left join outperforming middle join?

i've profiling queries an concentration i'm operative on, i came opposing query retrieving some-more rows necessary, outcome set being embellished down concentration code.

changing left join an middle join embellished outcome set only needed, presumably also some-more performant (since reduction rows selected). reality, left join'ed query outperforming middle join'ed, holding half complete.

left join: (127 sum rows, query took 0.0011 sec)

inner join: (10 sum rows, query took 0.0024 sec)

(i ran queries churned times those averages).

running explain both reveals zero explains opening differences:

for middle join:

id  select_type     list   form    possible_keys   pivotal     key_len     ref        rows     extra
1   rudimentary  contacts        index       zero        name        302     zero         235    controlling where
1   rudimentary  lists           eq_ref      primary     primary     4   contacts.list_id     1   
1   rudimentary  lists_to_users  eq_ref      primary     primary     8   lists.id,const  1    
1   rudimentary  tags            eq_ref      primary     primary     4   lists_to_users.tag_id   1    
1   rudimentary  users           eq_ref      email_2     email_2     302     contacts.email 1    controlling where

for left join:

id  select_type     list   form    possible_keys   pivotal     key_len     ref     rows    extra
1   rudimentary          contacts index      zero        name        302     zero    235     controlling where
1   rudimentary        lists     eq_ref      primary     primary     4   contacts.list_id    1    
1   rudimentary    lists_to_users eq_ref     primary     primary     8   lists.id,const  1    
1   rudimentary         tags     eq_ref      primary     primary     4   lists_to_users.tag_id   1    
1   rudimentary        users     eq_ref      email_2     email_2     302     contacts.email  1   

and query itself:

select `contacts`.*, `lists`.`name` `group`, `lists`.`id` `group_id`, `lists`.`shared_yn`, `tags`.`name` `context`, `tags`.`id` `context_id`, `tags`.`color` `context_color`, `users`.`id` `user_id`, `users`.`avatar` 
from `contacts`  
left join `lists` lists.id=contacts.list_id  
left join `lists_to_users` lists_to_users.list_id=lists.id lists_to_users.user_id='1' lists_to_users.creator='1'  
left join `tags` tags.id=lists_to_users.tag_id 
inner join `users` users.email=contacts.email 
where (contacts.user_id='1') 
order `contacts`.`name` asc

(the apportionment i'm articulate final middle join 'users' table)

the query runs mysql 5.1 database, creates difference.

does anyone thought since left join'ed query outperforms middle join'ed case?

update: due tomalak's idea little tables i'm controlling origination middle join some-more complex, i'd combined exam database ridicule data. 'users' list 5000 rows, contacts list ~500,000 rows. law same (also timings haven't altered extraordinary cruise tables many bigger now).

i also ran investigate optimize contacts table. didn't any graphic difference.