In a method and apparatus for acquiring cardiac image data of a subject of examination, in particular in the context of magnetic resonance tomography, a first image acquiring technique is implemented, in which image data acquiring takes place only in a part of the cardiac cycle, and/or not in each cardiac cycle, and a second image acquiring technique is alternatingly implemented, such that the image data acquiring using the second image acquiring technique takes place at times in which image data acquiring using the first image acquiring technique is not occurring.