A simple, compact, high performance streak camera system, using a new streak tube with a microchannel plate as an electron image intensifier, has been developed. The system consists of a streak camera and an automatic data acquisition system with a silicon intensified target vidicon camera and a video analyser employing a microcomputer. First of all, the basic concept for designing the streak tube is discussed, comparing performances of the new tube with those of a streak tube followed by an image intensifier tube. The recent progress of the development of the tubes including ultraviolet, infrared and X-ray streak tubes is also presented. Performance characteristics of the streak camera system, such as temporal resolution of better than 10 ps (f.w.h.m.) in a linear dynamic range of better than 100 at relatively small jitter of approximately ± 50 ps, are also presented.