish a comprehensive data set of the x‐ray emission spectrum and target hydrodynamics. Of particular importance is the ability to do quantitative analysis with the data set. This allows meaningful comparisons to be made with simulations. The sophistication of the hydrodynamic and atomic physics codes is such that qualitative analysis is insufficient. Various simple parameters in these codes are bench‐marked against experimental measurements before more detailed calculations are performed. As in all diagnostic systems the range of linear response must be well defined. In this article we will discuss some of the constraints inherent in streak camera systems and how they affect the acquisition and analysis of the experimental results. Examples illustrating our current capabilities for diagnosing experiments on the OMEGA laser fusion facility will be presented.