Spectroscopic imaging of plasma emission profiles from a few electron volts to tens of kilo-electron volts enables basic diagnostics in present day tokamaks. For the more difficult burning plasma conditions, light extraction and detection techniques, as well as instrument designs need to be investigated. As an alternative to light extraction with reflective optics, we discuss normal incidence, transmissive-diffractive optics (e.g., transmission gratings), which might withstand plasma exposure with less degradation of optical properties. Metallic multilayer reflectors are also of interest for light extraction. Although a shift of the diffraction peak might occur, instrument designs that accommodate such shifts are possible. As imaging detectors we consider "optical" arrays based on conversion of the short-wavelength light into visible light followed by transport of the visible signal with hollow lightguides. The proposed approaches to light extraction and detection could enable radiation resistant diagnostics. © 2005 American Institute of Physics.