SELECT 
  SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS `B`.`brand_id`, 
  `B`.`brand`, 
  COALESCE(F.path, "") AS image, 
  `PC`.`category_id` 
FROM 
  `cscart_brands` AS `B` 
  LEFT JOIN `files__images` AS `FI` ON `B`.`brand_id` = `FI`.`object_id` 
  AND `FI`.`object_type` = "brand" 
  LEFT JOIN `files` AS `F` ON `F`.`id` = `FI`.`file_id` 
  LEFT JOIN `cscart_products` AS `P` ON `B`.`brand_id` = `P`.`brand_id` 
  LEFT JOIN `cscart_products_categories` AS `PC` ON `PC`.`product_id` = `P`.`product_id` 
  AND `PC`.`link_type` = 'M' 
WHERE 
  1 
  AND `PC`.`category_id` IN (
    268, 666, 670, 696, 671, 672, 673, 667, 
    674, 675, 676, 677, 668, 678, 679, 669, 
    680, 681, 682, 683, 684, 685, 686
  ) 
  AND `P`.`status` = 'A' 
GROUP BY 
  `B`.`brand_id`, 
  `B`.`brand` 
ORDER BY 
  `B`.`brand` ASC 
LIMIT 
  0, 20

Query time 0.00124

JSON explain

{
  "query_block": {
    "select_id": 1,
    "cost_info": {
      "query_cost": "111.64"
    },
    "ordering_operation": {
      "using_filesort": true,
      "grouping_operation": {
        "using_temporary_table": true,
        "using_filesort": false,
        "nested_loop": [
          {
            "table": {
              "table_name": "PC",
              "access_type": "range",
              "possible_keys": [
                "PRIMARY",
                "link_type",
                "pt",
                "idx_pc_product_id_type"
              ],
              "key": "link_type",
              "used_key_parts": [
                "link_type",
                "category_id"
              ],
              "key_length": "6",
              "rows_examined_per_scan": 70,
              "rows_produced_per_join": 70,
              "filtered": "100.00",
              "using_index": true,
              "cost_info": {
                "read_cost": "7.28",
                "eval_cost": "7.00",
                "prefix_cost": "14.28",
                "data_read_per_join": "1K"
              },
              "used_columns": [
                "product_id",
                "category_id",
                "link_type"
              ],
              "attached_condition": "((`dev2`.`PC`.`category_id` in (268,666,670,696,671,672,673,667,674,675,676,677,668,678,679,669,680,681,682,683,684,685,686)) and (`dev2`.`PC`.`link_type` = 'M'))"
            }
          },
          {
            "table": {
              "table_name": "P",
              "access_type": "eq_ref",
              "possible_keys": [
                "PRIMARY",
                "status",
                "cscart_products_brand_id_index",
                "cscart_products_product_id_index",
                "idx_status"
              ],
              "key": "PRIMARY",
              "used_key_parts": [
                "product_id"
              ],
              "key_length": "3",
              "ref": [
                "dev2.PC.product_id"
              ],
              "rows_examined_per_scan": 1,
              "rows_produced_per_join": 50,
              "filtered": "72.23",
              "cost_info": {
                "read_cost": "17.50",
                "eval_cost": "5.06",
                "prefix_cost": "38.78",
                "data_read_per_join": "381K"
              },
              "used_columns": [
                "product_id",
                "status",
                "brand_id"
              ],
              "attached_condition": "((`dev2`.`P`.`status` = 'A') and (`dev2`.`P`.`brand_id` is not null))"
            }
          },
          {
            "table": {
              "table_name": "B",
              "access_type": "eq_ref",
              "possible_keys": [
                "PRIMARY",
                "cscart_brands_pk2"
              ],
              "key": "PRIMARY",
              "used_key_parts": [
                "brand_id"
              ],
              "key_length": "4",
              "ref": [
                "dev2.P.brand_id"
              ],
              "rows_examined_per_scan": 1,
              "rows_produced_per_join": 50,
              "filtered": "100.00",
              "cost_info": {
                "read_cost": "12.64",
                "eval_cost": "5.06",
                "prefix_cost": "56.47",
                "data_read_per_join": "173K"
              },
              "used_columns": [
                "brand_id",
                "brand"
              ]
            }
          },
          {
            "table": {
              "table_name": "FI",
              "access_type": "ref",
              "possible_keys": [
                "idx_fi_object_id_type"
              ],
              "key": "idx_fi_object_id_type",
              "used_key_parts": [
                "object_id",
                "object_type"
              ],
              "key_length": "5",
              "ref": [
                "dev2.P.brand_id",
                "const"
              ],
              "rows_examined_per_scan": 1,
              "rows_produced_per_join": 51,
              "filtered": "100.00",
              "cost_info": {
                "read_cost": "12.81",
                "eval_cost": "5.12",
                "prefix_cost": "74.41",
                "data_read_per_join": "1K"
              },
              "used_columns": [
                "object_id",
                "object_type",
                "file_id"
              ]
            }
          },
          {
            "table": {
              "table_name": "F",
              "access_type": "eq_ref",
              "possible_keys": [
                "PRIMARY"
              ],
              "key": "PRIMARY",
              "used_key_parts": [
                "id"
              ],
              "key_length": "4",
              "ref": [
                "dev2.FI.file_id"
              ],
              "rows_examined_per_scan": 1,
              "rows_produced_per_join": 51,
              "filtered": "100.00",
              "cost_info": {
                "read_cost": "32.11",
                "eval_cost": "5.12",
                "prefix_cost": "111.64",
                "data_read_per_join": "190K"
              },
              "used_columns": [
                "id",
                "path"
              ]
            }
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}