Which is the correct~er way in BPMN to represent a simple while loop that redirects to one task only?
I would say that using the loop activity is the better option as it helps keep the process model tidy.
Also be careful when creating loop in a process as usually task definition change between the first iteration and the second. e.g. first iteration is creation of a file, second will actually be an edition of the file: two different actions (create and edit) should not be in a single task definition.