Ai/AiS or stick to AF with my Nikon F80

[tyfoonmc]

HELP PLEASE!!
I recently purchased a Nikkor f1.8 Manual focus lens for my Nikon F(N)80... being that I focus manually for most of my portraiture work, the saving I was making on the AF made it a VERY sensible buy... however, I was disturbed to find that NONE of my TTL metering modes worked. I quickly sold the lens and have not since replaced it assuming that manual focus lens do not offer TTL metering with AF Nikon cameras. However, I have since seen read a few articles that seem to suggest that AI/AIS lenses do offer metering on AF nikkors (or maybe I'm reading it wrong)... ANYWAY, I would much prefer to buy an AIS Nikkor lens as my next lens because of the savings, but will only do it if my metering modes work! COuld someone PLEEEEEEEEEASE clear up this dilemma for me!? Preferably someone who has used a MF lens on an AF body successfully... or an am I just wishing on a star?! HELP!!!!