Mesoscopic structures on length scales of 10–1000 nm are of high interest for the study of nanostrucured surfaces and thin films. Such structures can be analyzed with the help of high-resolution x-ray scattering using crystal optics. In order to improve the speed of data collection, it is convenient to combine the analyzer crystal with a linear detector. A simple analytical theory in angular space is presented, how to correct distortions in intensity maps obtained this way, and how to optimize the accessible angular range. The anisotropic resolution that can be achieved with this combination—high-resolution scattering in the sample plane, large scattering range normal to the surface—is useful for grazing-incidence small-angle scattering and high-resolution grazing-incidence diffraction from surfaces and thin films, on both solid substrates as well as at the air–water interface.