I would like my question answered.
With regards to the "magnification" of more intense light sources, I have just taken a photograph twice with different exposures. I don't have my tripod with me, so I'm limited to the length of exposure of the second. The photo is of a black background with a single white pixel. Notice in the second how the pixel appears to be magnified (I used the same focus for both and I did not change my monitor settings).


Exposure settings:
f/5.6 for both
1/200 s for the first, 1/5 s for the second
ISO3200 for both
Both of these are 100% crop 100 x 180.
If you're wondering about motion blur, don't. I have something to lean on and my lens is a VR lens, and I didn't use a long focal length. Also, the pixel is symmetrical in both.